
Ask HN: What are your productivity hacks? - zaqfu
In an age of constantly updating Twitter feeds and email threads, how do you stay productive and on-task?<p>Recommend any literature on the topic?
======
edw519
I am not interested in maximizing Productivity.

Productivity = Output / Input

(Efficiency == Productivity)

So all I have to do to be more productive is to reduce Input. This is easy.
Just write a code generator. I can write 100,000 lines of code in one day.
Incredibly productive. Not very effective.

But then again, I'm not interested in maximizing Effectiveness either.

Effectiveness = Output / Expectations

So all I have to do to be more Effective is to reduce Expectations. "This will
never work." "It worked!" Infinite effectiveness. But not very valuable.

Value = Whatever the customer says it is.

I'm not really interested in maximizing Value either. It's too hard to
measure. So here's the only thing I'm really interested in maximizing:

Value Delta = Tonight's Value - This Morning's Value

So here are my simple rules to maximize my Value Delta:

    
    
      1. Work on only one thing.
      2. That thing must be the most important thing.
      3. Keep working on that one thing.
      4. Take sensible breaks.
      5. I control my time, no one else.
      6. No text, cell phones, twitter, facebook, messaging (see #5).
      7. Assess my Value Delta several times per day.
      8. Bad Assessment --> change something.
      9. If I am in Coding mode, be at the computer.
      10. If I am not in Coding mode, be anywhere else.

~~~
rkon
If you're going to play a pointless game of semantics, you should at least
take a second to check your definitions:

"pro·duc·tion: ( _Economics_ ) the creation of value; the producing of
articles having exchange value."

100,000 lines of generated code would have no value and, therefore, your
productivity would not be "incredible" at all, it would be zero. You knew what
he was asking for, no need to try to rewrite his question.

~~~
edw519
What you call "semantics", I call "a critical distinction" that needed to be
pointed out.

In my early years, I wasted a lot of energy trying to be more productive,
efficient, effective, (call it whatever you want), until I learned one of the
most valuable and counter-intuitive lessons of my career: it really doesn't
matter how "good" you are, how "well" you work, or how good you "feel".

All that really matters is whether or not your cumulative contributions keep
increasing. Take care of that and you won't have much else to worry about.
Don't do that and you'll end up worrying about all the wrong things.

------
Robin_Message
The Less Wrong community has some excellent stuff on what this, which it calls
_akrasia_ ¹. In particular,
<http://lesswrong.com/lw/1sm/akrasia_tactics_review/> gives ratings for
different strategics.

Other HN threads on the same subject:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1429634> and
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1190389>

¹ <http://www.google.com/search?q=less+wrong+akrasia>

------
silentbicycle
Take time spent reading about "productivity hacks", apply towards projects.
Diminishing returns, people.

Just one suggestion: Write things down. Whether on paper or on a computer.
Don't get too caught up in "having a system", though - it's WAY too easy to
procrastinate by tinkering with your system.

~~~
gohat
Yes! I think there's a danger of becoming addicted to ways to be more
productive. Arguably, someone who daily reads a productivity blog should be
producing a lot, but you might wonder if that is the case...

~~~
kamaal
Too much knowledge doesn't imply too much work, You are right. In fact what
matters like always is the execution. If you have a process to remain
productive, what matters is to execute that process well and with discipline.

That process might not be very great or best in class, but well executed bad
ideas always lead to better result than badly executed good areas. Here is my
hack for remaining productive. Which I have tinkered after reading David
Allen's 'Getting things done'.

I have a table which has the following common fields. Task, Deadline, Started,
Finished, Log, Priority and Next Step. A little modified from David's actual
GTD. This table helps me do many things, first plan my tasks, next set a
deadline to achieve it. Started and finished fields help me measure how much
time I have taken to get it done. Log gives me an idea of complexity. Priority
decides what needs to come next after what. Next step keeps me on tip of heels
always generating new work for me.

I review this every night before going to sleep. And at least once a day if
I'm hitting the daily deadlines. Now comes the most important of all, its
called 'DISCIPLINE'. If one is not disciplined none of this ceremony works.
Infact I would say better get disciplined before you get into all these
techniques. Discipline is a personality trait, It has to be developed with
patience, perseverance and practice. You don't get disciplined by tinkering
/etc/hosts you get disciplined by making it happen even without tinkering
/etc/hosts.

Another important part is review. You must review your progress every now and
then. My review happens every Sunday afternoon, the review happens by
measuring what I have done. What will I do and is all that really sufficient
to meet my daily, weekly, monthly, six monthly, yearly and then life goals.

I make it a point to apply this not just to work, but even to my hobbies. My
music practice and other stuff. Most of the users here have suggested very
fine ways of measuring productivity I guess I will employ some of those
techniques during my review process.

------
jgeewax
This might sound backwards, but sometimes I do my best work after I decide I'm
not going to do anything that day.

I go outside and walk around and just think, day dream, brainstorm. Almost
always, I'll start thinking about "work" in some form and will end up dying to
get back to it. I'm usually incredibly productive when I get into this
mindset.

I turned this into a "hack" by waking up early (7AM) and deciding that I'm not
going to do any work until noon -- just spend some time outside. By 9AM I'm
usually itching to crank on something.

(This doesn't work for me if you watch movies or TV during your "thinking
time"... you have to be alone with just your thoughts...)

------
orky56
Answer on Quora: <http://www.quora.com/How-can-I-increase-my-productivity>

From the answer summary:

-Develop a system of personal collection, organisation and action that suits your personality and role (GTD etc) - a guiding set of principles that translates your goals into actions in a way that is complementary to your professional and psychological makeup.

-Have a method of accountability to that system (A physical system - such as a diary, planner, task manager etc - that allows you to monitor and measure progression)

-Understand your personality / psychology and its impact on your productivity. Some people will respond well to "have to" / "ought to" commands. Others will find that a dynamic to rebel against, and will need unstructured time.

-Understand that "small strokes fell great oaks". In other words, make a start on your work, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Start and keep starting.

-Actively incorporate health / exercise / leisure to stimulate thought and promote longevity.

-Leverage as much as possible where appropriate. Networks, opportunities. Build momentum.

-Love what you do. Productivity is easy when your heart is in it.

Also liked this quote from Peter Drucker: “Efficiency is doing things right;
effectiveness is doing the right things.”

~~~
mariusz10jonski
That's practical! thx

------
duck
Block HN - see <http://news.ycombinator.org/item?id=2513708>

(shameless plug - you can subscribe to <http://www.hackernewsletter.com> if
you feel like you are missing too much)

------
crocowhile
When you realize you are wasting time call it a day off or go for a walk.
Sitting in front of the computer trying to find the strength does not help.

Follow habits: e.g: if I a work from home I still get dressed as if I was
going to work.

If you are a procrastinator, don't fight your inner instincts, you are going
to lose the battle. Instead, try to use it in your favor. See
<http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/> by Stanford professor John Perry.
When you read that the first time you have an epiphany.

------
a5seo
#1 Private exec office with no frills costs $500/mo-$700/mo... so worth it

#2 Wear noise-blocking headphones (the kind you use for yardwork or from
levenger.com)

#3 Use Pomodoros: 30 mins focused work, 5 min breaks

#4 Open HN and/or Google Reader only during Pomodoro breaks; use PostRank to
filter most popular stuff in your feeds.

#5 Skim all news/articles and send good ones to Instapaper for iPad reading.

#6 Never take more than 2 "wildcard" coffees/lunches per week.

#7 Setup 2 calendars on Tungle or WhenBusy, one calendar that's very limited
for wildcards (see #8) and one that's for urgent/high-priority meetings.

~~~
pasbesoin
Re #2: I've tried many models, but I invariably find them too uncomfortable.
Have you found a model that excels?

Re #1: I've had issues with noise at home (various homes -- what is it with
people, these days?). To the point where renting a private office seems a
reasonable additional expense. In fact, I might consider downgrading my living
quarters and putting the saved expense towards an office.

I wonder whether others find that a practical solution, and if so, what tips
they might have for finding and negotiating a quiet private office. Not a
shared/business office -- a private office. (This should probably be a
separate thread, if there's any interest.)

~~~
a5seo
I think a thread about leasing private office space is a great idea. I found
my place by driving around and looking for "for lease" signs. I tried
coworking before that, but way too many distractions, and no ability to keep
your monitor(s) and keyboard setup there. I think ideas for "private hacker
space" -- something between coworking and overpriced offices like Regus would
be valuable.

RE headpones: The pair I use I got at Levenger over 10 years ago. Served me
well in grad school and while writing the code for the MVP of my first startup
that I ended up selling.

~~~
pasbesoin
I suppose I should do what homework I can, and summarize the results, before
asking -- so that I'm hopefully contributing to the conversation and not
merely taking.

I'll put it on my projects list.

------
Tycho
1\. Put HN on 'noprocrast' for 8 hours away, 20mins maxvisit (check the
settings in your profile). This will let you check HN twice a day, which is
enough.

2\. Don't drink caffeine within 8 hours of bed time. You'll get better night's
sleep. Helps to have decaf tea & coffee at the ready

3\. Take a notebook, write down 'what can I achieve in the next hour', make it
a realistic guess. Now, work for 45 mins, and when anything else occurs to
you, like check the news, send an email, look something up on the web, just
write it down on the opposite page. After 45 mins, spend 15 mins doing those
extra things you wrote down. Rinse, repeat. This removes the discomfort of not
satisfying your whims (you've noted them down, so you'll definitely get round
to them), while letting you work in a focussed manner without task switching
or timewasting.

I also do these things: don't care about Facebook, email, Twitter, but that's
not hard for me admittedly. I barely care anyway. Also, before you start a
messageboard/forum post, be aware it will probably cost you 4 hours or so
before it's done with.

------
nvarsj
This is what I do, working in a company with an open plan layout:

* Disable all notification software (growl, etc.).

* If possible, find a quiet place where you won't get disturbed. Otherwise, wear noise canceling headphones or something else that blocks out noise. If listening to music, pick something ambient that won't distract your attention (some ideas: <http://xerxes-music.com>, <http://ghosts.nin.com>).

* Have a place to dump thoughts that occur out of context so you can focus on the task at hand. This can simply be a notepad.

* Take regular breaks and don't forget to take care of yourself. If you're hungry, take a break and get a snack.

* Recognize when you're not being productive and give your mind a rest by doing something fun. This doesn't have to be unrelated to work. I have a list of "fun tasks" that are low priority otherwise.

------
snikolov
I write things down. I set micro-deadlines. I force myself to move on after
the deadline, or if I really need to finish it, set another deadline. I need
to keep the pressure on. A little distraction is a slippery slope for me, so
it's usually all or nothing (guess which one this is? :-)) Okay, back to work.

------
scottyallen
I came to grips with the fact that I'm a terrible multitasker, and that I'm
easily distracted. Thus, I now only work on one thing at a time. That includes
email, IM, surfing the web, and any other sources of distractions. I only
check email 1-2 times per day, and try to respond to as much of it as possible
when I do check it. Check out Merlin Mann's Inbox Zero for how to efficiently
deal with your inbox.

I'm also a big fan of Tim Ferriss's idea of limiting the amount of information
you consume. The more HN I read, the more talk shows I listen to the radio,
the more twitter I read through, the stuff that's competing for attention in
my head. The big realization for me was that the cost of doing these things
wasn't just the time I spend doing them, but also the brainshare they take up,
once I've moved back to doing something productive.

------
n3rt
Gather everything needed for project. Turn off internet.

~~~
PatrickTulskie
This is true. I get my most productive work done on the train during my
commute to/from Manhattan. I have spotty internet even with a MiFi so I get to
focus.

------
abyssknight
I stay productive with meaningful deadlines. If it doesn't have a solid
deadline, you're not likely to see it 'on time'. Ever had someone tell you,
"Oh, just whenever you get a chance..." and then 3 months later you find the
frantically scribbled Post-It with the request written in your own
handwriting? Yeah, that's me all the time. Make it important, make it due, and
tell me why its important. The social contract means a lot, and you can
exploit it to get things done.

Anyways, that's all I have for you. Of course, working _smarter_ , _not
harder_ , has always been my maxim thanks to one of my high school teachers.

------
yoyoma11
Stop reading and worrying about it and just choose a productivity hack and do
it regularly, hourly if possible. Then reflect on, adjust it, and iterate.
Guarantee within days of doing this you'll have discovered your own
productivity hack that really works for you. I started using this Dotout app
twice an hour, 2 minute periods. Found it really works, added my own
visualization and reflection at the end and I'm 3 times as productive as I
ever was.

[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dotout-improve-focus-
concentr...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dotout-improve-focus-
concentration/id375728025?mt=8)

------
grist
Form a hacker group. Invite other coders/designers/bloggers to join you at a
location. Have everyone sit at tables or desks so that what they are working
on is easily visible to at least a couple others (no one lounging in the
corner drooling to farmville ...)

It's surprising the amount of work you can get done when surrounded by other
people working, especially people who are passionate about their projects. As
to distractions? The simple social pressure exerted by being in this group is
almost always enough to keep everyone on task - no one wants to be the guy
that is always there but never has anything to show off.

------
latch
1- No television

2- Physical good shape

3- Eating well (and actually knowing what eating well means)

I'm not sure the forth one is for everyone, but...I used to wake up on
weekends at 10:00am (at the earliest). I'm a morning person (as in, I'm not
grumpy/tired when I do wake up earlier), but I just love sleeping in. When I
moved, I didn't get good blinds..and I've been waking up naturally with the
sun. On the weekends, it gives me an extra 2-3 hours in the morning. However,
the biggest change is on the weekdays, where waking up more naturally than a
shocking alarm, seems to make me even more receptive to waking up early.

~~~
sbarre
I agree with latch. Eating well, getting exercise and sleeping well are the #1
contributors to my long-term productivity and effectiveness.

I'm not saying you have to be a gym rat but some kind of routine (even a 30-60
minute walk) and regular non-junk meals will make you feel better, and as a
result sleep better.

The results are cumulative, and they will beat the pants off any task-driven
coffee-fueled routine you develop for yourself while eating pizza at your desk
at 3am. :-)

------
snikolic
Here are some things I do:

1) One task at a time. Hint: Use a todo list to break things up into
individual tasks.

2) Don't be a perfectionist. Hint: Just get it working - make it
fast/scalable/sexy/whatever later.

3) Separate work and play. Hint: VMWare and GNU Screen are awesome for keeping
your work in the state you last left it, and sandboxing it from play.

4) No distractions. Hint: If it doesn't write code, read code, or play music,
it gets closed. My phone gets put on silent and hidden.

5) Get plenty of sleep.

6) No caffeine for the 8 hours before I go to bed.

7) No computer for the 2 hours before I go to bed.

8) Exercise every morning.

9) A post-it note in the middle of my desk that says "DO IT NOW."

------
geuis
I've found that if I listen to podcasts, I tend to flit around between coding,
HN, facebook, flickr, etc. If I listen to music, I can stay focused for hours.
So my recent hack was to create an rdio station combining the Tron soundtrack,
it's remix, and (oddly) upbeat Lady Gaga tracks. I happened to get that mix by
accident a few weeks ago at a coffee shop and was startled at how much time
passed, and how much I got done.

I think the more general point is to identify the mental triggers that put you
into a zone, and work on refining ways to put you there on demand.

------
thirtysixred
My take on productivity is:

If I'm going to be productive and get things done, then I'm going to want to.

If I don't want to get things done, and I force myself to, I won't become
magically productive, I'm just going to try to get the task done as quick and
cheap as possible because I don't want to be doing it. So the quality of that
work lacks.

So when I'm feeling unproductive, I go browse the internet for a little while
or get up and walk around until I want to work again. So far this has worked
for me throughout my jobs and my managers have yet to complain about it.

------
b0b0b0b
I usually get in to the office a bit after 8. I try to fix one bug / get one
thing Done before 9. After that, everyone else gets in the office and
everything descends into chaos and meetings.

------
f1gm3nt
Programmers are like trains, hard to get started and easy to get derailed.

Given that, how to you get into a coding mood? The quicker you can get into a
coding mood, the faster you can knock features.

~~~
scott_s
Leave yourself fun hooks. If it's the end of the day and there's a task coming
up that you really want to do - you know how to do it, and you know it will be
fun - don't do it. Leave it until tomorrow. That way when you start tomorrow,
you'll have something fun that you know how to do, and that will get the ball
rolling.

This doesn't just apply to coding. I've used the same technique when writing
papers. Some things are just more fun to write than others, and I'll sometimes
leave those as hooks to get me going next time.

------
measure2xcut1x
Not literature, but the Bose QC15 noise cancelling headphones work wonders for
my productivity. Also, completely clearing my desk is surprisingly helpful.

------
mping
I think this mindset illustrates the problem: You're looking for hacks, which
means the normal route doesn't cut it. What ever happened to "just-effing-do-
it"? When I want to get in a coding mood, I start coding. I know eventually
I'll get in the mood.

People want a magic pill that gives you the willpower to get things done. I've
always seen this as a new-age-psychology-meets-internet-human-hacking thing.
JFDI \m/

------
d0m
Unplug internet!!!! I thought I'd be less productive without internet at first
since I can't google things.. but I was totally wrong. There's like a 5x
productivity gain, and the thing I need to look up, I just do it in a "chunk"
later in the day. (Anecdote: The first time I tried the "no internet" things..
I just had internet so I had no choice. But now, I do it voluntarily).

------
dytrivedi
1\. Just start. That'll help you to get into flow -
<http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000339.html>

2\. JFDI - [http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/design-process/ten-
produ...](http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/design-process/ten-productivity-
tips/)

------
lukifer
My biggest hack: accepting that this battle will never be won. If I rely on a
"system", I stop fighting the demons of fear, procrastination, and
perfectionism. I adapt my methods, stay in the moment, break tasks into small
digestible chunks, and calmly move forward.

Also, I'm not above cutting myself off from time-wasting sites in /etc/hosts
when I really need to. :P

------
schickm
Just blocking coworker chatter does wonders for me:

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000X6L82/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp...](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000X6L82/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-
top-
stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001HNFUD6&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0W896F9F88V69ERN4EC4)

------
mike_esspe
After unsuccessful fight with distractions i decided to maximize pleasure, not
productivity :)

Of course it works only if you are not a full time worker and there are for
profit projects, that you love to work on.

BTW, i used to think, that i spend time here on HN in vain, but now half of my
income comes thanks to one of comments here i read.

------
rmg
Remove the clock from your desktop view. It surprising how much unneeded
stress and distraction is tied to it.

------
jirinovotny
This is what I do: [http://www.dextronet.com/blog/2011/04/10-best-tricks-of-
fool...](http://www.dextronet.com/blog/2011/04/10-best-tricks-of-fooling-
myself-to-work/)

------
troels
Make grand promises that are almost achievable. Then dash to meet the
expectations.

Of course, if you care about looking good to your boss, this is a lousy
strategy. Try the reverse for that.

------
trbecker
To be highly productive, I unplug the network cable. A more sophisticated
solution would be configuring privoxy to block twitter.com, mail.google.com
and facebook.com.

------
benji-york
I've been experimenting with the pomodoro technique:
<http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/>

~~~
Brashman
When I have clear tasks to complete, I find the Pomodoro technique to work
really well. Also, after the first couple sets, I can often continue working
without distractions without actually setting the timer.

------
petervandijck
Todo-list in Google tasks is working for me these days.

------
dev_jim
Work for a company or industry that you enjoy. That you couldn't imagine doing
anything else. You'll never have a problem being productive again.

------
pkteison
I monitor how I spend time at my computer by running rescuetime. Their
productivity report makes me want to do better, so then I waste less time.

------
MaurizioPz
stayfocusd for chrome
[https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/laankejkbhbdhmipfm...](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji)

------
luis_arellano
Best advice I've heard yet is the following:

One thing at a time.

Most important thing first.

Start now.

~~~
lukifer
The "most important thing first" can sometimes get in the way, I find. Maybe
that thing is not yet clear in my head, or seems overwhelmingly difficult.
Diving in with a less important task first can sometimes be a way to build up
to tackle the more urgent tasks.

