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The Productivityist Workbook
Becoming more productive doesn't have to be difficult. It doesn't require an incredible amount of time spent searching for answers and reading numerous "how to" posts. It doesn't need to overwhelm you.
You can improve your efficiency and effectiveness using simple ideas and simple actions.
Sure, having tools and resources at your disposal will help you along the way. But the tools are just that—tools to help. They won't do the work for you, and there is a learning curve for every single one of them. You've already spent years getting to know yourself and your habits, so adding tool after tool to the mix to become more productive can be, well, counter-productive.
That's where The Productivityist Workbook comes in.
You can improve your efficiency and effectiveness using simple ideas and simple actions.
Sure, having tools and resources at your disposal will help you along the way. But the tools are just that—tools to help. They won't do the work for you, and there is a learning curve for every single one of them. You've already spent years getting to know yourself and your habits, so adding tool after tool to the mix to become more productive can be, well, counter-productive.
That's where The Productivityist Workbook comes in.
33 pages, ebook
First published May 15, 2013
14 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Mike Vardy
14 books108 followersMike Vardy is a writer, speaker, podcaster, and “productivityist”. He has served as the Managing Editor at Lifehack, and contributed articles on productivity to 99u, Lifehacker, The Next Web, SUCCESS Magazine, and The Huffington Post. He is the author of such books as The Front Nine: How To Start The Year You Want Anytime You Want (published by Diversion Books), The Productivityist Workbook, and The NOW Year: A Practical Guide to Calendar Management.
Mike has delivered talks on the topic of task and time management at events like New Media Expo, Social Media Camp, TEDx Victoria, SXSW interactive, and delivered a three-day online workshop for the popular online education platform creativeLIVE. Mike also hosts The Productivityist Podcast, a weekly podcast that focuses on productivity.
Mike lives in Victoria, BC, Canada with his amazing and supportive wife, daughter, and son.
Mike has delivered talks on the topic of task and time management at events like New Media Expo, Social Media Camp, TEDx Victoria, SXSW interactive, and delivered a three-day online workshop for the popular online education platform creativeLIVE. Mike also hosts The Productivityist Podcast, a weekly podcast that focuses on productivity.
Mike lives in Victoria, BC, Canada with his amazing and supportive wife, daughter, and son.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 6, 2017
I bought something from Gumroad today and the site reminded me about some earlier items I didn’t even recall getting.
And this was one of them.
I have a vague recollection that it was downloaded through dropbox and I wandered off to join dropbox and then forgot why I had joined it.
It’s clear that I need organisation and productivity skills. *snorts* teach me, Vardy!
Although I might have come up with a better term than ‘Productivityist’; personally I can’t even say it.
***
It’s divided into four sections: task, email, idea, and time management.
True… my checklist gets ticked, but I tend to do a lot of small tickable items rather than deal with the big ones. Or, I add on things I did that weren’t on the list and THEN tick them off.
He gives you scripts to use for auto email responses.
I wrote down something he said about ideas a long time ago.
Your mind is a factory not a warehouse
You shouldn’t be storing ideas, you should be making up your own. But how do you learn what are good ideas? Which are worth the effort?
Rather than you trying out a hundred different apps, he has a short list of recommended ones. There is a link to a webpage list that is kept updated.
He suggests becoming aware of your own body clock. If you’re a night owl, don’t even try to be up and at work before dawn. [stay up… maybe]
I rather like the crucial cube idea. I’m gonna use that and I’ll draw it on my diary with cute coloured pencils because that’s how I work…
3 stars
And this was one of them.
I have a vague recollection that it was downloaded through dropbox and I wandered off to join dropbox and then forgot why I had joined it.
It’s clear that I need organisation and productivity skills. *snorts* teach me, Vardy!
Although I might have come up with a better term than ‘Productivityist’; personally I can’t even say it.
***
It’s divided into four sections: task, email, idea, and time management.
Being ruled by time leaves you dealing with items of urgency. Being ruled by task allows you to deal with items of importance. (Kindle Locations 57-58).
True… my checklist gets ticked, but I tend to do a lot of small tickable items rather than deal with the big ones. Or, I add on things I did that weren’t on the list and THEN tick them off.
He gives you scripts to use for auto email responses.
I wrote down something he said about ideas a long time ago.
Your mind is a factory not a warehouse
You shouldn’t be storing ideas, you should be making up your own. But how do you learn what are good ideas? Which are worth the effort?
Rather than you trying out a hundred different apps, he has a short list of recommended ones. There is a link to a webpage list that is kept updated.
He suggests becoming aware of your own body clock. If you’re a night owl, don’t even try to be up and at work before dawn. [stay up… maybe]
"The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese." - Jeremy Paxman
I rather like the crucial cube idea. I’m gonna use that and I’ll draw it on my diary with cute coloured pencils because that’s how I work…
3 stars
June 7, 2015
"I would love to ... (read more books, socialize, go to gym, ...) but I have no time". Have you ever noticed that nowadays we have more timesavers then ever in a history of humankind - online services, mobile devices, dishwashers, cheap airlines - but we lack time much more than people who lived 20, 40 years ago?
Mike Vardy is not one of those self-made prophets who killed mosquito on their nose and announce to the world that they are going to free humankind from malaria now. Mike's brilliance and value of his knowledge and skill was confirmed by the fact he was invited to present them at most prestigious TED conference - a place for sharing really innovative ideas.
"The Producitivityist Workbook" is really compact (35 pages) and written in understandable but pleasant language. Concentrates on four areas: tasks, email, ideas, and time. If we will learn how to organize them, it will make our lives as a whole more productive as well. Of course, all of us who have problem with those issues have already tried, but it is not only the matter of self-discipline or strong will. As quoted: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein). It is also not only a matter of wonder-making methods. It is necessary to change our way of thinking about those things. And here we have the new way shown. Sometimes against common social defaults and stereotypes. You have probably heard that already: "The early bird gets the worm". But Jeremy Paxman (quoted by Mike Vardy) adds: "but the second mouse gets the cheese."
What Handbook gives us is not only the new theory but also a set of practical excercises and a wide selection of digital and analogue tools (apps or paper ones) to put them into life.
"And self-connection is key to progressive personal productivity."
The longest journey starts not from the first step... it starts from the thought of setting off.
Enjoy your new better life! And here at OpenBooks.com you may download the eBook with one click. You will pay later, only if you decide that the book was worth to you, as much as you value it. Price recommended by author is 2,99$, but you can contribute more if you wish. And feel free to copy it and send it to your friends - especially those who for months had no time to go for beer with you. It is legal - they will pay after reading also if they decide to do so.
Mike Vardy is not one of those self-made prophets who killed mosquito on their nose and announce to the world that they are going to free humankind from malaria now. Mike's brilliance and value of his knowledge and skill was confirmed by the fact he was invited to present them at most prestigious TED conference - a place for sharing really innovative ideas.
"The Producitivityist Workbook" is really compact (35 pages) and written in understandable but pleasant language. Concentrates on four areas: tasks, email, ideas, and time. If we will learn how to organize them, it will make our lives as a whole more productive as well. Of course, all of us who have problem with those issues have already tried, but it is not only the matter of self-discipline or strong will. As quoted: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein). It is also not only a matter of wonder-making methods. It is necessary to change our way of thinking about those things. And here we have the new way shown. Sometimes against common social defaults and stereotypes. You have probably heard that already: "The early bird gets the worm". But Jeremy Paxman (quoted by Mike Vardy) adds: "but the second mouse gets the cheese."
What Handbook gives us is not only the new theory but also a set of practical excercises and a wide selection of digital and analogue tools (apps or paper ones) to put them into life.
"And self-connection is key to progressive personal productivity."
The longest journey starts not from the first step... it starts from the thought of setting off.
Enjoy your new better life! And here at OpenBooks.com you may download the eBook with one click. You will pay later, only if you decide that the book was worth to you, as much as you value it. Price recommended by author is 2,99$, but you can contribute more if you wish. And feel free to copy it and send it to your friends - especially those who for months had no time to go for beer with you. It is legal - they will pay after reading also if they decide to do so.
May 19, 2013
Ich würde das Buch eher nicht empfehlen.
Viele Dinge wurden vom Autor nicht zu Ende gedacht. "Tests", die man durchführen soll, sind nicht wirklich hilfreich und an einigen Stellen auch nicht zielführend.
Natürlich sind der ein oder andere gute Tipp enthalten, aber wenn man sich schon ein bisschen mit Produktivität auseinander gesetzt hat, bietet das Buch eigentlich nichts neues.
Schade, Mike Vardy ist sonst, vor allem in seinem Blog, deutlich hilfreicher...
Viele Dinge wurden vom Autor nicht zu Ende gedacht. "Tests", die man durchführen soll, sind nicht wirklich hilfreich und an einigen Stellen auch nicht zielführend.
Natürlich sind der ein oder andere gute Tipp enthalten, aber wenn man sich schon ein bisschen mit Produktivität auseinander gesetzt hat, bietet das Buch eigentlich nichts neues.
Schade, Mike Vardy ist sonst, vor allem in seinem Blog, deutlich hilfreicher...
May 29, 2013
This book is a great example of why the trend of nerds writing minimalist books needs to end. I gave it two stars for some app recommendations which have worked out; the rest was a waste of time (and poorly written/seemingly not proofread).
September 6, 2016
Great quick read with some very useful and practical exercises to create forward momentum.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews