by Kelsey Smythe | Mar 29, 2021 | Books, Lifestyle, Personal Development
I LOVE a good book on productivity. Not because I am a super organized, productive person. Quite the opposite actually. Discipline, organization, and productivity do not come naturally to me. I have to work really hard at it, and I’m always trying to figure out how people do the things that they do. I was really intrigued hearing about Do More Better by Tim Challies.
This is the first book I’ve read about productivity from a Christian perspective. He starts off by talking about the theology of productivity, which I love. We so often forget how much the things we believe about God affect the way that we live our lives. In this book, Challies walks you through the steps to determine your areas of responsibility and let go of any of the things you don’t need to be doing. So helpful! The rest of the book is about finding the right tools. Challies recommends getting one tool for each of these arenas:
- Task management
- Scheduling
- Information collection
Task Management Tools
He highly recommends Todoist, which I had heard about before but hadn’t really used. I decided to give it a whirl since the free version is so robust. I set it up the way Challies recommends using the “areas of responsibility” I had worked through earlier in the book and wow wow wow, I love it. My productivity skyrocketed after I implemented this tool. Having ALL my tasks in one place where I could easily prioritize the important and the urgent gave me peace of mind and the focus that I was lacking. It also helped me realize that I was biting off way more than I could chew. My frustrations in not getting “enough” done were often because I tried to do too much.
Because I’m the research-obsessed person that I am, I did a fair amount of googling other task management tools as well. Asana, Trello, Google Gasks, and remember the milk all came up a lot. I also considered utilizing the reminders/tasks app in my iPhone as well. The main consideration is that it should be something that’s fairly simple to set up and something that you’ll actually use.
Scheduling Tools
This was a tool I did not need to spend any time implementing. I already have my Google Calendar and my Apple Calendar synced. I love how Google Calendar can pull appointment suggestions from emails. For example, when the veterinarian sends an email with the next appointment, Google automatically adds it as a calendar event. Syncing it with my apple calendar makes it so that I can view those appointments (plus the address and any other info I saved) on any of my devices.
At some point I’d like to start sharing Google Calendars with Charles, but since both of us are home almost 24/7 still, there’s really no need.
Information Collection Tools
The last toolset he recommends is an information collection tool. Reading this chapter inspired me to start using Evernote again. I used it a lot in wedding planning, but haven’t used it since. I created a new free account to start fresh and plan to start saving things like tax documents, car documents, etc., there. These are things that I’ve previously saved on my computer, which I backup about twice a year. The benefit of saving them in Evernote instead is that it’ll give me more labeling and search options, but also be a more secure backup and allow me to access them from any device. Win win win.
The thing I didn’t love about this book
One thing that was incredibly distracting for me in what was overall a great book was the author’s examples in regards to women’s productivity. It was evident that he comes from a strong traditional, complementarian background. All of his examples of women involved them doing tasks at home, for their husbands, or for their children, whereas the examples he had of men’s productivity varied greatly. Even if I strongly believed in traditional gender roles, these examples would still come across as tone-deaf. What about women who aren’t married and don’t have kids? What about women who ARE married and do have kids but also lead small groups, start a book club, run a ministry, work outside the home in order to pay the bills, and so on.
I debated sharing this as an issue, as the book isn’t actually about gender roles. In the end, I decided to share because I found this distracting and it left a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth. That being said, I think it’s a fantastic book to read, particularly if you feel like your life is missing the organizational frameworks necessary to keep track of tasks, appointments, and important information.
Do you have these systems set up?
I’d love to hear! Let’s discuss in the comments!
by Kelsey Smythe | May 30, 2018 | Writing
Writing is one of those activities that is really nice when it’s finished, but feels somewhat agonizing during the process. It’s very similar to working out. After you’ve worked out, you feel really great at what you’ve done, and though you’re a little worse for the wear, you’re filled with endorphins. Writers enjoy having written, but the act of writing can be exhausting, intimidating, and overwhelming. However, similar to exercising, the more often you do it, the easier it becomes. Over the years, I’ve developed a few ways to trick yourself into writing that make it a little easier to get started.
1. Create a Pleasant Environment
If you have a really unpleasant writing assignment, pair it with an environment that’s particularly enjoyable to you. Play some soft music in the background. Light your favorite candle. Grab your favorite drink. If you have to write about a subject you don’t enjoy, the least you can do is make everything else as pleasant as possible.
2. Unload Your Thoughts
Sometimes it’s hard to get your brain thinking about what you’re supposed to be writing about because it’s too busy thinking about other things. Set a timer and write about whatever comes to mind for 5 minutes. It can be anything from a grocery list to how you feel about what your best friend said to you last night. Whatever comes to mind, write it out. At the end of the 5 minutes, you’ll be able to focus more easily.
3. Set a Timer
If I’m really struggling to write something that I know will be due soon, I set a timer for myself. Sometimes the hardest part of writing for me is just getting started. If I give myself a low commitment, it’s much easier to start. I’ll set a timer for 5 minutes and tell myself I just have to get words on the paper (or screen) for that amount of time, and they don’t even have to be good words. Sometimes 5 minutes is all I do. Most of the time, however, I get into the flow and write much longer than this.
4. Lower Your Expectations
Lowering your expectations takes so much pressure off of yourself. Instead of thinking, “I came here to write an entire article and so I must do it all at once,” you can tell yourself, “I came here to get some thoughts out about this subject.” It’s a lot less demanding and your brain will be more cooperative. Knowing that something doesn’t have to be incredibly cohesive and flawless right away helps me to get started.
5. Concentrate on the Current Task at Hand
I’ve noticed that if I’m looking at a blank page, knowing that I’m going to need to turn it into 10+ pages of writing, I can easily feel overwhelmed and not know how to start. The best way to move forward is to break the task into smaller chunks and only concentrate on one small chunk at a time. Here’s how I break up my writing into smaller tasks.
Start with one phrase
When I come up with ideas for blog posts, I’ll write one phrase that encapsulates the idea into a subject line and save it for later. For the blog, I save it as a blog post draft. For other writing, I’ll save it on my phone or computer. It helps to keep all of your writing drafts in one place, whether that’s Evernote, a Word document, or simply a Notes app on your phone and computer.
Once I write in the working title, I usually don’t start writing immediately, but I know that I’ll come back to it eventually. Most of my ideas come while I’m driving or working or reading and don’t have time to flesh out the entire thing. If I write one phrase that encapsulates the idea, I know that I’ll remember the gist of what I wanted to talk about and can come back later. This allows the subject to stew in the back of my mind until I’m ready to come out and flesh out the ideas a little more.
Add a few points
The next step in the writing cycle is to flesh out the idea with some main points. One could use the word “outline” very loosely here. An outline be one word each or a couple sentences for each point. My brain hates feeling forced into writing, so I only write down what comes to me instantly. If I feel inspired to write more, I might put down a few sentences under each point, but only if I’m inspired. Then I walk away.
Next, “just add a few thoughts”
Later on, I’ll come back to the outline and think about what I have to say for each of the points. Then I’ll just write down a few thoughts under each. Oftentimes, these turn into full-fledged paragraphs just on their own. If they don’t, I don’t sweat it. It usually means I need to think about something more or get myself into a better frame of mind.
Turn the thoughts into a Rough Draft
Once I string together a few thoughts into paragraphs, I have a rough draft, which can later be molded and shaped into something more final. The hardest part of writing for me is to create something out of nothing. If I have something to start with, it’s much easier to keep working. With this rough rough draft, you can go through and add in thoughts that are missing, explanations, and illustrations. Before you know it, you’ll have a complete draft.
Look for errors
All that’s left is editing. Some people– okay, most people, do not at all enjoy the act of editing. I think I’m one of the exceptions here. It might be helpful to you to reframe it in to another phrase so that you don’t dread it as much. Tell yourself that you’re just looking for errors, or checking the flow of the paper. Maybe it would help you if you just told yourself that you’re reading it through someone else’s eyes one last time before you put it out there.
I find it’s best to give yourself a few days, if possible, between writing the rough draft and editing. Fresh eyes help you see your work in an entirely different light. You’ll also be more capable of catching errors that you missed before.
Phone a friend
If you’re writing something important, it’s best to get a second pair of eyes on your work, even if you’ve already edited it yourself. Before you hit ‘publish’ or ‘send,’ ask a friend to read over it for you real quick. If it’s something really important, like a cover letter for your grad school application, consider hiring a professional to look it over. If it’s in their specific niche, the editor will have unique insights for you and be able to offer you help that your friends and family can’t.
6. Give Your Brain a Break
Now that you’ve gotten a complete writing draft, give yourself a pat on the back and a break. Writing can take some serious mental energy, especially if it’s not something you do regularly. In time, your ability to churn out words will grow, but remember to go easy on yourself as you’re getting started.
Leave a comment and let me know what the most difficult writing task was for you. Did you trick yourself into writing or just muscle through it?
