Productivity and Focus

110 flashcards by MentisLibrary

The systems that actually work and the research behind them: GTD, time blocking, the Eisenhower matrix, deep work, habit design, and what studies really say about procrastination.

Getting Things Done
A system for capturing every commitment into a trusted external structure so the mind is free to focus on doing rather than remembering.
The five steps of Getting Things Done
Capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage.
The two minute rule
If a task will take less than two minutes, do it immediately rather than tracking it.
Next action thinking
Defining the very next physical step rather than the project, so nothing stalls on ambiguity.
The weekly review
A recurring session to clear inboxes, update the project list, and check that commitments still make sense.
The Pomodoro Technique
Working in fixed focused intervals, traditionally twenty five minutes, separated by short breaks.
Time blocking
Assigning specific tasks to specific slots on the calendar rather than working from an open list.
Timeboxing
Fixing in advance how long you will spend on a task and stopping when the time is up.
Day theming
Assigning whole days to categories of work, such as writing on Tuesdays and meetings on Thursdays.
The Ivy Lee method
At the end of each day, write the six most important tasks for tomorrow in priority order, and work them strictly in sequence.
Zettelkasten
A note taking method of small atomic notes, each in your own words, linked to related notes so a network of ideas builds over time.
The PARA method
Organizing digital information into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives, by actionability rather than by topic.
Inbox zero
Processing every message to a decision, delete, delegate, respond, defer, or file, rather than leaving mail as a to do list.
Bullet journaling
A rapid logging method using short bulleted entries and a monthly migration step that forces you to reconsider unfinished tasks.
Kanban
Visualizing work as cards moving across columns representing stages, so bottlenecks become visible.
Work in progress limits
Capping how many items may sit in a given stage at once, forcing completion before new work starts.
The Eisenhower matrix
Sorting tasks on two axes, urgent and important, into do, schedule, delegate, and delete.
Why is important but not urgent the critical quadrant?
Because prevention, planning, learning, and relationship building never announce a deadline, so they get displaced by anything that does.
MoSCoW prioritization
Sorting requirements into Must have, Should have, Could have, and Will not have this time.
ICE scoring
Ranking options by Impact, Confidence, and Ease, multiplying or averaging the scores.
RICE scoring
Ranking by Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort, dividing the first three by effort.
The ABCDE method
Labeling tasks A through E by consequence, where A tasks have serious consequences if left undone and E tasks can be eliminated.
The Pareto principle
The observation that a large share of results often comes from a small share of causes, commonly stated as eighty and twenty.
Eat that frog
Doing the most important and most avoided task first thing, before the day fills up.
The 25/5 rule
A widely repeated approach of listing twenty five goals, circling the top five, and treating the other twenty as things to actively avoid.
Opportunity cost
The value of the best alternative you gave up by choosing this option.
Deep work
Professional activity performed in a state of distraction free concentration that pushes cognitive capability to its limit.
Shallow work
Non cognitively demanding logistical tasks, often performed while distracted, which are easy to replicate and add limited value.
Flow
A state of full absorption in an activity, marked by clear goals, immediate feedback, and a challenge that matches your skill.
Attention residue
The lingering part of your attention that stays on a previous task after you switch, degrading performance on the new one.