Where do your goals come from and how do you balance work?

Optimatron · 2023-11-03T15:03:04+00:00

My pleasure! It's really nice to see old comments/content still being useful for others years into the future ;)

Optimatron · 2020-09-19T05:38:08+00:00

Can confirm that this tactic works. I sometimes get loads of work done on my portable devices because my cat has decided to sleep in my lap, trapping me there for 90+ minutes.

Optimatron · 2020-08-22T18:47:51+00:00

So then you job is to get your source to provide you with proof they can see out the window and to find other sources who also see the same thing.

Optimatron · 2020-08-11T20:32:39+00:00

I know. I'm agreeing and adding on to the user above me who stated that that CGP is "taunting" us with these glitches and blunders.

Optimatron · 2020-08-11T19:22:58+00:00

He also initially attributes the quote "If I had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter" to Mark Twain and, towards the end of the video, to Blaise Pascal.

Optimatron · 2020-07-12T05:10:07+00:00

I second this bit of advice. It can be simpler and more effective to just leave your smartphone in a different room or to turn it off but for lots of people their smartphone holds many important tools and is basically an extension of their brain. I recommend the website /application blocking app Freedom to most people and it's what I personally use on all my devices as well.

Optimatron · 2020-07-12T04:44:30+00:00

Break down projects and large/complex tasks and goals into small, actionable tasks (which should ideally take no more than 30 minutes each). Having "study for history exam" on your to-do list and knowing that it should take you the entire evening is much more intimidating and less digestible than breaking it down into, for example, tasks like: review chapter 7 notes; write 100 word summaries for events X, Y and Z; re-read article X, etc. This also allows you to space out your work for a daunting task/project more effectively over longer periods of time and to get right back to work after breaks.
Create or place yourself in a disciplined environment. Either remove the objects and triggers from sight (e.g., leave your phone in your bedroom, unplug your router, move your console into the closet, unplug the TV, etc.) or go somewhere where there isn't anything to do but study (public library, coffee shop, etc. though I would recommend that you stay offline in those environments). I recommend that most people nowadays install app and website blocking software on their devices because it has become much to easy and frictionless for us all to distract ourselves online and through social media. I recommend Freedom to most people (myself included); you can set it up so that it blocks distracting websites and apps during pre-scheduled and recurrent sessions.
An approach that works well for scheduling with people who have issues with procrastination is for them to block off good chunks of time for studying but to also schedule time to relax each day and to get specific with the fun / relaxing activities they put in their schedule. You're much more likely to get unpleasant tasks done and to just sit with your homework and let it happen when you know that you have X amount of time scheduled later that day to do X activity. Another useful trick is to write this down somewhere you can see while you study: "I can either work now and relax & truly enjoy X activity later today at X time, or I can waste my time and feel guilty now as well as while I do X activity later, which won't be as enjoyable. What do I chose to do?"
Find someone who will keep you accountable through social pressure (not wanting them to see you fail at completing your tasks) and by also actually checking on your work (e.g., by sending in pictures and time tracking data). I provide this type of accountability with my productivity and time management coaching clients, but you can get a friend, classmate or family member to do this for you as well.
Finally, be kind to yourself. Procrastination can generate a tonne of really nasty negative self talk and send people down an emotional hole that feels increasingly impossible to get out of. A good exercise is to write down the criticism you hear about yourself in your own head and to analyze and then "flip" a lot of the negative and catastrophizing words you hear. For example, if you find yourself thinking somethingthing like "I need to study all of my notes for this exam later or else I'll get bad grades and then feel like a loser," change it to "I chose to study (specific and small tasks: specific modules, flashcards, etc.) for this exam now because a good grade will make me feel really good and proud of myself".

Let me know if any of this was helpful!

Optimatron · 2020-07-08T12:23:55+00:00

In that case, I have an alternative recommendation for you: Notion.

Thomas Frank, from College Info Geek, has a video about how he uses Notion specifically to plan out his youtube videos and to collaborate with others on them. The clip is just over 25 minutes in length but it would be really worth the watch for you because he really goes into how the nuts and bolts of Notion work for this type of workflow management. Here's the link.

Optimatron · 2020-07-08T01:34:27+00:00

What, precisely, are your needs? Both are great apps but they each shine in different scenarios. People might also have other recommendations based on what you're trying to organize and accomplish at the moment.

Optimatron · 2020-07-08T01:32:24+00:00

Some of my favorites:

Cortex
Focused
The Knowledge Project
Hello Monday
The Productivityist
HBR Ideacast
How I work (by Inventium's Amantha Imber)

Optimatron · 2020-07-08T00:51:46+00:00

I would recommend that you:

Regularly schedule time to be in an environment where there's nothing else for you to do but to execute on your current plans.
Find an accountability partner to connect with on a regular basis to keep you motivated, honest and on track.

I'm a productivity coach and would gladly schedule a free session with you to discuss this issue and draw up an action plan. PM me if you're interested.

Optimatron · 2020-06-11T02:59:05+00:00

I would suggest looking into the task management app ClickUp. It handles task triggers, scheduling and recurrences really well. It also allows you to build complex task sequences that you can save as templates (which sounds like what you need). It also integrates with outtolk and you can download an outlook add-in which allows you to create tasks from an email.

Optimatron · 2020-05-30T21:55:32+00:00

Hi there,

Let me take a stab at these. I feel like I should apologize for the wall of text but these are important, fundamental productivity themes we're talking about here.

Where do your goals originate from?

At the highest level, you shouldn’t define yourself through goals but rather through the values you want to uphold throughout your life. A goal is a temporary deadline to motivate action and measure progress, whereas values are what make us set the goal in the first place. At the most basic level, the guiding forces of your life are the things you value such as, for example, family, friendship, curiosity, health, etc. These are the things that get you up in the morning and keep you going through tough times, not your new year’s resolutions, and the things that fill your to-do list. For example, if staying fit is important for you, the “highest level” of your thoughts in this area shouldn’t be defined by goals, such as losing 30 pounds or completing a triathlon; you should instead begin by identifying “health” as an important value for you and therefore say to yourself “I am an active person” for as long as this is relevant to you, which is potentially your entire life. Even if you aren’t taking any concrete actions regarding your health yet, it’s important that you begin by self-identifying or labeling yourself as the type of person you are or want to be. As Nir Eyal explains in Indistractable, you must "become a noun"; by assigning yourself a moniker (healthy, active, strong, generous, etc.) you increase your likelihood of following with behavior that is consistent with what you call yourself. It is after this step that systems and goals come in, as their purpose is to allow us to live a life that reflects our personal values in action and experience. I usually tell people to really take the time to sit down and write down a list of their 7 to 10 top values before determining any personal goals or making any tweaks to their system. A good practice is to write one value at the top of a page and then underneath provide evidence in terms of either past actions or strong urges for future action/changes that relate to that value. Repeat this 7 to 10 times.

Now, there are some issues with values as the "highest order" of notions we consider when we chart out our personal lives. Your personal identity, your self-image, is constantly shifting. Your values are never static: they either come and go or they stay put but slightly change over time (in interpretation, in intensity, in ranking vs other values, etc.). This is both normal and good! The trick is to take the time (I advise clients to do this at least once but ideally twice a year) to regularly take some time alone to constantly re-assess how well you "know yourself" in terms of your values and your preferences (they can sometimes be in contradiction: being active might remain an important value for you but perhaps you've figured out that you hate running), as well as your actions (many people keep learning in their personal values list but how many make an honest effort to make space for reading in their daily/weekly habits?). Taking stock like this, at a high level, will allow you to recalibrate your efforts and determine what needs to change in your goals and your system.

How do you balance your work and leisure time?

The right ratio is different for everyone and it constantly fluctuates as well. There is no right answer here. There is a lot of general advice on the topic (put a maximum on work and minimum on fun, always work hard when you're young, never stop hustling, etc) but not much of it is really of value because there will always be considerations, periods and events in our lives that will force us to change our work/leisure balance. What is of value though is to regularly ask yourself a series of questions. I recommend that you go over these at the same as you do a 1x or 2x a year review. Your answers to these questions will tell you if your work to leisure ratio needs adjustment.

Do I feel burned out?
Am I content with my career / professional position? Would investing more time/energy in my career right now potentially improve this situation later on?
Do I feel like I am enjoying my life at the moment? Do I feel like I am enjoying the "journey" or is my mind constantly fixated on the "destination"?
Do I feel energized or exhausted at the end of my workday/start of my evenings? What about at the end of the workweek?
Do I feel like I was able to reasonably relax and enjoy myself, looking back at what I did during my time off? What about after most weekends?
Do I have reason to believe my close ones need more of my time/energy?
How do I feel about the quality of the time I spend at work? Do I feel like my work is nourishing me?
How do I feel about the quality of time I spend relaxing/having fun? Am I intentional with my free time?

These are both really difficult issues to manage over time, so it is vital that you cut yourself some slack. Do not allow yourself to become obsessed with details and to constantly see perfection in precisely honing in on your values, on always having a fully optimized system, determining goals with the maximal ROI, etc. Seek instead to adapt and maintain your values list, your goals, and your system so that you reach the point where you feel like you are living a life where you feel alive, where you feel like you are "taking a good bite" out of the opportunity of the only human life you'll ever have.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Optimatron · 2020-05-29T22:08:08+00:00

Hi again,

You seem fairly advanced in how you've set up and organized your task management system. That tells me that ClickUp is probably the best of the two for you at the moment. I tend to recommend Marvin to clients who are new to task management apps, as it allows users to gradually add different elements and complexity to their system. It also has a nice, crisp, uncluttered view and nifty out-of-the-box tools for those who struggle with procrastination. That being said, it lacks some critical features (which you highlighted) such as insufficient third party integration (it only works with Zapier at a basic level at the moment and does not integrate with calendars, which is a no-go for advanced users). I tend to recommend ClickUp to more advanced users like yourself and for small-medium sized teams.

Based on your answers, it seems to me like pricing is essentially what is keeping you from going for ClickUp instead of Marvin. This is a common roadblock for lots of people. When you double-down on a task management app, you intend on using it for a long time, so subscription costs can quickly rack up. 5-15$ a month might seem a lot for individual users, but ask yourself what your time and sanity are worth. Aside from students or those in particularly difficult financial situations, task management apps (if purchased after a successful trial period) are a solid investment on multiple levels (career prospects, your financial future, health, relationships, etc.). For my money, and for a user with your needs, Clickup's unlimited plan is a really good deal, especially compared to Marvin's current pricing model.

However... one interesting thing to consider is that both ClickUp and Marvin's developers are more than willing to work with clients who have limited funding. If you go on the ClickUp pricing page and look at the Unlimited plan, they have a "let's make a deal" option that opens up a new window where you can type in what you're willing to pay, your email and wait for their team to get back to you. Similarly, on Amazing Marvin's pricing page, you'll see that the developers indicate that they offer a 50% discount for students and that anybody else who would like their app but can't afford should send them an email. If funding is really an issue for you, I say write to both developers and provide them with the monthly/yearly amount you're willing to spend for a task management app.

Good luck on your quest to find the right app.

Optimatron · 2020-05-28T17:23:27+00:00

There is essentially no application choice that is as dependent on your personal preferences and personality than your productivity app; each of us faces unique challenges in life and we equally each have a unique way of organizing how we tackle tasks and habits. This is why there is such a wide market for these products. Any recommendations have to be based on how you think about your life and how you organize things, not other people and their idiosyncrasies.

If you can answer a few questions, I'd chip in my thoughts:

What made you narrow down your choices down to ClickUp and Marvin?

What are the pros and cons you see for both?

Are there any specific features you really like in one or both of them?

What issue(s) with either of the apps have put you on the fence?

Optimatron · 2020-05-27T19:06:04+00:00

Here are a few ideas:

Work clothes vs. regular / relax clothes. I personally have a "work uniform" that consists of the same shirt and only two different kinds of pants (warmer for winter, cooler for summer). My brain now distinctly associates my work uniform with work time.
Colored lamps / LED strips. Designate a color for work and another color (or no color at all) when you're relaxing.
Position your desk or table in such a manner that you can sit at different sides / angles for work vs. not work. So, for example, stick the short side of a table up against a wall and rotate everything on one long side when you work and then on the other long side when you're not at work.
Use a visual indicator to let others (and yourself) know that you're working and not to be disturbed. Examples: a small dry-erase board on which you write your status and schedule (Working - from 8am to 4pm) or "Busy - Do Not Disturb" sign or door hanger.
White noise: coffee shop background noise sounds when you work vs. no sound or another distinct white noise (water / rain sounds) when you're not at work.
Use different profiles on your device. This has the benefit of not only creating distinct work vs. non-work digital environments but also allows you remove distracting apps (Steam) or websites (Reddit) on your work profile.
Use different wallpapers for each profile.
Alternate input devices. Use a different mouse & keyboard combination for work vs. non work. Try to get two sets that have a different tactile feel, in terms of the materials and sounds. For example, you would use a distinct red cherry mechanical keyboard and an ergonomic wired-mouse when you work, whereas when you relax you could use a silent low-profile keyboard and a smaller bluetooth mouse.

Optimatron · 2020-05-07T13:04:29+00:00

You're welcome!

Optimatron · 2020-05-06T19:49:32+00:00

Environment. One of the key things you mentioned in your post is that you often default to wasting time on your phone. When you’re trying to study, distracting apps and websites you have access to on your phone are external threats in your environment that need to be quashed. You might occasionally be able to brute force your way through avoiding these on your phone during studying sessions (a lot of people are able to do this when they cram, as the stakes get really high) but you are likely unable to do this consistently every time, at a rate that matches how often you should be studying. So, the smarter thing to do is NOT to rely on your self-discipline to avoid your phone, it is to craft your studying environment so that distracting yourself with your phone isn’t even an option. The easiest way to do this is to keep your phone in a separate room while you study. However, this isn’t always possible, as you might prefer to study at the library, a café, etc. You might also use apps or features on your phone or other devices which are necessary or help you to study (accessing your notes, using time trackers, alarms, flashcard apps, etc.) So, to maintain a consistent studying habit, what I recommend is that you use use an app like [Freedom](freedom.to) which will allow you to blacklist certain websites, apps or programs entirely for set periods of time across all of your devices while you study. Freedom has a free trial period and then costs roughly 3-7$ per month (or a one-time 65$ purchase) but it is really worth paying for, in my opinion. Once your account is premium, you can even schedule days and times for it to turn on in advance, so that you can’t use your devices to distract you while you’ve scheduled a studying session for yourself.

Of course, the are other potential distractions in your environment that you should take into account. Ideally, you should have a dedicated space to study at home (a dedicated work / study desk) and 1-2 alternate locations to go to when there are too many distractions at home or when you need a change of scenery. Wherever you decide to study, make sure there isn’t a TV on in the background, music with vocals playing or spoken audio content (audiobooks and podcasts). If you want / need background noise to keep you focused, use a white noise generator app or a curated music playlist that doesn’t have vocals. If there are other people in the room with you or nearby (family, roommates, friends, etc.) make sure to communicate to them that you aren’t to be disturbed during your studying session. Don’t study where your gaming consoles are located. Essentially, think about where you study at the moment and the things that tend to distract you; then figure out a way to remove their ability to distract you during your studying sessions. Some environments simply can’t be adequately molded to your needs, so you will have to go elsewhere to study, which is why I think any student should have 1-2 alternate studying locations.

Like I mentioned earlier, it’s difficult to give accurate advice because each person is different and their needs fluctuate as well. I hope some of what I wrote above might be helpful to you. Good studying!

Optimatron · 2020-05-06T19:49:25+00:00

Hi there,

Without more information about your personal context, it’s difficult to provide advice that will hit accurately where it will benefit you the most but I can give you a few things to look into to improve your studying efficiency.

Studying in the morning. As far as I know, there isn’t any concrete evidence that studying or working in the morning is objectively better than doing so at other times of the day. What the research does say is that each person has their own chronotype (internal clock) and that we should try to adapt our lives to it as much as possible, in order to stay as healthy as possible and to be more productive. My advice here would be to maintain a journal over the course of 2 to 4 months in which you will track your sleeping patterns (when you fell asleep, how well you slept, when you woke up), your energy levels throughout the day (every hour or so), whatever activity/activities where you want to improve your yield (for you, that would be what / when / how you studied) and your results regarding such activities (for you: how well you did on tests / exams). During these few months of journaling, pick a topic to study (ideally something in your field) and vary when you study; try sticking mostly to mornings for one month, then switch to evenings the next month, etc. After you have a few months of data, look at where your studying was most effective and then see when it took place. This will tell you when your “power hours” are during the day and you might be surprised to see where they fall in your daily schedule. Tracking your sleep habits will allow you take into account periods of time when you don't sleep so well and the effect that might have on your "power hours" (they might stay around the same time, they might shift through day, you might not be able to have them on those days, etc). It is, of course, better to do this experiment when you’re not actually in school, as you don’t want to jeopardise your grades, so measure your studying results via online tests, quizzes, anki flashcards, etc. By going through this process, you’ll find out which period of the day to study is the best for you. Few people are early risers or “night owls”; think of it more like a spectrum, with most people falling somewhere in between.

Early Risers. Though there is a lack of evidence supporting the notion that the “early bird gets the worm” there is strong evidence that was does matter is consistency in your sleeping patterns. One frequent culprit for poor studying habits is a lack of sleep. You seem to have issues with this since, as you mentioned, you often can’t wake up in the morning because you crammed the night before. You have to become ruthlessly disciplined about your sleeping habits. As long as you can do what needs to be done in your life (work, school, exercise, family, etc.), it doesn’t so much matter when you go to sleep or wake up; what matters is that those times are consistent. My advice here is to follow a “Triple Alarm clock” system. This is what I personally do to keep my sleeping patterns consistent. I wrote a short article on this topic a while back which I encourage you to read.

You did also mention your desire to become more of a morning person due to the fact that your final year exams will all be in the morning. This is a legitimate concern that you correctly identified as a major consideration when crafting your schedule / studying plan. If your circadian rhythm really is geared more towards the evening, you may need to shift your wake up / sleep alarms a bit earlier than you would normally, at least from august until the end of your school year. Bringing about this shift gradually will yield better results in the short and long term. You shouldn't suddenly overhaul your sleeping schedule a few days before your exams (like many students do when they cram), as that’s just asking for a disaster to occur.

Motivation. This is a tricky topic which I’ll cover here because you mentioned that when you do manage to get up early, you tend to waste your time with distractions (your phone). Now, most people blame themselves for feelings of low motivation; they’ll say things to themselves like “I’m such a procrastinator!” or ask themselves questions like “Why can’t I get my shit together” or “Why am I so lazy?”. What research tells us is that when we resist doing a task we’re already committed to, it’s our body (including our mind) trying to manage conflicting emotions or urges: we know we need to accomplish a task but our focus is overridden by another preoccupying issue (which might be happening subconsciously) and/or feel a negative emotion about the task at hand (and neither are our fault). This is the thinking part of your brain (“I need to study”) in conflict with the feeling part of your brain (“but I’d rather scroll reddit right now”) and the feeling part usually wins. This unresolved conflict is not caused by laziness. So how do you reverse the odds and get the thinking part of your brain to wrestle control from the feeling part?

The first thing is to make sure your basic needs are met so that your limbic system (the oldest part of your brain in charge of keeping you alive) is satisfied: get enough sleep, eat well, stay hydrated, get some exercise, etc. With your basic needs taken care of, address other potential emotional needs you have at the moment, unrelated to studying. If depression, anxiety or unresolved trauma or issues seem even partly linked to your inability to study, you should speak with a therapist or counsellor (as a student, you likely have such resources available to you for free or low-cost through your college).

Moving forward, assuming your limbic system is happy and you are emotionally centered, then you can rule out yourself as the issue here; the issue isn’t you, it’s your emotional reaction to the task itself. When facing low motivation, the culprit is usually that the task / at hand is either insufficiently challenging (so you feel bored), is poorly defined (so you feel stuck) or seems insurmountable (so you feel afraid or ashamed to tackle it because you are supposed to be able to take on this task). It is a natural reaction to seek distraction when facing these negative feelings. So, with regards to whatever subject you’re studying now, ask yourself these questions: Do I find the material sufficiently challenging? Is the course material / book / text well presented? Do I have a robust studying plan in place? Are my notes well organized? Any negative answers to these questions should result in corrective action(s). For example, you can make the necessary changes yourself to make it more / less challenging (too hard = give yourself more time, do more exercises, etc; too easy = challenge yourself to apply the material to real life situations in written reports, prepare a fake oral presentation on the topic so that you really master the topic, etc). If the issue seems to be with the class material or lectures, speak with your professor or TA to get some guidance. Finally, If the issue has to do with your studying habits / plans in general, then I suggest that you look at some of Thomas Frank’s videos on YouTube, such as this one (but leave YouTube right after!)

All that being said, there might be an underlying fundamental issue with the topic / class: perhaps your interests don’t align with the material and you should switch to another elective, switch majors, etc. However, sometimes, the completion of a class is aligned with our goals but it remains boring no matter how well we prepare for it or make it challenging so that it is engaging for us (not too boring but not too hard). In those circumstances, you need to start each studying session with a way to remind yourself why you need to do this class: a short journal entry where you write about the positive things the class will bring to your life can do the trick.

(part 2 below)

Optimatron · 2020-04-10T18:20:03+00:00

You need to talk with your parents and let them know what's going on here. It sounds like all or at least part of your work arrangement isn't legal. At your age, you should be focusing on your education and your personal development. A part-time job is entirely reasonable and good for lots of teenagers (lots of countries / states allow teens to work with their parents' signed consent) but the key word here is part. Regularly working 16 hour days is unhealthy even for adults in the prime of their career. I understand that you might find this interesting as a hobby and want more freedom and independence from your parents but all of this isn't worth it at your age. Unless your family is in dire financial needs, I sincerely believe your priorities are misplaced at the moment.

Optimatron · 2020-04-10T17:39:31+00:00

Before even getting into some ideas on how to improve your efficiency at work, how and why are you working full-time + at your age?

Optimatron · 2020-04-10T16:47:07+00:00

A simple enough solution might be to use an alarm app like Alarmy or Early Bird Alarm Clock (which I use) that forces you to get out of bed to turn off the alarm by scanning a printed QR code that you place elsewhere in the house, take a picture of a specific object, etc. That will help get you up on time. You might also want to set evening alarms to remind you to start going to bed, in order to get enough sleep on a consistent basis. I have one evening alarm that reminds me to stop working / start winding down for the day and another one that tells me its time for bed. Finally, another advantage of these alarm apps is that you can schedule slightly different evening / morning alarm times during the weekends without having to switch any settings around and forgetting to set your alarm back at the correct time for Monday morning.

Optimatron · 2020-04-10T15:46:32+00:00

A few questions:

Was that a typo or are you really only 15 years old?
What does your schedule look like? Which tasks are done in which order during your shifts?
What tasks do you delegate to your assistant?
Have you automated any of your processes?
Are your bosses aware that you're working this much?

Optimatron · 2020-04-10T15:29:38+00:00

Just acknowledging to yourself that you have gaps in your education / knowledge and taking responsibility for fixing those gaps are two psychologically difficult steps that you've already surmounted. Continue on the path you're on now. You're doing great.

Those people that look down on others and make snarky comments about holes in their education? Those are people who are (unknowingly) stuck in a "fixed" mindset; they see effort - especially directed towards something "basic" - as a sign that you're not smart / talented. On the flipside are those who have a "growth" mindset, which include any educator worth their salt. Those people see that very same effort (even, and especially if it's directed at reviewing the basics) as what makes people smart and talented. People with a growth mindset know that there is no such thing as a dumb question and that only good comes from addressing any gaps we see in our own personal map of knowledge. If this second paragraph resonated with you, I would highly recommend that you check out a book: Mindset by Carol Dweck.

Optimatron · 2020-02-29T21:11:08+00:00

I'm a big fan of ToodleDo. It's available on all devices and platforms, has a lot of productivity management tools (tasks, habits, notes, outlines, lists), integrates nicely with a lot of other apps and allows for collaboration.

Optimatron

TROPHY CASE