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Little and Often: A Key To Consistent Progress
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 20, 2020
One of the things that I still struggle with, years into the productivity space, is making my to-do list doable.
Simple Productivity Blog
Podcast Episode 31: Little and Often vs Deep Work
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Two approaches to getting things done, Little and Often (Forster) and Deep Work (Newport) are often pitted as exclusive options. I think there is a place for both. The post Podcast Episode 31: Little and Often vs Deep Work appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
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Productify Your Phone
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 13, 2020
A friend of mine called from the road and asked me for the phone number for my mechanic. She had a breakdown, and even though I had given her the number when she told me about her concerns weeks before, she had lost it and never made the appointment.
2020 Annual Reader Survey
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 10, 2020
Every year I take some time to ask my readers and followers what they would like to see over the next year. This year I've included questions about how COVID is affecting you.
The Right Tools For the Job
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 6, 2020
I am aware that you can re-purpose things to serve functions the designer never intended. For example, in college I never owned a tool set. If I had to hang up a picture, I would use a high-heeled shoe to do the pounding.
Podcast Episode 30: Your Inner Lazy
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
Laziness is the key to productivity. Here are six questions you should be asking to channel your inner lazy. The post Podcast Episode 30: Your Inner Lazy appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
30 Day Challenge: Sitting With Myself
Simple Productivity Blog
AUGUST 31, 2020
Could you sit with yourself, no electronics or other distractions, for 15 minutes a day? It's probably harder than you think. This month's challenge is to teach me to be comfortable with myself and my wandering thoughts. The post 30 Day Challenge: Sitting With Myself appeared first on Laura Earnest.
The Value in Unplugging
Simple Productivity Blog
AUGUST 23, 2020
Is there any value in unplugging? I have a confession to make: I design software and databases by writing on a window with a dry-erase marker. I also do my podcast outlines and about a quarter of my blogging on paper.
Podcast Episode 29: Clearing the 5 Types of Space
Simple Productivity Blog
AUGUST 18, 2020
This show discusses the space in your life, along with. What the 5 types of space are. Why you should consider clearing them. How to clear them effectively. The post Podcast Episode 29: Clearing the 5 Types of Space appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
Goals…As Waves?
Simple Productivity Blog
AUGUST 16, 2020
I'm a musician and engineer. I was educated on waves. I'm also a productivity nerd with a healthy interest in goals. So when I came across this article in my archives, I decided it needed some more exposure. It presents goals as waves. The post Goals…As Waves? appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Getting The Most Out of Batching
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 16, 2020
The two-minute rule says that if you can deal with it in under 2 minutes, do it right then. In some cases, I think this is a good rule. But in others, I think batching is a better way to go. Batching is grouping like tasks together and getting them done.
5 Tips for Moving Back to the Office
Simple Productivity Blog
JUNE 1, 2020
As we start to reemerge after the quarantine, many of us are headed back to the office. But after working remote for so many weeks, it's hard to think about going back to the way we were. Today I offer some tips to keep your productivity up as you move back to the office.
Podcast Episode 26: Interview at Lifelong Learning
Simple Productivity Blog
JULY 7, 2020
Joshua Galinato of Galiway.Blog and Lifelong Learning podcast interviewed me about productivity, burnout and deliberate living. He has been gracious in allowing me to share the interview with my audience. The post Podcast Episode 26: Interview at Lifelong Learning appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Editing Life: Hobbies
Simple Productivity Blog
JULY 5, 2020
I love my hobbies. Creativity is second nature to me, and I would spend my days making music, braiding, knitting, scrapbooking, doing calligraphy, spinning and writing if I could. Unfortunately, I can't. I have financial and family obligations that preclude my full-time participation in hobbies.
Why Productivity Still Matters
Simple Productivity Blog
MAY 24, 2020
In a world where everything has changed, and we all have a lot more time on our hands, does productivity still matter? What passed for productivity before is not relevant, but true productivity still matters.
Organize Your Workspace with 7 Strategies
Simple Productivity Blog
AUGUST 9, 2020
If you had to show a photo of your workspace right now, would you be comfortable? You, like most people, probably need to have a session to organize your workspace before you could show it off. We recently had a "show your workspace" thread come up for my company. This was a part of an ongoing Teams campaign to keep us connected during the COVID isolation. As I looked at some of my co-workers' workspaces, I wondered how they could get anything done.
Podcast Episode 28: Saying No
Simple Productivity Blog
AUGUST 4, 2020
Saying no is a crucial skill to learn if you are going to be in charge of your life. Today we will look at when and why to say no, how it's not always a black and white answer, and various ways to say no. The post Podcast Episode 28: Saying No appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
How I Do Weekly Planning
Simple Productivity Blog
APRIL 12, 2020
I do three different types of planning in order to keep myself on track and productive: daily, weekly and long-term. This month we will be looking at all three. We'll start with what I consider the most important for my productivity: the weekly plan.
The Balanced Life Myth
Simple Productivity Blog
AUGUST 2, 2020
Too many people talk about living a balanced life, as if life can be slotted into the chunks of a pie graph. The truth is, we don't balance, not as people typically think. In fact, it's not about doing more, but rather being deliberate about what you do, and letting the rest go. The post The Balanced Life Myth appeared first on Laura Earnest. Balance Deliberate Living
Doing A Media Fast
Simple Productivity Blog
APRIL 5, 2020
How much time per day do you spend consuming media? I'm talking about news, magazines, social media and websites. Has it increased with the pandemic? Is it doing you good? Or is it making you anxious and depressed? A media fast can help us break the cycle that news has over us.
30 Day Challenge: Learn A Language
Simple Productivity Blog
JULY 31, 2020
I was never required to take any language other than English during any of my schooling. My home school district didn't consider it essential, and it never fit into my university requirements. (I I am, however, fluent in seven programming languages and can write in four others. I know, it doesn't count). I decided for August I would learn a language. The post 30 Day Challenge: Learn A Language appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
30 Day Challenge Wrapup: Brain Training
Simple Productivity Blog
JULY 30, 2020
I decided that I would challenge myself to some brain training this month. I used some games I had for a Nintendo DS, and worked from there. My goal was to do some training that had measurable results What I Found I enjoyed using the software, but found that I had good days and bad days. When I tested myself at the start of the 30 days, I had a brain age of someone 10 years younger than me; at the end I had improved 10 years.
Editing Life: Relationships
Simple Productivity Blog
JULY 26, 2020
Not all relationships are created equal. Some are great, supportive relationships, while others will suck the life right out of you. After a round of social isolation, you are probably aware of the benefits and drawbacks of your various relationships. So today we will consider the last phase of our editing life series: relationships. As we emerge out of isolation and choose to restructure our lives, we can choose which relationships to nurture and which to let go of.
Podcast Episode 27: Sharpen the Saw and Fill The Well
Simple Productivity Blog
JULY 21, 2020
Why have we been exhausted through the shutdowns? I think it's because we've all been running on fumes. Today we talk about sharpening the saw and filling the well - activities to get us back to productivity without exhaustion. The post Podcast Episode 27: Sharpen the Saw and Fill The Well appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
Editing Life: Projects
Simple Productivity Blog
JULY 19, 2020
When I was young, I believed I could do everything. People told me I could do "anything" and I assumed that meant "everything". Unfortunately, this has given me a "put more on my plate than I can eat" with respect to the things I want to do. The truth is, I am not Wonder Woman. I am human. I have limited time and energy. And deciding to do everything right now takes a lot of energy and accomplishes little.
Getting Back Time: Empowering Independence
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 23, 2020
One of the things that can suck up a lot of our time is doing things for others. This is particularly apparent if you have kids that still live at home. If you can empower others' independence, you can get a lot of time back for yourself.
Editing Life: Expenses
Simple Productivity Blog
JULY 12, 2020
When the pandemic hit with the stay-at-home orders, many people were knocked out of work. The world economy is now officially in recession, and most households are facing lean times. I'm one of the lucky ones in that I can work from home, and my client committed to keeping us consultants employed. But there is still the uncertainty of the future, both for my family, and many others. One of the outcomes of this recession was that many people cut back on unnecessary spending.
Podcast Episode 17: Stop Distractions with External Limiters
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
I can go down a rabbit hole of distraction faster than a rabbit. To keep myself on track, I took a trick I learned as a parent – using external tools to enforce limits. Today’s show is about the various limiters I use to keep myself away from distraction.
Curated Reading: Security Edition
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 9, 2020
One of the things that I love to do is to dive into a topic and do some research. These thing are always issues that impact my life at the time. I thought as one of the alternating short articles on the blog, I would make use of that research and share it with you.
Podcast Episode 16: Preventing Predictable Annoyances
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 4, 2020
Predictable annoyances wear us down, much like a river wears away stone. By dealing with these ongoing issues, we can free up our time and energy for something more meaningful. Let's turn our pigeons of discontent into bluebirds of happiness.
20 Essential Productivity Tips For Daily Life
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 2, 2020
Productivity is not simply just about how you do your work. Peak productivity takes into account your physical state, distraction level, energy, and organization. Today we will look at 20 essential productivity tips for your daily life.
30 Day Challenge: A Website A Day
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 31, 2020
Sometimes I feel that when I declutter my information intake, I get stuck in a bubble of my own making. But in order to keep growing, I need additional inputs. So the 30 day challenge for this month is to search out a new website each day. This month's challenge is to seek out a new website each day.
30 Day Challenge Wrapup: Gratitude
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 30, 2020
This month I tackled implementing a gratitude practice. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: Gratitude appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
30 Day Challenge: Brain Training
Simple Productivity Blog
JUNE 30, 2020
I feel like I've been getting mentally sloppy. For this month's challenge, I decided I would do brain training every day. Why Brain Training? I feel like I've been getting mentally sloppy. I don't read things that challenge me much; my work exercises my skills in problem solving, but the rest of my skills don't get a regular workout. I want to use science to help me maintain (and hopefully regain) some of my mental agility.
30 Day Challenge Wrapup: Make A List of 30 Day Challenges
Simple Productivity Blog
JUNE 29, 2020
I was having difficulty coming up with 30 day challenges that actually interested me. I knew that if I wasn't interested, there was no way in heck I was going to do them. So I decided to challenge myself to make my own list of 30 day challenges. This was actually fairly easy to do. I sat down for three sessions, and wrote out things I wanted to try or add to my life. Here is my list: The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: Make A List of 30 Day Challenges appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Making a Dream Board with Canva
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 19, 2020
It has been said that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Since we can distill complex thoughts into single images, it makes sense that we can use images to represent our desires.
Editing Life: Consumption
Simple Productivity Blog
JUNE 28, 2020
Spending patterns and consumption are areas that get out of control for a lot of us. The pandemic has changed our consumption patterns, if for no other reason than we couldn't get out to the stores. But as the restrictions ease, we have a chance to take a look at our consumption and make conscious choices going forward. Why is consumption an area for editing? Why not just go back to the way we were? First of all, we are in a global recession.
Change Your Life With the Bullet Journal Method
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 12, 2020
If you have ever gotten frustrated with a pre-made planner because you ended up working to fit the planner, rather than the planner fitting you, there is a solution. That solution is Bullet Journaling. The post Change Your Life With the Bullet Journal Method appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Podcast Episode 25: The Importance of Writing Out A Daily Agenda
Simple Productivity Blog
JUNE 23, 2020
Today I talk about the importance of making a daily agenda - and why writing it out is key. The post Podcast Episode 25: The Importance of Writing Out A Daily Agenda appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
Editing Life: Commitments
Simple Productivity Blog
JUNE 21, 2020
We all have multiple demands on our time. Some of these we choose, and some are thrust upon us. Some of them we choose; some we are asked to do, and some creep up on us through insidious means. This time of pandemic has been a good time for examining our commitments. With many of our after-hours activities canceled, we now have the free time to examine those activities that had been taking up our time. I've had pretty much all of my evening activities stop.
30 Day Challenge: Gratitude
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 31, 2019
One of the things I hear over and over is that for a more satisfied life, one needs to make a gratitude list. I can always use more satisfaction in my life, and so for the new year I have decided to start with a gratitude. The post 30 Day Challenge: Gratitude appeared first on Laura Earnest.
30 Day Challenge Wrapup: All of the Above
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 30, 2019
This is the last month of the year, and I decided to firm up the 30 days challenges I had attempted over this year. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: All of the Above appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
10 Commandments of Stress Reduction
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 22, 2019
There is too much stress in our lives. We're so busy and overwhelmed that our stress levels creep up. And it's not good for us. Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to mood disorders, cardiovascular disease, digestive problems, eating disorders and more. It's a killer.
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