Being as productive as I can is important to me. Prior to being a husband and a father, I wasted a lot of time. I watched too much TV, too many movies, and played too many video games. I think back to those days and wish I’d done a better job making the most of my time.

Now that I have a family to care for and a demanding career, that also consumes massive amounts of my time, I need to make the most out of every minute.

Here are some of the things that I do, and apps that I use, to try and be as productive as I can.

Dealing with Email

Thankfully, I do not receive much personal email anymore. I’ve unsubscribed from as many newsletters as I can and the rest gets deleted as soon as I read it.

My work situation is a completely different story. I receive a ton of work email. I use Microsoft Outlook at work but some of these tips can be used in Gmail or other email applications.

1. Setting up Rules

There are several emails that I receive that I can push to another folder to review later. I’ve setup archive folders with rules to automatically send these emails to. Then, I can check these emails when I need to.

2. Create Email Signature Templates

In Outlook, I use email signature as pre-written email templates.

Why is this important?

I have several emails that I send on a regular basis so instead of writing each email message each time, I’ve created an email signature with everything I need already on the message. This way, I simply select the email signature and am good to go.

This little trick as kept my messages consistent and has saved me a ton of time.

I use this trick not only for starting messages but for responses as well. This is particularly helpful when I am asked about issues that I have already resolved, and I can setup an email signature response in case others experience the same issue.

3. Sending Email to a Task Manager

If I receive an email where I am asked to do something, regardless of the severity of the task, I forward it to my task manager. I use OmniFocus, which I will go into more detail later in this post.

The email will go to the “Inbox” of my task manager. I’ll then move to email to a folder in Outlook that I named “OmniFocus” so that I have another place to keep track of the tasks.

Usually once or twice a day, I will process all of the tasks in the Inbox of my task manager. I’ll decide which buckets they belong in and set reminders and due dates if they are needed. If the task is especially urgent or important, I will flag it.

4. Inbox Zero Everyday

Lastly, I make a point to reach Inbox Zero on each work day. This allows me to end the work day with a clear head, without wondering if there are any crucial requests in my inbox.

This is not always easy, but if I let a few days slide, before I know it I have hundreds of unread emails and several coworkers asking, “Did you get my email?”

Managing Tasks & To-Do’s

As I mentioned above, I use OmniFocus for managing all of my tasks. I never would have considered purchasing this app, but I received a bunch of Apple Cards for my birthday and decided to use them on this investment.

I am very glad that I did.

OmniFocus has been great and has helped me keep up on everything. I hate the feeling of dropping the ball on a particular task or request, and now that I have a reliable task manager, and system, this does not happen.

My OmniFocus is setup with 3 major Projects, which are: Home, Personal, & Work. There are as many sub projects for each as I need. For example, Home: Chores, Home: Indoor Projects, Home: Outdoor Projects, etc.

In addition to Projects, I have created as many different Contexts as I need. Some examples of Contexts are: My Desk, Computer Online, Computer Offline, Website Update, etc.

There is no “right way” to manage all of your tasks, but this is how I’ve chosen to manage mine.

Using the different Projects and Contexts is how I can plan out what I can work on given my current situation. For example, if I am at the airport and do not have internet access, I’ll work on something in my Computer Offline folder.

Find the processes that work for you and make adjustments to fine-tune your approach.

Weekly Review

I started picking up some of these habits after reading David Allen’s “Getting Things Done.” The Book has helped me a lot and I’ve slowly implemented more and more of the content into my work flows.

I struggled to consistently complete my weekly review.

A weekly review consists of reviewing my current week to make sure I did everything I needed to, and planning my following week. If any of my tasks for the current week did not get completed, I immediately add them to the following week to ensure everything gets done.

The weekly review is key.

When I neglect the weekly review process, tasks start to fall through the cracks.

Pen & Paper

I write a lot of things down with pen and paper. I’ve discovered that it really helps me remember things and keeps me on track. I also prefer the visual impact of looking at my calendar, rather than staring at my smart phone.

I use the Productivity Planner, Tools For Life Calendar, & Sharpie Fine Pens.

I spend 15-30 minutes a day going over everything and preparing for my following day. This really helps me mentally prepare for everything that needs to be completed.

Conclusion

These processes really help me, but they might not be right for you. Find the process that works and make modifications over time.

Once you establish a productive workflow, managing several projects and responsibilities becomes much easier and the feeling of overwhelm goes away.

I’d be happy to hear about your workflow and what tips and tricks you can provide. Contact me through the website.