Christmas #3

How to be productive?

Back the time when I was working, I used several strategies to be more productive and to get the most of my "normal" 9h-10h per day at the lab*. And the main strategy was a to-do list.

I am a to-do list person, and after I found that, my life and work became much easier. At the beginning, my to-do lists were often unrealistic because I was always expecting to have more time than I actually had. And this happened a lot at work, where I was often delayed by someone using the equipment that I booked in advance, or by some other thing that appeared in the way. 

With some more practice, my to-do lists became more realistic and they are now my main tool to get productivity out of my days. But, I was/am not productive all the days, and I think that is the secret of it. You can't be productive everyday, but you must always pursue your productivity: the best out of you! 

It is Christmas time, and I still have some presents to finish, a 3-day trip and a returning home trip to prepare,  and all the daily-stuff-routine things. And I am feeling quite confident about the success of these missions! 

My to-do lists are helping me a lot. And you? What strategies do you use to get the best out of you?

Here are some habits that will boost your productivity:

(click on the image to get the full article)

*And I was actually productive - I finished the PhD work and thesis on time! And this was one of my big achievements of 2013!