Keeping the Workflow Steady on Extended Tasks

I've tried the fancy productivity systems, but here's what works: This 3x5 notecard... Each evening, I sit down at my desk and write down the 3-5 highest impact to-dos for the following day. These are the "important" tasks that directly contribute to my long-term projects or goals. The list is pure—I specifically avoid writing down all of the miscellaneous urgent and unimportant to-dos (more on that later). In the morning, I sit down at my desk for my first focus work block and start at the top of the list, working my way down and crossing off the important items as I get through them. My primary goal is to cross each item off the list by the end of the day. I am intentionally conservative in the number of items I write on the list. It's usually 3, sometimes 4, and very rarely 5. I never want to end the day with open items, so being conservative helps me accomplish that (and get the extra rush from getting through more than I expected). As I go through the day, I stole an idea from Marc Andreessen to use the back of the card to write down and cross off any minor to-dos that I complete (the urgent or unimportant tasks that are not welcome on the front of the card). The process of writing and crossing off an item on the back of the card is a further boost of momentum, so I find it to be a worthwhile exercise. My notecard productivity system is painfully simple, but it's grounded in five powerful realizations: 1. 15 minutes of prep in the evening is worth hours the next morning. By setting out your priority tasks the night before, you eliminate any friction from having to decide what to work on. You hit the ground sprinting. 2. Important > Urgent. By tackling the important to start the day, you guarantee progress against the big picture projects and goals. If my day went to hell after that morning focus block (which it sometimes does with a 1-year-old at home!), it would be ok, because I know I've gotten through much of my important work. 3. Momentum is everything. Crossing important items off your list to start the day immediately creates a winning feeling that you keep with you. Success begets success. 4. Simple is beautiful. If you're spending time thinking about your productivity system, you're studying for the wrong test. That's movement for the sake of movement. You should be focused on progress. 5. Find what works for you. It used to stress me out that I didn't have a beautiful productivity system that would impress others. Then I realized that whatever works for me is the best productivity system. Identify how you operate and find the system that works for you. To get started, just buy a stack of simple 3x5 notecards and give it a shot. If you've ever been overwhelmed by productivity systems and advice, this is an approach to try. Follow me Sahil Bloom for more ideas like this in the future and join 800,000+ others who get these in my weekly newsletter: https://lnkd.in/esGsF85Q

Ever felt like the Greek mythology character Sisyphus, tirelessly pushing a boulder uphill, only for it to roll back down again? Such is the tug-of-war of self-motivation. Our innate tendency to resist persistent effort battles against our aspirations, seemingly unaffected by caffeine boosts or motivational quotes. Yet, the art of self-drive separates the high-achievers from the crowd. While motivation is a personalized puzzle, two decades of research unveil universal strategies to push past procrastination and reach your goals. Here are four main tactics. 1. Design Goals, Not Chores: Specificity is power! Aim for tangible targets rather than vague aspirations. Intrinsic motivation often surpasses extrinsic rewards. An Example: Instead of aiming to “improve sales,” set a target of “increasing sales by 10% in the next quarter” with a clear plan of action. 2. Find Effective Rewards: Rewards should encourage growth and productivity. Embrace the thrill of uncertainty. An Example: After securing a significant deal or finishing a big project, allow yourself an afternoon off or a leisurely lunch outside. Avoid rewards that might disrupt your productivity, like procrastinating on another project. 3. Sustain Progress: Divide your projects into manageable milestones. Celebrate those milestones but keep the end goal in sight. An Example: If you're working on a year-long project, set monthly targets. Celebrate when each is achieved, but as you near the end, keep your team's focus on the final product. 4. Harness the Influence of Others: Draw inspiration from efficient coworkers. Guiding and mentoring others can also reinforce your own goals. An Example: If you’re trying to improve punctuality in meetings, team up with a colleague who's always on time. Or, offer to mentor a junior colleague, reinforcing your own best practices in the process. Motivation in the workplace (and in life!) is a journey, not a destination. By adopting these strategies and maintaining a mindset of growth and adaptability, you can transform how you work. And you can also transform how you feel about your work. #Motivation #Mastery #Workplace #Learning #Growth #Productivity #Goals #Procrastination #SelfManagement #Talent

Procrastination isn't about time. It's about emotions. You're not lazy. Your brain is protecting you from difficult feelings. Fear. Anxiety. Self-doubt. I've seen it steal dreams. Maybe you have too. Here are 8 powerful ways to break free: 1. Create Space Between Trigger and Response 💬 "The moment I face a big task, I grab my phone." ➟ Pause for 30 seconds when avoidance hits ➟ Take three deep breaths ➟ Ask: "What tiny step can I take now?" 💡 Viktor Frankl: Our power lies in the space between trigger and response. Try: Set a 30-second timer next time you feel the urge to avoid. 2. Face Your Fears Head-On 💬 "I keep delaying because what if everything goes wrong?" ➟ Write down your worst-case scenarios ➟ Rate how likely each one is ➟ List one action to prevent each fear 💡 Named fears lose their emotional grip. Try: Write down your biggest fear about your delayed project. 3. Build Instant Rewards 💬 "Important tasks feel painful. Netflix feels good." ➟ Pair tough tasks with immediate pleasures ➟ Create small celebrations for completion ➟ Track your wins visually 💡 Your brain craves instant gratification. Use it to your advantage. Try: Choose one small reward for your next completed task. 4. Design Your Environment 💬 "My workspace doesn't inspire action." ➟ Place visual reminders of your goals ➟ Set out tools needed for tomorrow ➟ Remove distracting triggers 💡 Your environment shapes your behavior more than willpower. Try: Put one inspiring image where you'll see it tomorrow. 5. Use Social Power 💬 "I keep my goals private so I can't fail publicly." ➟ Tell someone your deadline ➟ Share progress updates ➟ Set public consequences 💡 Social pressure creates positive emotional urgency. Try: Text one friend about your next deadline. 6. Reset Your State 💬 "Bad moods make me avoid everything." ➟ Take a 2-minute meditation break ➟ Step outside briefly ➟ Do 5 jumping jacks 💡 Physical state changes create emotional shifts. Try: Stand up and stretch right now for 30 seconds. 7. Create When-Then Plans 💬 "I have good intentions but never follow through." ➟ Write specific action triggers ➟ Link habits to existing routines ➟ Remove decision points 💡 Clear plans bypass emotional resistance. Try: Write one "When X happens, I will do Y" statement. 8. Track Visible Progress 💬 "It feels like I'm getting nowhere." ➟ Use a progress calendar ➟ Mark daily wins ➟ Share your journey 💡 Seeing progress builds emotional momentum. Try: Draw a simple progress bar for your current project. Your dreams are waiting. Your emotions shouldn't stop you. Pick one strategy. Start now. Which one will you try first? ♻️ Repost if this resonated with you! 🔖 Follow me Suren Samarchyan for more.

I Was Drowning In Busy Season! (Then I Found This Mental Hack) Ever felt your brain was being pulled in 8 different directions at once? That was me a few months back. 4 different clients. Long hours workweeks. 1 auditor - Me. And the problem wasn't the amount of work. It was something far more dangerous. My mind was constantly shifting: From Task A to Task B. From Client 1 to Client 3. From urgent email to random ping. Each switch felt like it drained a little more of my mental battery. Until one week, I hit empty. Know that feeling of heaviness in your head? When your thoughts feel like they're wading through mud? That's where I was. But I refused to accept this as "just part of the job." There had to be a better way. And after weeks of experimenting, I found 3 mental hacks that saved my sanity. These aren't your typical productivity tips. These are survival techniques for anyone juggling multiple clients. Here's what worked for me: 1. Your Brain is Not a Storage Device Your mind wasn't designed to remember things. It was designed to GET THINGS DONE. So stop forcing it to be your to-do list. Every time a manager pinged me with a request, I immediately wrote it down in OneNote. Not tomorrow. Not "when I have time." IMMEDIATELY. Then I'd mentally release it. Think of your brain like your smartphone – when too many apps are running in the background, everything slows down. Close those background apps. 2. Treat Client-Facing Tasks Like Hot Potatoes When juggling multiple clients, everything seems urgent. But here's the truth: Not all urgent tasks are created equal. My breakthrough came when I realized this simple rule: Anything that goes directly to a client takes absolute priority. Emails. Deliverables. Meeting preparations. Think of them as hot potatoes – get them off your plate FIRST. Everything else? It can wait for 25 minutes. 3. The 25-Minute Forcefield I started using the Pomodoro Technique – 25 minutes of intense focus, followed by a 5-minute break. During those 25 minutes, I created a mental forcefield around myself. No emails. No Slack pings. No team check-ins. Just me and ONE task. Unless you're in a live client meeting, NOTHING is so urgent it can't wait 25 minutes. The most surprising benefit? This practice didn't just save my work life – it saved my personal life too. Before, even when talking with my parents, my mind would wander to pending tasks. Now, I'm fully present wherever I am. If you're in a client-facing role juggling multiple projects, these techniques aren't optional – they're essential for your mental health. Are you constantly task-switching? What techniques have worked for you? If you enjoyed reading this, it's a snippet from my FREE weekly newsletter where I share everything about my audit lessons and concepts. #audit #productivity #mentalhealth #consulting #clientmanagement

🧵 Bioinformaticians: Drowning in multiple projects? Here's why context switching is killing your productivity—and how to fix it. 1/ Too many projects = too little progress. When your attention is scattered, your output drops. Context switching is the silent killer. 2/ Each project has its own biology: 🧬 Different TFs 🧪 Different cell lines ⚙️ Different pipelines Switching eats mental energy. 3/ Example: Jumping from CUT&RUN on H3K27me3 in mESCs to ChIP-seq on c-Myc in HeLa = full brain reboot. 4/ You spend time recalling: • QC parameters • Genome version • Where peaks are saved • Which scripts and tools you used 5/ And if the project isn't organized, you’ll waste even more time digging through old folders, scratch files, or rerunning commands. 6/ Solution 1: Ruthless prioritization Pick ONE project each day. Focus. Finish. Ship it. Half-done science doesn’t help anyone. Multitasking is a trap. 7/ Solution 2: Use consistent folder structures Example: project_name/ ├── raw_data/ ├── fastqc/ ├── trimmed/ ├── alignment/ ├── results/ ├── scripts/ 8/ Solution 3: Add a README to each project Include: • Data source • Goals • Key results • Analysis steps • TODOs This saves hours when switching context or collaborating. document as much as possible. it may seem to be a waste of time, but it saves you time long term 9/ Solution 4: Keep a running log Markdown or plain text. Example: ## 2025-04-10 - Trimmed reads with fastp - Aligned with bowtie2 (hg38) - Called peaks with macs2 10/ Key Takeaways: • Switching projects costs time and focus • Finish one before hopping to another • Structure + notes = less rework 11/ ✅ Action items: • Choose 1 project to focus on this week • Create folder structure & README • Start a daily or weekly log 12/ Deep work leads to deep insights. Prioritize. Organize. Write it down. Make future-you thank today-you. I hope you've found this post helpful. Follow me for more. Subscribe to my FREE newsletter https://lnkd.in/erw83Svn