Productivity 101: 5 Methods To Utilize

When it comes to getting things done, we have no room for procrastination. Although I know we are all guilty of that from time to time. The best way to remedy procrastination is to find your productive sweet spot. We are all different, and so is what we respond to when it comes to the best way to get work done. That is where different productivity methods come into play. Today we’re talking about some productivity 101 and five methods to explore.

What Is A Productivity Method?

A productivity method is a way of structuring the work that you need to do in order to get the most done. These methods can consist of ways to organize your to-do-list and how to structure your work time. Productivity methods are a great way to add structure to your work routine to make sure you get done what you need to.

Productivity 101: Five Methods To Try

There are a variety of productivity methods out there that you can try. These five methods of productivity are some of the most well-known and effective. If one doesn’t work for you, move on to the next. You’ll find something that works for you in this list.

Pomodoro Method

When you think of productivity 101 methods, this is most likely one of the first five methods you think of. Even if you are like me and can never remember the exact name of it. The basis of this method is that taking breaks helps you focus better during deep work time.

The Pomodoro Method consists of four 25 minute deep work sessions, with a 5 minute break in between each one. Once you complete all four work sessions you’ll take a longer break of 15-30 minutes before starting over again. It’s ideal to pick one task to focus on during this time, then once that is completed move on to the next.

Once you’re use to the format of this productivity method you can experiment with the times of the Pomodoros. You can do a shorter time frame if you have trouble focusing, and a longer timeframe if you need more time for tasks.

Time Blocking

This productivity method is more of an organization tool for your day/week. Time blocking refers to grouping similar tasks together and completing them during their designated time.

An example of this is grouping everyday mundane tasks like checking emails, scheduling meetings, making phone calls, etc. together. Another example, for those that work in social media, is planning a specific day to create content, a day to write captions, and a day to edit your posts.

Do you see how structuring your tasks like this could be beneficial? It gives you the mental capacity to focus on one type of task, and not pretend that you can multitask. Whether you are time blocking your day, or your week, odds are you’ll find that you are a lot more productive in doing so,

Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is one of my favorite of the five productivity 101 methods. It’s a great way to prioritize what truly matters on your to-do-list. In this method you’ll be categorizing your to-do-list into four lists.

important and urgent (these urgent tasks need your immediate attention and often have due dates)
urgent but not important (things that can be outsourced)
important but not urgent (often important for your long-term goals)
neither important or urgent (can likely be taken off the to-do list)

This productivity method is great because it helps you determine what really matters, and helps you determine what to do with the tasks that don’t matter as much. Without this method you may not have thought to delegate some of your tasks, or you may have started with a less important task.

Eat The Frog

Eat The Frog is definitely one of the most memorable productivity method names. When it comes to execution of the method, it’s not the most fun.

This productivity method is all about completing your most challenging task first. The idea is that if you complete the most difficult task first you’ll feel accomplishment early on in the day and can then focus on smaller tasks.

Must, Should, Want

This productivity method not only helps you focus on the tasks that need prioritization, it also holds space for the tasks you enjoy. The Must Should Want method separates your to-do-list into three categories

Must: things that absolutely need to get done
Should: tasks that don’t need to be done right now, but will help for the future
Want: the tasks that you enjoy doing

You want to complete these tasks in order, giving yourself little reward at the end with those tasks that you enjoy. This method helps to keep you going throughout the day because you know there will be some fun tasks waiting for you.

How Do I Know What Productivity Method Suits Me?

Now that we have been over the five different productivity methods in this post, it’s time to get productive. If you are stuck on which productivity method would be best for you, that’s perfectly natural.

I’ve got a few suggestions, but it also just comes down to trial and error too. Pick one to start, and if that doesn’t work for you, try another one.

For Visual People: Try Time Blocking and the Eisenhower Matrix first. You’ll be able to see the layout of your to-do-list in different formats. It will help you get an idea of all that you need to get done.
If You Are Working On Several Big Projects: Try the Pomodoro Method or Eat The Frog. Both of these are task oriented productivity methods. You could probably combine them for ultimate productivity.
Revamped To-Do List: If you still want to keep your to-do-list, but make it better, you should try the Must, Should, Want method, and the Eisenhower Matrix. Think of these methods as a curated to-do-list.

Every person is unique, which means what works for me may not work for you, and that’s okay. That is why there are a variety of productivity methods. It’s all about finding the one(s) that make you feel the most productive.

Which productivity method will you be trying first? Let me know in the comments.