60 useful seconds with kalaboukis

Most audiobook and podcast players have a speed control – use it! Most authors on these books talk too slow for me – maybe they speak to slow for you as well. Find a reasonable speed (1.25 at the minimum, two at maximum) where you can still understand what they are saying, and you can digest the information.  support the show: https://anchor.fm/60usefulseconds/support

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What are you doing in the car? Are you screaming at the bad drivers, bopping to your favorite tunes, or are your learning a new skill? The vehicle is the perfect place to “read” books and get up to speed on the latest. Make your commute a productive learning experience.  support the show: https://anchor.fm/60usefulseconds/support

If you haven’t learned this one yet, then you may understand why you are too busy and can never get anything done. You need to reduce the number of things on your plate, or not get new ones. Every time someone asks you to do something, STOP and THINK. Do you have the time to do this new thing well? If not, just say so. Just say no. If you can’t say no, then at least give an honest assessment of when you might be able to complete the task. If I told people that I wouldn’t even be able to look at things for at least two weeks when I’m in crunch time. Typically they are ok with it and book the time. But if not, at least you have given them an honest answer.  support the show: https://anchor.fm/60usefulseconds/support

If you are trying to get some writing done, I highly recommend buying a distraction-free writing device. You can go high-tech with something like the Free Write or something as low tech as the Alphasmart Neo (get one cheap on eBay), either of these devices is simple writing machines, which will allow you to focus on writing and writing alone. If you’d prefer to use your computer, there are lots of distraction-free writing apps out there; however, if you are anything like me, you need something like the Neo, which has no internet capability.  

AlphaSmart Neo https://amzn.to/2ODcd0q 

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Sometimes when you have been working on a problem for too long and are stuck surfing the internet or playing around not being productive, just get up from your desk and go for a walk around the block. Breathe in the fresh air, look at the sky and the trees, say hi to the people you walk by. Just get away from your desk for a bit. This change of pace will not only recharge your batteries so you can think better and be more productive, but it can also help get you unstuck if you are working on a thorny issue.  support the show: https://anchor.fm/60usefulseconds/support

When I blog, I take my keyboard device, my noise-canceling headphones, and sit out on the deck in the sunlight. Without the internet, my phone, or any other distractions, I play my “blogging playlist,” which is a fast-moving upbeat mix, and just write and write. Cut out all distractions, focus on plowing through a singular task at hand, and get it done.  support the show: https://anchor.fm/60usefulseconds/support

Many of us go into days entirely unsure of what the day will hold. Spend some time every day, typically at the end of each day, to play out the day tomorrow. You don’t need to be too exacting about this (unless you are a follower or the previous step). Pick just one thing that you will attempt to accomplish tomorrow, and write it on a post-it near your desk or wherever you work. Somewhere where you can see it. And then once you have completed this, grab that post, crumple it up good and toss it in the trash with a flourish of a job well done.  support the show: https://anchor.fm/60usefulseconds/support

What to the busiest people in the world have in common? They understand that their time is precious, and as such, schedule every moment of every day, down to the last minute. Busy and influential people, like the US President, many corporate presidents, and celebrities, have teams of people scheduling their every moment. They know precisely where and when they will be and for how long months in advance. Now, while you may balk at that level of scheduling, you can at least move a bit closer to that. Instead of most of your day being open and unstructured, try booking out all of your time, and when those times come, do what you are supposed to do in that time slot. If you need time to think about an upcoming presentation, book yourself a time slot to do just that. Try more fully to book yourself up and see your proactivity skyrocket.  support the show: https://anchor.fm/60usefulseconds/support

Studies show that while people can learn in three different modalities visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, they prefer one of those over the rest. That being said, using all three still reinforces your ability to remember and focus on things. If you don’t know and are unfocused, you will waste time and be unproductive. Sure, you can keep using Asana or any other online todo list manager, but spend some time writing out your goals longhand – you will do a much better job of remembering them.  support the show: https://anchor.fm/60usefulseconds/support

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