18 Tips to Avoid Procrastination (the Lean UX Way)
3 likes1,607 views
This document provides 18 tips for avoiding procrastination based on Lean UX principles. It suggests identifying key outcomes, doing weekly reviews, thinking in terms of next actions, saying no, deciding on the most important daily task, avoiding email for an hour each day, using pen and paper, mindmapping, setting public deadlines, listing anxieties, working in 25-minute sprints, creating a CC inbox, color coding emails, doing "shitty first drafts", limiting revisions, and planning play and celebrating successes. Images accompany each tip to illustrate the points.
18 Tips to Avoid Procrastination (the Lean UX Way)
- 1. 18 Tips to Avoid Procrastination (the LeanUX Way) Trent Mankelow, @optimalworkshop http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesse757/3094868007/sizes/l/in/photostream/
- 4. Why talk about Procrastination? Two reasons, really
- 5. Procrastination impacts knowledge workers http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YhyEAomLWCA/TqdGbZy4c2I/AAAAAAAAOD0/m9dxqs5JgRM/s1600/OfficeSpace_022Pyxurz.jpg
- 6. LeanUX principles can help! http://luxr.co/lean-ux/10-principles-for-lean-ux/
- 7. Why talk about Procrastination? Two reasons, really
- 9. Productivity pr0n (a/k/a "Productivity porn") is a superclass of materials and methods for theoretically becoming more organized and productive. http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Productivity_pr0n
- 10. My talk Productivity Lean UX porn
- 12. The act of postponing or delaying an action needlessly http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/www.ign.com/17367/2011/04/research-paper-vs-internet-comic.jpg
- 14. Because we are afraid of failure http://jeremywaite.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/fail444456.jpg
- 15. Because we are afraid of being imperfect http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5677449/il_fullxfull.340295286.jpg
- 16. Because we are overwhelmed http://www.weblogcartoons.com/
- 17. Why does it matter?
- 18. It can affect your health http://www.berwick.monash.edu.au/vce-revision-lecture.jpg
- 19. The quality of your work may suffer http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/1/23/12/enhanced-buzz-6886-1327341418-52.jpg
- 20. It can make it hard for others on the team http://files.redux.com/images/68b1309581015fd82b8bc36a59155772/raw
- 21. You may miss deadlines http://lightshowmedia.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/dinasours-miss-deadline.jpg?w=570
- 22. Is procrastination always bad?
- 23. Some people live for the rush http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mWhkAgYuIUc/ThceMJ7b9YI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/y-sNizvWzz0/s1600/NZone+Sky+Diving+3+copy.jpg
- 24. Sometimes procrastination = percolation
- 25. 18 tips
- 27. Lean UX Principle: Goal-driven and outcome focussed
- 28. 1. Identify your three key outcomes each day, week, month, and year http://www.gettingresults.com
- 29. 2. Do a weekly review https://secure.davidco.com/store/catalog/GTD-WEEKLY-REVIEW-p-16165.php
- 30. 3. Think ‘next action’, not ‘to do’ http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidchicopham/3574355833/
- 32. Lean UX Principle: Routinize
- 33. 5. Decide on the Most Important Task before you leave work each day
- 34. 6. Park on a downhill slope http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/DunedinBaldwinStreet_Parked_Car.jpg
- 35. 7. Avoid e-mail for the first hour of every day http://www.wccbournemouth.co.uk/images/email.jpg
- 36. Lean UX Principle: Externalise
- 37. 8. Use a pen and paper
- 38. 9. Mindmap the edges of the project http://www.humorhound.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/darth-vader-brainstorm-death-star.jpg
- 39. 10. Two heads are better than one http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb57886/muppet/images/d/d8/Tumblr-Two-HeadedMonster.png
- 40. 11. Set arbitrary, public deadlines http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelanman/366192378/
- 41. 1. What is the worst that could happen? 2. What would I do if the worst really happened? 3. How would I lessen the pain and get on with as much happiness as possible if the worst did occur? 4. What alternatives would I have? 5. What can I do now to lessen the probability of this dreaded event occurring? 6. Is there anything I can do now to increase my chances of achieving my goal? 12. List your anxieties From The Now Habit, p 99
- 42. Lean UX Principle: Go faster
- 43. 1. Choose a task to be accomplished 2. Set a timer for 25 minutes 3. Work on the task until the timer goes off 4. Take a 5 minute break – go to the bathroom, look at The Facebook, etc 5. Every 4 sprints take a longer break 13. Work in 25-minute sprints http://www.pomodorotechnique.com http://www.focusboosterapp.com
- 44. 14. Create a ‘CC’ inbox
- 45. 15. Colour code your emails
- 46. Lean UX Principle: Good enough
- 47. 16. Do “shitty first drafts” http://www.orcutt.net/othercontent/sfds.pdf
- 48. 17. Consider only giving yourself a certain number of revisions
- 49. One final, very powerful tip
- 50. 18. Plan play, and celebrate success Ada and Louise, Tonga 2011
- 51. Resources
- 52. Thanks! Trent Mankelow Optimal Workshop optimalworkshop.com @optimalworkshop