Tips for increasing productivity:

Finish a Task.

Often I find myself with several articles and tasks on the go at the same time. I like starting things but then don’t want to finish them off. The problem is that this is an inefficient way to work. If we get an article 75% finished it is easier to finish it whilst it is fresh in our memory. If we have to go back to finish off tasks we waste time remembering how we started. If we can do things methodically one at a time then it can be a very powerful way to increase our productivity. Don’t measure your productivity by tasks started, but only by tasks finished.

Have a Clear Goal.

Another big issue is whether we know what we are doing. If we have vague ideas about what we should be doing it is much easier to be unproductive. We flit from one thing to another, not entirely sure what we should be doing. If we have a very clearly defined goal then it can be like a magnet which pulls us towards completing it. Uncertainty in deciding what to do can be very time consuming. Therefore spend time preparing a plan of action and then follow it through.

The Power of Concentration.

Concentration is the art of focusing on one thing at a time. If we truly concentrate then we can be much more effective in finishing a task. Concentration means we avoid getting sidetracked by other issues. If we focus on only one thing at a time we can complete the task effectively and avoid getting sidetracked.

Simplify

To increase productivity we should always be trying to simplify.
To simplify our workplace creates greater focus. The less distractions you have around the workplace the more productive you can be. I often like writing in a quiet cafe, because there is nothing but my laptop. I need to work on creating a minimalist workplace so that I can have the same focus when writing at home.

Don’t Keep Repeating

Avoid repeating certain tasks. This can be checking email and statistics every hour or so. When we repeat actions we are wasting time. To avoid repeating tasks make sure you do a task thoroughly. It is better to do a task once and do it succesfully than do it several times half heartedly.

Take Time Off the Computer.

Spending more time on the computer doesn’t always equate to more output. If we limit our time it forces us to focus and be more concentrated when we do work. We can always find some way to spend 15 hours a day on the computer; but, that is not the way to maximise productivity. You can use time away from the computer to get fresh ideas and take a genuine break.

Ctrl F11

Ctrl F11 is the command to make the stumbleupon bar disappear. Stumbleupon is great for finding good articles, but it can also be a great timewaster. We start off with the idea – just one quick stumble and then before we know it we have spent half an hour surfing the internet. It may not be stumbleupon, but, most of us have some favourite ‘time wasting site’ . Make it more inaccessible – at least during the periods when you need to work.

An interesting report in the Independent suggest we are being swamped by emails.

Invented in 1971 by the computer engineer Ray Tomlinson, e-mail now controls us, rather than us it. A recent study from AOL suggested that many people are increasingly addicted to e-mail, checking their messages while in the bathroom, at church or while driving. Researchers also report that between 10 and 50 per cent of work time is now spent using e-mail, which is having a huge impact on productivity.

Another study, cited in Gail Fann Thomas’s 2006 article ” Re-conceptualising E-Mail Overload” in the Journal of Business and Technical Communication, found that the average worker had 2,483 inbox messages and 858 filed ones. This is hardly surprising. Recent figures from web portal Lycos reveal that one in 10 e-mail users in Britain receives more than 200 mails every day (including spam). As Lycos spokeswoman Stephanie Sanders warns: “UK internet users are in danger of reaching overload as they struggle to deal with out-of-control inboxes.”

 The End of Emailat independent

The interesting thing is that company’s are seeking an alternative to email. One solution is to use Wiki’s where information is stored, edited and added to. This can be a more efficient way of sharing information.

We often assume A List bloggers, get lucky, or have some elusive quality. It may be true in some cases, but for example, Darren Rowse, suggests he posts upto 20 – 25 posts per day. At the end of the year, that is 8,000 + blog entries. If you can post with this kind of quantity, you can go along way to becoming a successful blogger.

Here are some suggestions for becoming a Prolific Blogger.

1. Have more than 1 blog.

If you have only one blog it is difficult to produce 20 blog posts a day. (there is a limit to what you can write on any subject). Having different blogs, enables you to write on a variety of interests. There is a saying “A change is a good as a rest.” After writing on SEO, I can write on a completely different topic for my other blogs.

2. Don’t Waste time

The internet is ideal for wasting time. The success of forums and sites like DIGG, reddit is because we love to waste time, finding the latest news and links. However, if you want to be prolific you have to be disciplined about writing and producing comments. See: 13 tips for increasing productivity on the internet
3. Set Targets.

In the back of my mind I have a target to add an average of 10 pages / blog entries per day. Some of these will be long posts, some shorter posts. However, this target makes me focus on content and keep producing new posts. See: Make a contract with yourself

4. Keep Up to date with latest Developments in your Niche.

If you are writing on the latest developments it feels like the blog is more dynamic. Writing from a fresh angle gives new ideas and inspiration.

5. Gain writing inspiration away from Internet and RSS.

RSS feeds can help inspire some posts, but, you shouldn’t just rely on this. Try to find a niche where you can write from your own knowledge and not rely on gaining second hand information. If you know the subject already you should be able to write quickly.

6. Don’t Choose the most difficult topics to Write On.

If a subject requires a lot of research, consider whether this is necessary. Consider topics which are effortless to write on.

7. Don’t Demand Perfection.

When writing in quantity, we do not wish to sacrifice quality. However, if you demand perfection from all posts, you may never get anything finished. We may find that as we write more, we become more fluent and can learn to combine quantity and quality.

8. Don’t overestimate importance of Networking

True, you need to work on promoting your own posts, however, be careful it does not take up too much time. I try to aim for a situation where it becomes less necessary to promote your blog, leaving yourself free for writing.

9. Write Series of Postings.

At the moment I am focusing on writing about “How to increase productivity”. There are many different angles to approach this topic from. Therefore, don’t try to write everything in one post. You can easily get several different articles, related to the theme. This makes it easier to produce quantity. Series of posts can also generate interest in your blog.

10. Set aside time for writing.

I like to spend 2 hours a day, where I just write. Usually at this time I switch off internet. It means I can get into the flow of writing. Later I will get into the mode of uploading content, adding links e.t.c. This means you can concentrate on one task at a time and not get distracted.

11. Consider Innovative Approaches to your Niche.

A difficulty of writing 10-20 posts a day is to be able to come up with new ideas / titles. However, if you can learn to take an innovative approach, you can revitalise your topic. For example, the internet is flooded with articles like “top 10 seo tips”. Why not try an article like “What Zen buddism taught me about dealing with Google”

12. Learn the Art of Writing.

If we wish to be a prolific blogger and spend 2 hours a day writing. It is worth learning basics about writing. Above all, I would advise the benefits of writing with simplicity. Personally, I enjoyed learning when a comma is used. In the long term it makes it quicker to write, because you know what you are doing. (well you know a little more than before)

13. See blogging as an Investment.

If you are writing articles, you may not have an immediate return. However, the benefits of posts can last forever.

14. Get a Flexible / part time job.

If you are working 45 hours a week, you will not have enough time to blog prolifically. However, if you can find a job that enables a bit of flexibility you will be able to reduce your hours working and spend more time working for yourself.

15. Enjoy Blogging.

If you have a passion for writing on your niche, you will be motivated to do it. Therefore, be careful you choose the right topic for blogging. Don’t be influenced by high paying keywords, unless you actually enjoy writing about them.

16. Do encourage Readers to leave feedback.

Feedback will encourage you to keep writing. When your blog gets a loyal readership there is an increased incentive (almost responsibility) to keep blogging. Therefore, write for the benefit of your readers, and not just yourself.

17. Reduce time on design and minor Tweaks.

If we are not careful we can easily spend several hours on minor CSS changes and researching the latest plugins. In the beginning it is best to make a few simple changes to a standard template (to give a bit of differentiation) but then feel that minor changes can always wait. If you spend all your time tinkering with minor issues, you will not be able to blog.

18. Ask Questions to your readership.

If your struggling for ideas, ask your readers for questions.

19. Short Posts

Short posts can be as beneficial as long posts. See: Ideas on how to create short posts.

20. Never Give Up
Don’t get disheartened by lack of Traffic and immediate returns

It’s like spending several hours a day driving, but never reading a manual before starting. If you spend a few hours learning to drive before starting, you will crash less often and get to your destination more quickly. It is the same with the internet. Each week try to add a few things that increase productivity. Don’t forget to bookmark them (or add in a blog post like this) Some of the following may be fairly basic tips, so this post is aimed more at beginners. I will add more technical tips later.

1. Change Attitude.

Don’t be frightened of learning and using tips, none of these are complicated, none require a knowledge of C++ programming. Even my mother could do all the following (well at least the one about turning on the computer)

2. Use Mozilla Firefox.

Many of these tips are for use with Mozilla. It is really easy to download. It will take less than 5 minutes. It has more features, and provides safer internet browsing. There is NO risk involved: Click Here: Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar

3. Use Tabs.

If you download Mozilla you have several websites in the same browser. Just click ctrl T or apple T and a new tab opens. It’s really easy to use and can help to look at several sites at once.

4. Use Bookmarks.

This is a way of saving your favourite web pages for future reference. A Good bookmarking strategy is vital for organisation. I like to use Bookmark Toolbar folders. To add a bookmark click on “Bookmarks” and add Bookmark. – Told you it wasn’t complicated Do use folders. I have mail, websites, economics, banking e.t.c. to add a new folder click on Bookmarks. There is an option to add New Folder.

5. Open All Tabs

For Firefox only. If you organise your bookmarks into relevant folders you will see there is an option to open All bookmarks in tabs. This means that if you click on “open all in tabs” everything in the folder will be opened. Therefore, when I want to check my email, I click on open all in tabs. All 5 email adresses are opened at once. I can then check them all without having to find the address.

• see: open all tabs at problogger

6. RSS

RSS stands for Really simple syndication. Despite the title involving “really simple” many people are put off using it – because they haven’t used it before. (Like myself, who only started a couple of months ago) Once you have started using it though, you will find it indispensible.

• How to use RSS

7. Inline spell checker.

The latest Mozilla firefox has an inline spell checker, this is one of the most useful features of firefox.
8. The best help is the one that you find yourself.

Don’t be frightened to experiment and try features. You won’t break the computer (well it’s highly unlikely anyway )

there are many more technical things that can help increase productivity. I will add to them as I use them.
BTW thanks to John – who gave me a quick Apple tutorial. The fact I have now forgotten everything is not his fault.

1. Set Goals

If you have 1 hour or 2 hours per day, have a clear goal for what you would like to achieve in that time. This goal may be to complete 2 blog posts and/or promoting your articles in some way.

2. Be aware of how much time you are Surfing.

It is easy to spend time searching through various sites and links on the net. However, we may be surprised at how long we can spend in these unproductive tasks. For a day or two, try to monitor how much time you spend in productive tasks and unproductive tasks. You may be unpleasantly surprised.

3. Go Straight to Useful Tasks.

Often when I switch on the computer I feel obliged to check various things first; 5 email accounts, 3 statistics programs, RSS feeds e.t.c. These are activities which are generally passive and need little effort. However, if you turn on the computer 3 or 4 times a day, it means you can be spending over an hour per day in doing these preliminary things, which are not actually productive. If you have already checked your email once, the second time you turn on your computer go straight to your task. Don’t even look at your inbox or stats or RSS feed. If you do, you will get distracted.

4. Turn off Internet for Writing.

Writing is a skill which requires concentration and one pointed focus. If you have several internet windows open you will be tempted to get distracted from writing. I like writing in a place with no internet connection at all. If necessary, I will save an internet page that is useful for the article. Also, after writing the article I will sometimes go back and add a few quotes from internet sources.

5. Set realistic Goals.

If the idea of writing a 1000 long post is daunting, start off with a simple task. Write a short review of something, this will help get in the mood for creativity and writing. If your target is easy to achieve, it will encourage you to start. Take one step at a time. If your goal is “completely revamp website, both design and content” you will forever be put it off, – because it is too daunting. Start off with the goal “Make minor improvements to home page” and “add one simple Page”

• See how to make successful short posts

6. Productivity generates its own momentum

At times we can spend two hours and achieve nothing, at other times we can get into a flow of creativity and inspiration, and we really feel we are being productive. The key is to get started and be focused. This is why I advise the benefits of writing short posts and setting realistic goals. Once you have written a short post, you may get inspiration for a longer post.

7. Keep Focused.

I have various blogs, which include topics on spirituality, mortgages, economics, SEO, UK housing market, cycling, e.t.c. I sometimes try to work on several at once. I now find it is best to stick to one site per work session. Once I get into the intricacies of the UK financial markets, it is hard to be thinking of spirituality at the same time (and vice versa)

8. Be Careful of 10 minute time slots.

Quite often we have 10-20 mins for internet. We feel that in this time we do not have the opportunity to do anything meaningful, so we just waste those 20 minutes. Either do something useful – write a short post, or don’t even bother to turn on computer. (You could even speak to real humans and remember what real life is like.

9. Don’t spend too much time Researching

If you want to find inspiration for an article, it is good to read a couple of others; however, don’t feel the necessity of reading everything, ever written on the subject. If you read too much of other people’s articles, you may lose your own voice. The best articles are often those where you can write entirely from your own perspective. Nevertheless, it is good to get 1 or 2 quotes / links, – but be focused in getting these.

10. Keep Commenting / Networking in perspective.

Good comments and networking has its role to play in developing your blog, but don’t forget the importance of adding to your own blog, rather than others (BTW I am always grateful to receive comments)

11. Is this Design Change Necessary?

Sometimes on a whim, I will want to change some CSS / design issue. It doesn’t quite work as I intended, and after 2 hours I haven’t anything worthwhile to show. CSS improvements should be given a low priority. Don’t spend hours repeatedly changing the colours of your blog. There is nothing wrong with a clean, simple design based on a popular template. Design can always be tweaked later, when your blog hits A-List (sometime in AD 2156…)

12. Take a Break From Computer.

We sometimes equate time to output. However, there are times when we are not in the mood for working on internet. There is no harm in taking breaks from the computer, come back when you are feeling refreshed.

13. Take short Hourly Breaks.

It is good sometimes to step away from the computer for 5 mins. Review what you have done in the past hour, and what you are going to do in the next hour.
see also: how to achieve more on internet in less time

• How to Become a prolific Blogger 

Keep it Brief and to the Point

“Brevity is the Soul of Wit”

– so said Shakespeare. Who are we to argue with Shakespeare?

Don’t Check Email Compulsively

Check email once or twice a day. Check email when you have enough time to properly respond. If you don’t have time you may rush a reply and not give yourself time to think. Don’t have email on auto prompt. – I.E. every time a new email comes you get a prompt, – you will never get anything done.

Be polite

Not matter who you are replying to, always try to be polite and cordial. Remember any negativity can get magnified in an email.

Don’t Say anything you wouldn’t say in Person.

The problem with email is that the personal contact is lost. Therefore, we feel detached, sometimes this can make it more willing to say things we may regret. When writing an email, feel you are actually speaking to the person.

DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPS

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING. PLEASE TURN IT OFF!

Explain your Problem Carefully.

I could write a whole post on how to report technical faults. The important thing is to give as much detail about what has gone wrong. Bearing in mind the sys admin is not psychic. Avoid “It doesn’t work! This is useless!” Look at How To Write a Bug Report

Don’t Respond When Angry

American President, T. Jefferson said

“When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred”

May I add “When angry and emailing count to one thousand.”

Let Emails Wait

If you have a difficult email to write, before sending, let it wait overnight. Go back the next day and revise the contents. Often you may wish to moderate your comments.

Do you Really Need to Write the Email?

Some emails are essential, but some are non essential. If we have the opportunity to speak to somebody anyway, there is no need to send a stream of emails about general chit chat.

Good English Should not to Be Forgotten.

Maybe I am bit old fashioned, but when writing emails I like to maintain the basics of good spelling and punctuation. (Mozilla inline spell checker is a real Godsend)

Some people feel they don’t have time to use Capitals, spelling and the basics of grammar. However, it is likely that they are writing more emails than necessary. If you don’t have time to write emails properly it is better to try and write less.

Break up your Email into bullet points

If your email is long, or contains several points, don’t write in long one sentence. White space gives the reader a breathing space. If you break up the mail into parts it makes it more likely it will be read. Note, how this post is broken up into different parts.

Standard Replies.

If you have many people writing about the same thing, write a standard reply you can customise. Save a short note in word or in an email draft. You can then add this standard reply to all relevant emails, saving time.

Give Email a relevant title

Makes for easier scanning. Don’t fill title with Re:re:re. If the subject changes, change the title.

Keep it short.

Did I mention keep it brief? The email should have a clear purpose. Avoid going off at a tangent. If you want to ask about “how to Create a new folder”. There is no need to start relaying a list of complaints about your new PC (or Mac) [1]

Funny Story

When email seemd very new (back in 1997) I was a student at Oxford University. We used to sometimes joke about political views, which were not entirely politically correct. After joking around, I decided to write an email and then, without thinking or reviewing it, I posted the email to the Guardian Newspaper.

They only went and printed it ! I was horrified to see this email, published in 8 million newspapers (slight exaggeration) but that is what it felt like. If it hadn’t been so easy to press the send button I may have held back and not sent it.

(I cannot at all remember the subject of the email. But, for example, it could have been a topic like men being more intelligent than women) – The point is, I learnt, you have to be careful about writing emails.

[1] Of course Mac users would never complain about their new computer – Even though it doesn’t have a delete key, which would be very useful.

Books on Writing Emails

• Penguin Guide to Writing Emails

• Email English

Related posts

• Email – AN Author’s Guide
• Writing Sensible Email Messages
  
• How to Write a Bug Report
• Think before you Send – A warning about sending emails you regret!

“The Internet is like trying to get a glass of water by standing under the Niagra falls.”

The problem is not the lack of water, but its capacity to drown us.

The internet has a similar infinite capacity that at times can overwhelm us. There is so much “information” – things to see and read, that if we are not careful, we will be distracted and not achieve anything useful.

Here are some tips to gain greater productivity when working on the internet. This is the first part in a series of posts to help increase productivity and efficiency whilst working on the net.

1. Check stats and Email Once a day.

This may sound quite difficult, but if we are honest with ourselves, we really don’t need to check our inbox for the 38th time today.
If you check email once a day, you can set aside time to answer all emails in a timely fashion. If you open an email, whilst doing something else, you may forget to respond, or not have time to write a measured response.

2. Have a Clear Focus of what you are going to Do.

Before turning on the computer have a clear focus of what you want to do / achieve. If you just switch the computer on, you will find it is easy to start browsing – going through news sites, social bookmarking, checking emails – anything, apart from doing anything productive. If you want to add a web page, or blog entry, do that and don’t get distracted.

3. Make Writing a Priority.

The Secret (well its not really a secret) to successful blogging is writing good quality content. Therefore, we need to create time to write. However, it is difficult to write with the numerous potential distractions of the internet. I find my most productive writing periods occur, when I have a laptop but no internet access. If you have no internet access, you are forced to focus on writing – there is nothing else to distract you. (It’s also a good excuse for taking your laptop to a coffee shop.)

4. Make A Plan

If you have 2 hours you might like to divide your time up like this.

The Ideal Plan:

1. Writing content for your website (60%)
2. Reading other relavant blogs and websites for inspiration (10%)
3. Improving Design and attractiveness of your blog (10%)
4. Looking at your Stats for successful keywords and sites linking to you (5%)
5. Commenting on other blogs, responding to comments and networking with other webmasters (10%)
6. Amusement (10%)

What Actually Happens.

Scenario 1

1. Checking email, stats and technorati rankings (20%) – You are not alone in the compulsion to check email messages several times a day
2. Reading other blogs, but then following several links so you end up spending half an hour on finding new sites. (20%)
3. Maybe there’s something inspiring on Digg – There isn’t. – but its still a good time filler (20%)
4. Writing Content – In theory 20%; but getting distracted, means your focus is not all on the writing anyway.

Scenario 2

1. Spend 10 hours trying to implement CSS changes to blog, getting hopelessly frustrated.

Scenario 3.

Have 12 tabs open in Mozilla Firefox, and try to do the 12 different things at once, but not succeeding in any of them.

Scenario 4.

Read Digg, then Reddit, then watch videos at YouTube, then read the newspapers and sport section, participate in a meaningless forum debate about “whether the internet increases productivity.”

• How to Increase Productivity on Internet