The lie: if you get busier, you have to work more hours There are options when more work suddenly hits your desk, overtime is just one of them. Sometimes, it’s the best response. But maybe not as often as we think. In this episode, I define the problem clearly and suggests strategies for clarifying priority and […]

What? I have four areas of work? Four areas of work knowledge. There’s two that everybody knows about. There’s the one Cal Newport talks about. And then there’s the one I talk about. That makes four areas in which you want to be as good as you can. This will put you in a position

I discuss the concept of ‘Monk Mode’ and whether it is useful for enhancing productivity, especially for knowledge workers.     Monk Mode: Increasing Productivity “Monk Mode” sets the stage for a period of intense focus on work by shutting down incoming communications and interruptions. Understanding and implementing Monk Mode could increase individual and organizational productivity. However, there

My task list just keeps getting longer and longer; what do I do? There are a couple of things. #1 If you’re constantly having to ask yourself “what do I need to do now or today”, you can count on your brain to come up with some things. Whether or not they’re the right things is pretty

This is one of a set of posts on common misconceptions about productivity and work. I call them Lies About Productivity. I’ll address some ‘lie’ and suggest a new mindset that is helpful toward being effective, not exhausted – Do Busy Right. The Lie: It’s human nature to understand how to be productive, select your

This is one of a set of posts on common misconceptions about productivity and work. I call them Lies About Productivity. I’ll address some ‘lie’ and suggest a new mindset that is helpful toward being effective, not exhausted – Do Busy Right. Productivity and managing tasks for employees and self-employed individuals. Employees may falsely believe

If you want to be a pro, get a coach. In this episode, I’ll discuss how you can get better at what you do by describing what I do and why you might be interested. Just like everyone else, when I meet people they ask me what I do. Because it’s pretty unique, I’m still

Does it matter how we feel about tasks? This episode is heavily influenced by a book called The Experience Machine by Andy Clark Our brains’ predictions about things powerfully affect our experiences. I’m going to argue that our thoughts about doing tasks powerfully affects both: our willingness/tendency to actually do them (vs. procrastinating) our experience while we are

I discuss a definition of Knowledge Work and illustrate it with four (plus one) categories of Knowledge Work. I also talk about the implications of AI on each category. Knowledge Work is using your brain/attention to produce new or altered information Four categories Factual knowledge is stored facts that can be recalled and used. Google

Just because your phone is mobile doesn’t mean your calls should be. The challenges of mobile calls: Distinguish between using a cell phone and having a mobile call. The specific challenge of using a mobile phone. We are tempted to try to gather information when we’re not prepared to do so Back in the day,