Mike Vardy's Blog, page 30

I Think Ivy Lee Was Right

The concept of to-do lists has been around for ages. Sure, the way they’ve been constructed over the years has changed but the concept is largely the same: put together a list of things you either need or want to do.

Humans haven’t really changed all that much, either. If you’ve ever read How to Live on 24 Hours a Day, you’d know this.

Yet what we’ve come to expect of ourselves – and what we expect of others has changed. Especially in terms of what we believe can be accomplished.

The to-do list can hold more stuff nowadays. Apps can store an immense amount of tasks spanning days, weeks, and months. Paper planners can do the same to a degree, especially those that are designed with productivity in mind.

But here’s the thing: We may be able to accomplish more than ever as humans, but we have our limits. And our limits – the boundaries of what we can do in a timeframe – have been confused with what a to-do list can have in store for us.

Live Within Your Limits

It’s time we restore balance to this. We need to accomplish what we set out to do in a consistent and sustainable way so that we can use that momentum to make great things happen.

That’s why I’ve built The Six.

The Six is a simple productivity program that aims to restore balance between “doing” things and being productive. It doesn’t forsake asks that get sent our way in the process, however.

What The Six does is highlights six intentions that we make – tasks, habits, projects, etc. – and gives heightened awareness around them in the process. So while external factors can still deliver things for us to do, we still strive to take off the six things we set out to do alongside those outside requests.

The Six gets productivity and time management back to basics. It offers simplicity, flexibility, durability, and sustainability – all qualities that are valuable to anyone trying to get more of the right things done.

The Story of The Six

Even though The Six is a simple productivity program, it’s not necessarily easy. It challenges the way we’ve been doing things. It asks you to direct your attention into what you believe matters above all else, meaning you need to have the discipline to make those six things happen far more often than not. It also means you may need to say “no” to certain things you want to do and create better boundaries for yourself and your time in the process.

The Six is just getting started, too.

What my team and I have built so far is just the beginning. The Six will evolve and grow over time as more people become part of The Six. New video, audio, and written lessons will be added. The private community will thrive and forge new friendships. I know I’ll learn something from everyone taking part in The Six as it evolves over time. I know anyone who signs up for The Six will, too.

I’d love for you to be one of those people. You can take that first step right now.

Productivity Should Be Simple (and Fun)

One reader said that The Six reminded them of a story involving Ivy Lee and Charles Schwab. I can definitely see the parallels. Ivy Lee was on the money with what he did. I believe The Six takes that to another level.

Another reader said that they were enjoying The Six because it “makes productivity fun.” I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had a great time putting The Six together so far… and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

(I believe productivity should be fun, too!)

If The Six sounds like it’s something you’d like to put through the paces, you can sign up until August 1st. And if you’re not satisfied with The Six within 60 days of purchase, then you can get your money back.
The Six is here. I hope you’ll be part of it.

The post I Think Ivy Lee Was Right appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 380: Jeffrey Shaw talks about The Self-Employed Life

Small business expert and former photographer Jeffrey Shaw unpacks how live the best self-employed life.

This episode is sponsored by Canva Pro . It’s the easy-to-use design platform that has everything you need to design like a pro. It has all you need in one place, including a collection of over 75 million premium photos, videos, audio and graphics. As a Canva Pro subscriber, I love so many of their features including the brand kit, which makes it really easy to collaborate with my team. Claim your FREE 45 day extended trial by signing up via Canva.me/timecrafting .

This episode is sponsored by Sit Down, Startup, a new weekly podcast from Zendesk. Getting your business off the ground is hard. Find out why customer experience is at the heart of success. The startup’s team chats with Zendesk leaders, founders, and CEOs in a coffee-shop style conversation about starting up when the world is upside down. Catch weekly fresh new episodes on Apple, Google, and Spotify. Head over to Sit Down, Startup here.

Jeffrey Shaw became one of the most preeminent portrait photographers in the United States. He decided to share his knowledge of business, branding, and marketing to support self-employed and small business owners as well as progressive-minded companies. I had a great time learning more about his strategies that have helped small businesses scale their big dreams.

We unpack the insights from his latest book The Self-Employed Life: Business and Personal Development Strategies. We also explore personal development, redefining what we mean by ‘niche’, owning your area of expertise, and lessons from sea kayaking.

Talking PointsWhat’s needed to be successfully self-employed (02:40)The ecosystem analogy (07:31)The business model of multiples (12:26)Daily habits for small business owners (22:30)‘The What’s Going Right’ journal (27:15)Being clear with your meaning and marketability (32:00)

“Set up your business for the capacity that is to come, not for it currently is.”

– Jeffrey Shaw

Helpful LinksThe Self-Employed Life PodcastThe Membership GuysSelf-Employed Ecosystem Coaching‘LINGO’ by Jeffrey ShawEpisode 227: Why You Need Atomic Habits with James ClearClear Habit JournalSelfEmployedAssessment.comTheSelfEmployedLife.me

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 380: Jeffrey Shaw talks about The Self-Employed Life appeared first on Productivityist.

How to Develop Unbreakable Levels of Focus

I’ve never been a highly focused kid. At eight years old, my primary teacher called my mum and asked if I had any diagnose of ADHD. I scored really low in a maths test… because I mistakenly did additions when the exercise asked for subtractions. I was never diagnosed with ADHD, but I surely experienced consequences due to a lack of focus.

At the time, I didn’t know that the ability to focus is highly trainable, and I could certainly build it… as long as I stopped replying to DM’s every 5 minutes.

I’ve managed to reach levels of focus that go beyond what I ever thought I could. And it was all a result of the 4 following strategies.

Distractions are not welcomed

There are dozens of other things I could be doing now: calling my mum, browsing through social media, or watching a tv series. However, and because these distractions are readily available and tempting, I was forced to remove them from my working space.

When you begin a working session, consider eliminating all existing distractions: phone access, noisy notifications, email, and even people who might interrupt you. After all, you are dedicating time and attention to producing the best possible output in the least time period.

If you don’t actively remove distractions, don’t expect to reach unbreakable levels of focus.

Practice your Ability to Focus

Just like you develop your muscles by training and your skills by practicing, you can always develop your ability to focus by engaging in certain activities. In order to so, choose a period, between 25 to 60 minutes, engage in a working session, and commit to not giving in to distractions. Then, give yourself a 5–15-minute break. And repeat the process.

If you want to take the practice more seriously, track your progress in a spreadsheet and rate your levels of focus during each working session. By having a precise measure of performance, you will surely be able to see a significant progression over time.

Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, recommends a physical artifact showing the evolution of the leading metric — time spent engaging in focused work. I’ve been using cardboard for the matter.

Have a Single Point of Focus

It is really difficult, if not impossible, to sustain unbreakable levels of focus when switching between projects, tasks, and conversations. Multitasking, or more precisely, context-switching — the back and forth between diverse tasks, will likely undermine all your productive efforts.

However, when you first define a single point of focus to which you will dedicate your full attention for a while, you create the conditions for making the most out of your days.

Choose your Priorities Wisely

There is nothing worse than low levels of focus. Except for one thing… unbreakable levels of focus with the wrong task. If you get to spend time working, at least choose your priorities wisely. Developing your levels of focus is not just a matter of accomplishing tasks. We can all do it… The question is: can we do it in a short period of time? Can we be smart allocating time and attention? Remember, not everything is urgent, and not everything has the same degree of importance. Peter Drucker put it even better: “Nothing is less productive than doing what should not be done at all.”

Author’s Bio:

Filipa Canelas is a productivity expert, course creator, and the author of “Around is Forward: The Productivity Cycle Behind Extraordinary Results”. Filipa writes about productivity, skill acquisition, and performance on her website and reaches her email newsletter weekly at filipacanelas.com.

With her online courses, Filipa has taught more than 40,000 leaders, students, and entrepreneurs, from 140 countries to improve their performance while enjoying the process.

Find more at filipacanelas.com.

The post How to Develop Unbreakable Levels of Focus appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 379: Erin Meyer talks about No Rules Rules

From virtually no spending controls to ‘just take some’ vacation, Netflix’s innovation has stemmed from a simple set of rules. Erin Meyer uncovers how you can foster a culture of freedom and innovation.

The episode is sponsored by Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service. Shopping for new clothes can be needlessly stressful so why not let Stitch Fix make it easy by doing the work for you so you can spend time doing the things you love instead. Stitch Fix offers clothing hand-selected by expert stylists for your unique size, style, and budget. Every piece is chosen for your fit and your life and it’s the easy solution to finding what makes you look and feel your best. Get started today at StitchFix.com/timecrafting and you’ll get 25% off when you keep everything in your Fix!

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers you access to your own licensed professional therapist – all from the comfort of wherever you are. You can arrange weekly video chats or phone calls, text with your carefully curated counsellor, and do so at an affordable price. And anything you share is confidential. I’ve been using BetterHelp for a while and I am highly impressed. It’s been a huge help for me and I know it can be the same for you. Start living a happier life today with BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/timecrafting. Give BetterHelp a try today.

This episode is sponsored by Sit Down, Startup, a new weekly podcast from Zendesk. Getting your business off the ground is hard. Find out why customer experience is at the heart of success. The startup’s team chats with Zendesk leaders, founders, and CEOs in a coffee-shop style conversation about starting up when the world is upside down. Catch weekly fresh new episodes on Apple, Google, and Spotify. Head over to Sit Down, Startup here.

This episode is sponsored by LinkedIn Jobs . When your business is ready to make that next hire, LinkedIn Jobs can help by matching your role with qualified candidates so that you can find the right person quickly. You can pay what you want and get the first $50 off. Just visit linkedin.com/timecrafting to get fifty dollars off your first job post. Terms and conditions apply.

Erin Meyer is an author and professor at INSEAD Business School, based in Paris. She is most known for writing the book, The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business. Her work focuses on how the world’s most successful leaders navigate the complexities of cultural differences in a multicultural environment.

Erin joins the show to share how we can all lead with a culture of innovation. In this conversation, I go through her latest book that she co-authored with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. Tune in to learn more about what frameworks foster freedom, how a workplace can operate with no policies, and what you can learn from the ‘Keeper Test’.

Talking PointsThe kind of ‘no rules ethos’ Netflix follows (05:39)The impact of freedom and how it fosters high density talent (09:14)Having thick skin (12:26)Building a culture of candor and feedback (21:35)The ‘take some’ vacation policy (24:37)How to build a culture similar to Netflix (33:28)

“Feedback is rarely comfortable but it helps us in incredible ways.”

– Erin Meyer

Helpful Links‘No Rules Rules’ by Erin Meyer and Reed Hastings‘The Culture Map’ by Erin MeyerErinMeyer.comErin’s LinkedIn

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 379: Erin Meyer talks about No Rules Rules appeared first on Productivityist.

How to Finish the Week Strong

There are ways to finish the week strong.

You can dedicate all of your focus and attention on one single task.

You can dedicate your focus and attention on one single project.

You can simply write everything down that you’re going to do bit by bit and then check things off as you do them.

Maybe you took the garbage out. Maybe you cooked dinner. Maybe you sent that one email you’ve been meaning to send for a while and that’s about it.

Maybe you just watch the video below to reinforce what I’m sharing with you here.

Finishing the week strong isn’t about doing as much as possible. It’s about doing what you can do.

Take some time right now and just write all the things down that you did today.

Every last thing.

Then take a look at it as you cross those things off that you did.

You’re going to have a sense of accomplishment. You’re going to feel productive.

Then use that (and maybe a little of this) as fuel to start the next week even stronger.

The post How to Finish the Week Strong appeared first on Productivityist.

What is The Significant Six?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the number ‘six’ lately.

I’m not sure if that’s because of my love of hexagons (because they are the “bestagons”) or what, but the idea of grouping things in sixes is appealing to me. It’s more than a couple or a few – six sounds more like several and that makes me feel like I’m being plenty [reductive if I handle six significant tasks each day.

But six goes beyond the number of tasks I want to accomplish per day. It also really describes the number of tools I’ve assembled as integral parts of my productivity workflow. I call these tools The Significant Six – and while the way these tools present themselves might change over time (like my to do list, for example), these tools have been part of what’s kept me productive for years.

The Significant Six Explained

Here’s a video that showcases The Significant Six I’ve chosen to be part of my productivity workflow.

Each of these six tools on their own can help me with my productivity, but only when they combine forces can they take my productivity to greater heights. The todo list on its own isn’t enough to do that because it has limitations. Same with the calendar and email. All of them need to work together – even if they don’t always fit exactly as hoped – so that there’s less friction and more flow in my life.

Interestingly, my habit tracking tool manages to integrate other elements that might’ve made The Significant Six otherwise. I have meditation listed as a habit to maintain but a meditation practice could very easily have been included in the six. Same goes with focus apps that block distractions. But the six tools you choose to be part of your own Significant Six need to be instrumental in keeping you moving forward and in some cases the only way to whittle those elements down to the six is by integrating some into others.

The Daily Driver: A Three Dressed Up as A Six

For example, the free Daily Driver sheet that I offer (which you can get here) has space for habit tracking and journaling. But it’s not ideal for keeping a journal, just tracking that you are keeping one. It can, however, be used to track habits. That means it can be your to do list and your habit tracker.

Plus, the middle portion of the sheet can be used as a calendar for your day. Just place the time of day along the outer portion of the middle section and fill in your calendar events within the shape provided. Now you have the shape of your day – your calendar – on the same sheet of paper as your to do list and your habit tracker.

Essentially, The Daily Driver could be – and often is for me – the placeholder for 3 of the 6 elements of my Significant Six.

No One’s Significant Six is The Same

My six are going to be different than your six. We will either choose different elements or different platforms for those elements. There are plenty of apps out there for us to choose from… and some of us will stick to paper over apps six times out of seven. (See what I did there?)

The key is to make sure you have no more than six. If you need to wrap a couple of elements together – which The Daily Driver can do – then do that. But too many elements can put you in a position of dealing with overchoice. That kind of situation will keep you where you are for far longer than you want – and will stall your productivity.

Six is a good number. It’s easy to wrap your head around and doesn’t appear to be overwhelming. I think that it’s such a good number that you’ll be hearing more from me about “six” going forward. For now, it’s time for you to go forward and pick The Significant Six that is going to work for you.

Then you can deep six anything (and everything) else.

The post What is The Significant Six? appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 378: Mike Kim Talks About You Are the Brand

Mike Kim joins the show as I rebrand the podcast into ‘A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy’. Find out how and why your brand evolves over time.

This episode is sponsored by TextExpander . With TextExpander, you can unlock your productivity with its many features. With TextExpander you can make everything you write repetitively available everywhere you type: text documents, spreadsheets, web forms, and more. Unlock your productivity with TextExpander. Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year.

The episode is sponsored by Streak. It’s a CRM designed to help you stay on top of each part of your email process, without ever leaving Gmail. Streak gives you the tools for tracking, mail merges and snippets, to save you time and scale up your email efficiency. What’s more, you can set up pipelines right inside your inbox to start tracking your email process – in just a few minutes. Go to streak.com/timecrafting to get 20% off your first year with the Pro plan, their most popular option.

This episode is sponsored by Nord VPN . It’s the easy-to-use Virtual Private Network service that has over 5,300 servers in 59 countries. It means no more bandwidth throttling. NordVPN encrypts all your traffic, so your internet service provider can’t slow down your streaming speed. And if you come across a platform that isn’t available in your country, simply change your virtual location. Go to NordVPN.com/timecrafting or use the code timecrafting to get a 2-year plan plus a bonus gift with a huge discount! There’s a 30 Day Money back guarantee if it’s not for you.

This episode is sponsored by Sit Down, Startup, a new weekly podcast from Zendesk. Getting your business off the ground is hard. Find out why customer experience is at the heart of success. The startup’s team chats with Zendesk leaders, founders, and CEOs in a coffee-shop style conversation about starting up when the world is upside down. Catch weekly fresh new episodes on Apple, Google, and Spotify. Head over to Sit Down, Startup here.

I’m super excited to announce the rebrand of the Productivityist Podcast as ‘A Productive Conversation With Mike Vardy’, and in the spirit of this change I bring on brand and marketing strategist Mike Kim. Mike specializes in personal branding, product launch strategies, and copywriting. In his latest book, You Are The Brand, Mike shares his proven 8-step blueprint that has helped build the brands for some of today’s most influential thought leaders — as well as his own personal brand.

I set out to find out from Mike how to best approach changing your brand. We discuss finding ways to express yourself, logging your progress, his successful (and failed) business pivots, and campfire moments. Enjoy my productive conversation with Mike Kim!

Talking PointsLosing control vs influence of your brand (04:14)Why you should not rebrand at all once (06:14)The PB3 framework to get business clarity (13:16)Being a how-to-preneur vs idea-preneur (21:19)How to build meaningful relationships through your marketing (33:00)

“Attention is not owed, it’s earned.”

– Mike Kim

Helpful LinksYouAreTheBrandBook.com‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ by Marie KondoThe Five Minute JournalBrand You podcast

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 378: Mike Kim Talks About You Are the Brand appeared first on Productivityist.

Episode 378: Mike Kim talks about You Are the Brand

Mike Kim joins the show as I rebrand the podcast into ‘A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy’. Find out how and why your brand evolves over time.

This episode is sponsored by TextExpander . With TextExpander, you can unlock your productivity with its many features. With TextExpander you can make everything you write repetitively available everywhere you type: text documents, spreadsheets, web forms, and more. Unlock your productivity with TextExpander. Visit TextExpander.com/podcast for 20% off your first year.

The episode is sponsored by Streak. It’s a CRM designed to help you stay on top of each part of your email process, without ever leaving Gmail. Streak gives you the tools for tracking, mail merges and snippets, to save you time and scale up your email efficiency. What’s more, you can set up pipelines right inside your inbox to start tracking your email process – in just a few minutes. Go to streak.com/timecrafting to get 20% off your first year with the Pro plan, their most popular option.

This episode is sponsored by Nord VPN . It’s the easy-to-use Virtual Private Network service that has over 5,300 servers in 59 countries. It means no more bandwidth throttling. NordVPN encrypts all your traffic, so your internet service provider can’t slow down your streaming speed. And if you come across a platform that isn’t available in your country, simply change your virtual location. Go to NordVPN.com/timecrafting or use the code timecrafting to get a 2-year plan plus a bonus gift with a huge discount! There’s a 30 Day Money back guarantee if it’s not for you.

This episode is sponsored by Sit Down, Startup, a new weekly podcast from Zendesk. Getting your business off the ground is hard. Find out why customer experience is at the heart of success. The startup’s team chats with Zendesk leaders, founders, and CEOs in a coffee-shop style conversation about starting up when the world is upside down. Catch weekly fresh new episodes on Apple, Google, and Spotify. Head over to Sit Down, Startup here.

I’m super excited to announce the rebrand of the Productivityist Podcast as ‘A Productive Conversation With Mike Vardy’, and in the spirit of this change I bring on brand and marketing strategist Mike Kim. Mike specializes in personal branding, product launch strategies, and copywriting. In his latest book, You Are The Brand, Mike shares his proven 8-step blueprint that has helped build the brands for some of today’s most influential thought leaders — as well as his own personal brand.

I set out to find out from Mike how to best approach changing your brand. We discuss finding ways to express yourself, logging your progress, his successful (and failed) business pivots, and campfire moments. Enjoy my productive conversation with Mike Kim!

Talking PointsLosing control vs influence of your brand (04:14)Why you should not rebrand at all once (06:14)The PB3 framework to get business clarity (13:16)Being a how-to-preneur vs idea-preneur (21:19)How to build meaningful relationships through your marketing (33:00)

“Attention is not owed, it’s earned.”

– Mike Kim

Helpful LinksYouAreTheBrandBook.com‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ by Marie KondoThe Five Minute JournalBrand You podcast

Enjoy the show? Want to keep up with the podcast? You can subscribe to the podcast feed by clicking the “Share” button in the player above – and you can share it further using the same button as well. You can take things even one step further by rating and reviewing the show wherever you listen to podcasts. (FYI: I use Overcast on iOS.)

The post Episode 378: Mike Kim talks about You Are the Brand appeared first on Productivityist.

Why I Quit Evernote

On June 29, 2008 I started using Evernote. I was a massive fan of what Evernote could do and I shared plenty of content about the app over the years. On June 29, 2021 I quit Evernote. 13 years later – to the day – I decided that Evernote was no longer for me.

I cancelled my paid account and started – in earnest – migrating my notes to a new app for that sort of stuff. The app I’ve chosen has evolved over time in a way that works better for how I want to handle my research, something that Evernote has failed to do for me.

I talk more about my move and to what I’ve moved to in this video I posted to my YouTube channel.

I’ve read many comments on that video, both from those who like the direction that Evernote is heading and others who quit Evernote a long time ago. Others were asking about my move to the new app and if I’d showcase how I’m making that all work. (I will do that to some degree on my YouTube channel, but not here on the blog. So if you’d like to see that then make sure you subscribe to the channel.)

There was one comment that stood out, though. One that, while only one person posted it, I’m sure others have thought it.

Striking a Chord

When I first saw that comment I gave it some thought. I’ve left plenty of apps before and have occasionally returned to them, but more often than not when I decide to quit something I’m done with it. This comment led me to think a little deeper about the real “why” behind my decision to quit Evernote.

Then when Francesco D’Alessio of Keep Productive posted my decision on his blog over at Medium, that compelled me to go further than that. I knew I’d struck a chord with my decision. It wasn’t going to be enough to just let that YouTube video stand on its own. I’d have to invest more time in showing where I was going with the data I used to keep in Evernote. More attention would need to paid to this shift over a longer stretch of time. I needed to reveal the core reason for my decision to quit Evernote after 13 years as a loyal user.

That core reason is that I don’t trust Evernote anymore.

Broken Trust = Broken User Experience

Evernote has gone through many trials and tribulations over the years. A few minutes reviewing the company’s Wikipedia page will show you many of them, although I didn’t seem to find any mention of Evernote Hello and Evernote Food in the entry.

When the new interface debuted in late 2020, I was immediately turned off. Not by some of the issues that plagued other users, like slower speeds or conflicting keyboard shortcuts. I just didn’t like what I was looking at.

I’m no stranger to user interface changes. Asana made massive changes to theirs shortly after Jeremy Roberts and I wrote a helpful guide to Asana. A guide, by virtue of the UI changes, was no longer all that helpful. We had to complete new screenshots and make other changes to the book because of this new look to Asana. A side effect of this was my hesitancy to write about apps any longer because of quickly they could iterate.

Todoist has made interface changes. The operating systems I use have made significant user interface changes over the years. The blogging platform I use has made changes, too.

Yet I haven’t quit using those things. I’ve adjusted and kept going. That’s because I trust the results I get from them. I know the learning curve will be worth it because of what I receive in return.

Evernote stopped giving me that long ago. That realization compelled me to finally quit Evernote.

They took away note sharing in a way that made sense to me – sharing with people who didn’t use the platform used to be simpler to do. They limited access to my notes across devices, which forced me to choose where to keep my data. I never really “liked” how exporting out of Evernote was handled, but with every change and alteration that was made I became more resentful of the proprietary .enex extension that made me feel like my data wasn’t as portable as I’d like.

I Won’t Be Back

The internal turmoil at Evernote didn’t go unnoticed, either. I’ve spent over a decade with my ear to the ground in the productivity space, and apps are definitely a part of that. Evernote wasn’t humming along as it used to in the early days. It was sputtering, seemingly having lost its way.

Even as Evernote tries to reinvent itself by looking to its roots, it rushes to make changes and misses opportunities in the process. James Jordan is spot on in the comment showcased below:

Evernote was once considered to be one of the original Silicon Valley unicorns – an app that shone brightly and was worthy not only of the valuation it received but the trust of its users.

Now, with options like Notion, Obsidian, Roma Research, and even Microsoft OneNote, Evernote is a far cry from that distinction. If anything, it’s now a dinosaur.

So I won’t be back, YouTube commenter i.m. CXS. I’m going all-in on my new notetaking (or better still, notemaking) app of choice, Obsidian. As soon as I finish migrating what I need to into Obsidian, I’m shuttering my Evernote account for good.

And frankly, I should’ve quit Evernote a long time ago.

The post Why I Quit Evernote appeared first on Productivityist.

9 Traits of a Successful Manager that Increases Productivity

As a manager, you likely face challenges every single day. You face multiple responsibilities, hundreds of project tasks, tight deadlines to meet and not to mention the expectations that lie on your shoulders as a manager. It can leave you with a lot on your plate and only little time to get everything complete. 

You can be working long days and a great deal of work to do, but not being productive with it at all. 

Being productive means working smarter, more efficiently, and moving things forward. There is only so much time in the day – and only you can choose how you spend that time. 

Here are 9 highly effective traits of a successful manager that will increase your productivity in no time.

Schedule an administration day 

It is common for managers to have no boundaries and a diary filled to the brim with meetings. The problem here is, that constant meeting means there’s no time to catch up on emails or other obligations you may have. 

An easy habit to start today is by scheduling an administration day every week. This means no meetings, and perhaps even limited phone calls. This hack enables you to work through tasks with limited distractions and you can stay focused. 

Make sure you communicate this to your team and block out your public diary so that your team can see that you are not available for meetings to ensure your boundaries are respected.

Limit distractions

The most efficient and quality work is completed when it has your full attention. It is easy when you are working to get distracted by notifications, emails, and social media but this only hinders your focus and productivity. Try muting all your notifications while you focus on important tasks. 

Do one thing at a time 

At first glance, sometimes the smarter option seems to be multitasking. But actually, multitasking is the quickest route to exhaustion, burn out and errors, which are more than likely going to cost you more time, money, and energy in the long run. It can be more productive to work on one thing at a time because it has your full attention and you can flow with it. Every time you split your attention between tasks, you have to keep starting from scratch to complete it. 

Learn to prioritize 

It can be easy for a manager to feel as if every task is urgent. This can make it difficult to know which tasks you need to complete first and often lead to multitasking (which you have learned can be unproductive). The best thing you can do is start your day by making a list of tasks you need to complete and then categorizing them using Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle. This entails splitting the tasks into four categories:

Important and urgentImportant but not urgentNot important but urgentNot important and not urgent

This principle allows you to see which tasks you should prioritize. It also allows you to reflect on the kind of tasks that continue to fall under the ‘important and urgent’ category and make changes for tasks that have fallen there due to procrastination, poor planning, or left to the last minute. 

Implement efficient systems and procedures 

Systems and procedures can make or break your productivity as a manager. They may take a little time to refine and set up at the beginning but will keep you and your team working more efficiently in the long run. There are going to be tasks that you and your team complete every day that, if streamlined, automated, or put into a template, can half the time and energy spent on it. This can be anything from building visual reports, sending internal communications, sales, and customer service to managing project tasks. 

Take regular breaks 

It may feel like this task is counterintuitive, especially if you find there is not enough time in the day to take a break. If that’s how you feel, then this hack is crucial. A break gives your mind and body a rest and time to refresh before getting stuck into the next task. This also helps you to understand the bigger picture, gain perspective, retain more information, and increase creativity. Scheduling breaks also give you deadlines to work towards throughout the day, which can drive you to get tasks completed quicker.

If you do not take regular breaks, eventually you will burn out and your body will force you to take one which can lead to a loss of concentration and doubling the time it takes to get anything completed. 

Continue to learn 

As above, it can seem counterintuitive to take yourself away from your work when you are trying to cultivate productivity. Constantly learning can help you become more productive, because the more you learn, the more skills that you master, and you, in turn, can perform tasks quickly and with fewer errors. It also keeps stimulating your mind to increase your focus, identifies new opportunities, and more efficient ways of working. 

Delegate 

It can be hard to let go of control of some tasks, but it can increase overall productivity. When delegating, it is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team first, so you can identify how to best distribute the tasks. If your team is completing tasks that work with their strengths, they are more likely to be completed efficiently and to a high standard, while also boosting confidence and morale. It also means you can work on tasks that you are best at. Don’t just neglect your team’s weaknesses though, keep them learning and growing by encouraging a collaborative environment where they can learn from each other. This can increase productivity by cultivating a well-rounded team.

Lead a healthy lifestyle 

You can take on all the productivity hacks in the world, but if you do not lead a healthy lifestyle, you will feel sluggish and not work to your full potential. Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating a nutritious diet that fuels your body can increase your focus, mental state, and physical energy and in turn, significantly increase your productivity. 

There are many ways you can increase productivity as a manager, and they don’t always have to be huge, expensive changes.

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