The simplest and easiest way to get more important things done:
Ask yourself three times daily, via Outlook reminder or whatever is convenient:
"Am I inventing things to do to avoid the important?"
This is from the book The Four Hour Workweek, an excellent, excellent book. I've listened to it twice now (26 hours). This book has changed my mindset and has made me much more efficient and effective at work, and life in general.
Also suggested in the book, time tracking software like rescuetime.com or Manic Time is extremely eye opening. It was astounding how long I was spending writing emails. Now I have various email templates for common issues I face. What a great book.
The key to productivity is to harness procrastination: Always have something else to avoid, that makes your work seem like procrastination. Make up a dreaded obligation, so that work for your other goals is seen as an escape.
Ask yourself three times daily, via Outlook reminder or whatever is convenient:
"Am I inventing things to do to avoid the important?"
This is from the book The Four Hour Workweek, an excellent, excellent book. I've listened to it twice now (26 hours). This book has changed my mindset and has made me much more efficient and effective at work, and life in general.
Also suggested in the book, time tracking software like rescuetime.com or Manic Time is extremely eye opening. It was astounding how long I was spending writing emails. Now I have various email templates for common issues I face. What a great book.
[Edit]: Well that is quite the coincidence: another article on the front page of HN talks about Tim Ferriss: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5470252