Om recommended I read a blog post by Michael Buffington on getting things done. I would say that’s a bad thing, coming from my boss… except lately he’s been bugging me about working too much. Anyways, the post seems like a good topic for us web workers, though we aren’t able to control our work environment quite as well as Michael, who prefers a cold office.
His other must-haves: sound-isolating headphones, familiar music, Pepsi, competition, and deadlines. His commenters add green tea, Vitamin B, and exercise, as well as a long list of books.
Michael talks about flow as a transitory, elusive state — so his objective is to control his environment enough to foster that state. I find that’s a big challenge for larger projects, but since so much of my work now consists of quick and time-sensitive spurts of research and writing, I don’t have to be quite so deliberate about my surroundings and caffeine intake. Or maybe that’s just because this is a new job for me and I haven’t stalled out yet!
It’s interesting to compare a worker to an athlete…reminds me of a college friend’s obsession with Phil Jackson and his modified-Zen coaching philosophies.
So what’s your productivity secret?
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