My Three Favorite Productivity “Tools”

This list is more about getting to know me than it is advice for increasing your own productivity. That said, I still think you could learn from it…

All work and no play is boring. Plain. Old. Boring. And, boredom equals burnout. I think it’s important to keep a little fun in our work to help avoid the burnout we all experience from time to time.

So, without further adieu, my three favorite productivity “tools”…

1. iTunes

If you’ve been on this site for more than three minutes and you haven’t guessed I like music, check your eyes. When I was growing up, homeschooled, my mother was constantly telling me to turn off the music during school. She said it would make me less productive and that I would concentrate better without it. I love you, Mom, but you’re wrong. Music is my driving force. It is the oil in my gears and without it, I don’t function properly.

2. Text Messages

Ok. I know you’re doing a double-take. How in the world could texting increase your productivity? you ask. Let me show you:

Phone rings: Friend starts with Hey, how are ya? What do you think of this lovely fall weather? We talk 5 minutes before I have any clue what she called about.

Text comes in: Sent you an email yesterday and it’s kind of important. Did you get it?

For me, texting is about saving time. It’s like a visual voicemail that allows me to read the message, make a decision about it’s urgency, and respond accordingly. When the phone rings with a call, I feel like I have to take it right then. When I get a text, I can respond on my time. Same with email.

3. Pleasant Surroundings

I’m pretty sure if you stuck me in a plain gray cubicle, I’d wither up and die… or at least my creativity would. I own a desk. In a corner. In my bedroom. I sit there to pay bills. The rest of my work time is spent in my livingroom, or on the front patio. In these places, I am surrounded by the things I love, either seasonal decor I’ve chosen or the beauty of nature in my front yard. I have a two year-old, so these areas aren’t always neat, but they are always pleasant. And, oftentimes, inspiring.

Sure, I have lots of software, websites, lists (I love lists) and actual tools that increase my productivity and allow me to multi-task, but without the above three things, the others would be of little use.

Share!

What are your productivity helpers? Chocolate? (my honorary #4!) daily coffee run or walk in the park?