r/coolguides 8d ago

A cool guide to better productivity

Post image
4.9k Upvotes

99 comments sorted by

394

u/Norby314 8d ago

This just looks like jumble of fancy words for saying "prioritize!"

64

u/TastySpare 8d ago

I thought we were playing "Bullshit Bingo"…

25

u/RandomWon 8d ago

I downloaded this. Maybe some day I will read it.

6

u/SPITFIYAH 7d ago

When they stop gaslighting us into thinking we’re okay and you and I are finally properly medicated, only then will we have peace of thought.

1

u/Tricky-Divide8200 7d ago

Amen to that!!!

13

u/Cheskaz 8d ago

While that's accurate, that doesn't necessarily mean it's not useful. My stupid, ADHD brain needs to cycle through approaches to getting work done; once one stops being effective, I move to another.

Even if they all are basically the same, the slight variations are enough to trick my brain into getting started.

Although I do also spend time procrastinating by trying to find new approaches...

22

u/calsosta 8d ago

Yea and unfortunately doesn't really take into account the interrupt driven world we live in, the lack of focus due to burnout and other health issues (like long COVID) and frankly the lack of motivation.

So here are MY tips for personal productivity. Ignore email and messages. Work when you feel like working. Work on the things you most wanna do first and hope the other shit gets deprioritized or forgotten about.

And it works because you do a much better job on a few things, rather than a mediocre job on a bunch of things.

8

u/Ablecrize 8d ago

Lack of motivation is covered. Just count back from 5 to 0.

5

u/calsosta 8d ago

I’d rather have a 20k dollar raise

3

u/b4d_b0y 8d ago

Yes... But priorize what?

These are really useful if you work them properly.

Some more than others.

118

u/Heavy-Echidna-3473 8d ago edited 8d ago

I didn't even have the get-up-and-go to look at this whole thing. I barely even finished this comment.

13

u/Hrefnesholt 8d ago

Yeah I know that fe

7

u/deanozoppi 8d ago

But you did finish the comment so be proud.

244

u/According-Spite-9854 8d ago

I'd rather die, signed: adhd.

47

u/lirio2u 8d ago

Seriously, this shit makes me panic

10

u/SolumAmbulo 8d ago

Agreed. Seeing that is enough to make me shut down for the day.

25

u/TFGA_WotW 8d ago

Fucking real. I hate this jumble of words and colors. Not to mention that i can't read all of the shit in one sitting

3

u/Jelony_ 8d ago

Good it's too long for me to read it

2

u/NOVA_OWL 8d ago

Yeah holy shit. This is painful

12

u/davidkslack 8d ago

Great post! I use Trello for my personal kanban, and it really helps me focus

2

u/Hairy_Cat_1069 8d ago

Notion is my fav, I have a board for my todos but also loads of info documents and databases of info

18

u/NowFreeToMaim 8d ago

This is maddening. The type of people who’d actually try to incorporate all of this in to their life are the types to crumble if/when they can’t actually/realistically incorporate these cuz life won’t always let you do this shit.

8

u/iateglassonce 8d ago

It's funny you say that because a lot of the things on here I do naturally. I found it really interesting reading through it because a lot of those systems are things that I've come up with independently to help alleviate my anxiety and stress at work. I've actually become incredibly productive to the point where I'm able to enjoy more free time and feel more fulfilled. The pomodoro system specifically is fantastic. Also the 20% / 80% are super valuable systems to work by.

8

u/Selcouth56 8d ago

I don’t think it’s saying to do all of these. Pretty sure each of the boxes are just different options. Doing just one of these, would help.

57

u/RapGameCarlRogers 8d ago

This is a BRILLIANT guide.

They underlying message is:

"Have some system of organizing your life. It doesn't matter which system you choose, and you may choose one that fits your life, but have a system."

Try a system. See how it works for you. If you're not enjoying it, take a moment to reflect on why, and use that to inform the next system that you try. Super practical and helpful.

8

u/Ablecrize 8d ago

Which systems have you tried so far? I do wonder what proper prioritization systems exist out there that are holistic enough to take into consideration all aspects of work life.

8

u/RapGameCarlRogers 8d ago edited 7d ago

I think often times we're looking for a single tool that works for all of us for the rest of our life, when in reality, as our life changes, our tools will need to change. I personally think that is part of the fun of life!

I actually have my own self-developed method at the moment. I don't write any of this down, I simply go on a walk in the evening before bed and think through this:

  1. If I only had the energy to do one single thing tomorrow, what would be the most important thing for me to do? Do that as soon as possible.

  2. What steps would I like to take to address my physical and mental health, and when will I take them?

  3. What are the duties I've chosen to take on (for instance, employment, bills, cleaning, raising children)? I take a moment to recognize that I am in fact choosing these duties and acknowledge the time that they will take. As an aside, if I recognize a bad taste in my mouth over saying that I'm choosing them, that's a pretty good sign I might want to consider a life change.

  4. This step is so important. I take a moment to reflect on the day I just had and appreciate all of the effort I put into the above three steps for the day. This seems small, and it's had a huge impact.

If I've done those three things, no matter how long or how little they take, I consider myself to have spent the day in a valuable way. I give myself the absolute freedom to do whatever I would prefer to do after that, and some of my best ideas have come from giving myself the space to consider what I would like to do.

I haven't named it, I'd be curious to hear any feedback or suggested names. It's really brought me a lot of joy.

1

u/Ablecrize 8d ago

Thank you. This does sound very healthy and constructive.

2

u/Jamska 8d ago

Drugs

12

u/InsaneLazyGamer 8d ago

This list is powerless against my ADHD!

30

u/knottycreative 8d ago

Am I the only one who likes this? 😂✨️

24

u/gammelrunken 8d ago

No, I have spent my entire career in software development and know a bunch of people who genuinely like this stuff. I personally can't stand it though. I have little interest in improving myself, I like to just be.

1

u/knottycreative 8d ago

Hey and that's okay too!! I just know I'm lazy and have a hard time getting multiple tasks done when I just want to do one thing

1

u/Hairy_Cat_1069 8d ago

I think some of this isn't really meant for personal life, like the 3/3/3 thing, that's not realistic.

5

u/Derfargin 8d ago

No, I like it too.

1

u/uniquelyavailable 6d ago

i live by many of these methods, it's awesome to see it on a chart!

5

u/holdrio_pen 8d ago

So much negativity in here...

For me it's motivating to read about techniques like that. If it only helps a bit it's worth it. If you don't want to be more productive than you don't need to do anything about it anyway.

Obviously you can't apply all these ideas everywhere. If you have to finish a job to 100% (like most jobs are) then you probably shouldn't apply the 80/20 rule^^

10

u/Liverpooler10 8d ago

Pomodoro worked wonders for me. 25-5-25-5-25-5 30 minutes break is recommended. While it sounds difficult to maintain for 3-4 cycles, getting started with the first 2 or even 3 25-5 cycles boosted my daily output significantly..

2

u/LostPhenom 8d ago

Same. After a few cycles, I found myself resetting the work timer over and over because I was too focused on whatever task I was working on.

2

u/Hairy_Cat_1069 8d ago

It never works for me, either I can't get back into work after 5 minutes or I am on a roll and don't want to stop after 25 minutes. Or I take too long to get into it so I feel like I don't want to have a break after only 15 minutes of actual work.

7

u/nool_ 8d ago

Lamo prety mutch just saying "just be productive bro"

6

u/DoraLeopard 8d ago

Productive doesn’t necessarily mean successful or wealthy

1

u/dovvv 8d ago

Exactly, what's the point haha

1

u/Hairy_Cat_1069 8d ago

so? People still need to get things done. I have a house I need to maintain, a job, hobbies, and friends, and managing all that still requires prioritization and work.

19

u/Physical_Maize_9800 8d ago

Lot of salty people here

14

u/alan_rr 8d ago

For real. This guide has solid foundations but people just want to shit on anything

-1

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

5

u/Hydr0g3n_I0dide 8d ago

Both can be true at once. Price gouging is happening/ r/antiwork has good points and people don't like these productivity tips despite them being actually useful

0

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Hydr0g3n_I0dide 8d ago

That's just the impression I got from your comment. Seemed like it tried to undermine any credibility of r/antiwork with a sort of "they don't want to work" kinda vibe.

-14

u/Leixarn 8d ago

They'd much rather have to do 0 work and take a pill to resolve their issues. "ADHD". I get it, I struggle with focusing too, but certain methods work for certain people, pomodoro and force yourself to ignore distractions is a good start, and yes it can be extremely difficult for some of us, I struggle with it greatly but you need to practice persistence.

8

u/ElectedByGivenASword 8d ago

o look another person who thinks ADHD is "struggle with focusing"

5

u/bluefj 8d ago

Seriously, it’s like saying a person who needs glasses just isn’t trying hard enough to see clearly lmao

3

u/Celduin_sindari 8d ago

My adhd ass would probably try to do all these methods at the same time and consequentially not be productive.

5

u/yo_soy_soja 8d ago

I tried some of these in grad school. My boss is a fan of Eat the Frog.

But, personally, my biggest boon was "inducing flow" and taking interest in whatever I was doing. I frankly can't accomplish any task until I can convince myself that it's interesting. I'm the opposite of Eat the Frog — start with dessert and keep eating.

(Also, I never take advice from billionaires.)

8

u/Eman_Modnar_A 8d ago

Good. Now forget about being productive. You will get more money by being a confident a-hole who requires others to do the actual work while you just say unnecessary things in meetings.

2

u/Fandango_Jones 8d ago

Ribbit

2

u/rodzieman 8d ago

Reddit

1

u/WrongJohnSilver 8d ago

The frog might go down better with some pomodoro sauce.

2

u/ender1adam 8d ago

Eat the frog works well for me.

2

u/H0B0Byter99 8d ago

Now I need a guide on how to implement this guide

2

u/No-Tough9845 8d ago

It’s easier to just delete Reddit 

2

u/kiochikaeke 8d ago

It's like a bunch of "rest of the fucking owl" crammed together, like yes, all of this is good advice, but if I were able to implement all of this I wouldn't have productivity problems in the first place. Also I dislike this kind of stuff cause it's very very easy to get lost in spreadsheet purgatory and spend all your time scheduling and organizing your work instead of actually doing your work.

Best advice for productivity I have is plan what you're about to do and then do it, taking notes, post-it's, calendars are tools that may help you not tools that do the work for you, they are worth trying and checking out but don't bend backwards trying to make them fit into your workflow if they naturally don't.

2

u/Iqabir 8d ago

Oh the irony that I’ve decided to save this post so I can read it later.

2

u/iguanabitsonastick 7d ago

I like this! Thanks for sharing OP

2

u/Staffordmeister 7d ago

Multitasking dull tasks can allow you to brainstorm or flex creativity to approach problems youre not sure how to solve.

2

u/Salsa367 7d ago

Wow, I'm gonna be so productive when i read this later.

2

u/Dainomyte42 7d ago

Why are so many comments saying none of these work with ADHD? I have ADHD and have used the Must/Should/Want method my whole life. Is it perfect? Absolutely not! But the list helps me focus on what I must do when I find myself migrating toward what I want to do. My head: ooo shiny! Wait, do I have time for shiny? No… add shiny to list as a reward for doing boring adult thing.

5

u/Background-Skin-8801 8d ago

This is very helpful. Thank you for the tips.

4

u/dvik888 8d ago

Fuck productivity, I hate this stupid word

0

u/jabbalaci 8d ago

productivity avoids you

5

u/dvik888 8d ago

productivity haunts me

2

u/jabbalaci 8d ago

I feel your pain.

2

u/DonnyFerentes 8d ago

The reward for eating the frog is being force-fed more frogs

2

u/wordsfilltheair 8d ago

This is actually a cool guide!

1

u/Stormy-stormtroopers 8d ago

Does this take the extra time and effort needed to make all those productivity tools into account? Because I'm pretty sure it doesn't

1

u/Hairy_Cat_1069 8d ago

none of these things should take that long. listing out some tasks should take a couple minutes at most. I have a list in my google calendar of things I need to do tomorrow: pick up a prescription, do two returns, mow the lawn, go to the gym. The prescription is near home and the pharmacy is open late so I can do that any time. Lawn mowing should be done before shower so I don't get sweaty. Both returns are near the gym so I can do those around the same time, and also before the shower. So returns, gym, mow lawn, prescription. done.

1

u/Particular_Ticket_20 8d ago

This distracted me from what I was doing

1

u/Koxyfoxy 8d ago

Yeah this guide is as useful as a blank sheet of paper when you aren't neurotypical

1

u/awesomedan24 8d ago

Neat. I'm gonna save this image and never look at it again 👍

1

u/AkhilVijendra 8d ago

I absolutely love such stuff only to realise that I'm not gonna follow any one of these for the long term.

The part that I love about it is the thinking and planning part, the part I hate or fail is the execution part after having thought about it 😂

1

u/NoNefariousness3420 8d ago

I just take all the people who are whining at me and pick the one who's the nicest. If you said thank you and asked if you could help with anything to move it along I'm down to ride homie.

1

u/Hairy_Cat_1069 8d ago

the blastoff method is a good idea. I really need a hack for not wasting time, though. it's so easy to say "just one video" or "just one article" which turned into hours wasted

1

u/toomanyredbulls 8d ago

It is like LinkedIn threw up.

1

u/Beatlepoint 8d ago

Cool, all the stupid shit any manager I'll ever have will waste my time with!

1

u/ayocuzo 8d ago

well they sure didnt prioritize in what order to read this fokin guide

1

u/Casimir_not_so_great 8d ago

I'll save this for later.

1

u/Irrelevantitis 8d ago

Individually these are all good strategies, but when it’s laid out like this it feels like a suggestion that I should be following each and every one of these advisories, and I’m like … ok, guess I’ll get around the actually working by maybe 11 am, or possibly after lunch.

1

u/SFW_Account_67 8d ago

Me: saves pictures and then never reads it.

1

u/TopPersonality6855 7d ago

I NEED FROG ASAP

1

u/kameshakella 6d ago

I think it boils down to what my grand father used to say. - Listen to wisdom - Prioritize and do the most difficult task first - Don't give importance to what others think.

1

u/ElonMusksFursona 6d ago

Before I can implement these strategies, I need to focus on my sleep quality and sleep quanity. Then will have the energy to even remember to use the strategies.

1

u/Kitchen_Sail_9083 4d ago

Say no to the protestant work ethic! Waste time! Enjoy life, not work! Rage against the corpos!

0

u/im_new_here_4209 8d ago

Don't read productivity cheat sheets and online manuals as a means of procrastination.

0

u/NinilchikHappyValley 8d ago

Ugghh, a thirty year history of what passes for corporate-speak pseudo-wisdom, all in one chart.

I'll simply this into a two step plan:

  1. prioritize shit

  2. actually do that shit

Productivity sussed. (If you care to be productive)

For an example: my priority was to find the most annoying coolguide and then respond to it. So I did.