Top 5 Productivity Strategies

As you may know, I always enjoy thinking about how to organize my work/life in a more productive way such that my energy invested results in maximal gains in terms of advancing our science. I have recently reflected on the key elements and strategies that have consistently paid off over the last 7 (wow!) years at UNC leading the Frohlich Lab.

1. Schedule everything! Yes, I mean everything. Reading, thinking, sleeping, etc You get the idea! If you only schedule meetings, you will never have enough quiet time for the "big ticket items" you want to achieve!
   
2. Wake up early! Ancient cultures have understood this much better than we have. I have found that getting up and ready for the day well before the sunrises makes the entire day a better day. Obvious consequence: adjust your bedtime.
3. Write down your goals and measure your progress towards reaching them! See also my post on balanced scorecards. Think about these goals all the time and make sure you invest your time accordingly.
4. Log your time! Once you start writing down what you are spending time on (broad categories, adjusted to your specific life circumstances), you will likely find that the data look very different from what you expected and that you need to adjust your "time investment strategy."
5. Build a local community of real people in the real world! This will provide you with support and strength that you will never get for your humble-bragging on Twitter about your latest accomplishment. Just saying...

I hope some of these strategies are helpful to you, as well. Happy Monday!

Take care,

Flavio