On Quiet Productivity

Published on Jan 2, 2024

Writing,  Personal essays,  Career advice,  Creative process

Quiet Productivity requires several things to be in place before it can succeed, and that includes:

  • A clear mind - Knowing what needs to be done to achieve the predetermined results

  • A defined path - Goals must be laid out, with a good idea of the items required to accomplish each goal

  • Frictionless workflow - Too many people get hung up on perfect systems, often tinkering with computer-based apps to offer endless distractions including tweaks, alerts, misconfigurations, notifications, animations, sync issues, input glitches

  • A known destination - Planned time, KPIs defined before start, measured path forward

  • Endlessly pare back tools

  • Create your flow

    • Know where your time goes

    • Define goals

    • Define KPIs

    • Create a TAO3

    • Define your Month/Week Big3

    • Plan your tasks around energy

    • Lay out your tools - Mise en place

  • Rituals

    • Daily

    • Weekly

    • Quarterly

    • Yearly

  • Read with pen and paper

    • Jot flow

    • Synthesize

    • Summarize the thought

    • File, link and cross-reference