Three lesser-known ways to get more done in less time (Part 1)
BUSINESS EDITORIAL
Okay, so you’ve done the productivity apps, the accountability groups, the bullet journals… the lot.
Yet STILL, you find yourself rushing to get things done.
If you’re sick of that frenzied feeling in the pit of your stomach, here’s part one of our “keep-calm-and-be-more-productive” series, featuring three lesser-known tips to get more done in less time.
1) Limit your WIP (Work In Progress).
Having a sprawling to-do list is guaranteed to rocket your cortisol levels.
A Japanese system called kanban limits the WIP tasks that you perform at a time, for example capping them at three. Each task is entered in a table with three columns titled “To do,” “Doing” and “Done.” (Post-its are a dream for this.) When two tasks remain, bring in one more.
You’re less tempted to start 26 tasks at once, while gaining the satisfaction of ticking things off.
2) Self-schedule like you mean it.
Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”
So, try setting a deadline for 50% of the time it took you to complete the same task or project last time.
Masochistic? Sure. Unrealistic? Maybe. But an extreme cut-off time forces you to avoid distractions and intensifies your focus.
3) Eat your frogs.
Do your most unpleasant task first thing in the morning, based on this principle: if the first thing you do is eat a frog, your day can only get better from then on.
These tips might require a little trial and error. But with the promise of less overwhelm and more time on your hands, finding your own sweet spot is surely worth a try.
PRINT 101
PERFECT BIND
What do we mean when we talk about perfect binding?
At the beginning of the perfect binding process, all the signatures to be bound are stacked one on top of the other. (A signature is a sheet printed and folded to form a series of 8, 16 or 32 pages.) Next, the fold of all the signatures is notched with a saw so that the glue can penetrate it more. Once the glue is applied to this area, the cover is glued on top and finally, the three non-bound sides are trimmed evenly.
INSPIRATION : A GOOD READ
