Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
I’m a big fan of to-do lists, but I’ve noticed something about them. If I have too few to-dos, I’m not really productive because I’m still trying to keep all my tasks in my head. If I have too many to-dos, I’m not really productive because I’m getting to far down in the weeds, and … Continue reading The bell-curve of to-do list productivity (and how to manage it)
Dan Ariely has a new book out where he discusses the psychology behind why we overinvest in email, to the detriment of more important priorities: http://bit.ly/12XYjqu “First, people have a really bad habit of coming in and checking e-mail first thing in the morning. And for many people, the morning is the most productive time. … Continue reading Overcoming Email’s False Sense of Progress
Focus, focus, focus. Focus is the key to startup success. You have fewer resources than established companies. Your only path to success is to focus those limited resources in a tightly-defined problem space, so that your concentrated effort burns the hapless ant of success. Easier said than done, right? I have a very simple system … Continue reading Do something every day towards your three big priorities
When I was a kid, I studied the violin. (I know, quite a shocker for a Chinese-American kid growing up in the 1980s) My violin teacher made me keep a practice log. I was supposed to practice for 30 minutes per day. For each 30 minutes I practiced, I got a token which let me … Continue reading Stop lying to yourself
When you’re an entrepreneur, there’s never enough time for everything. One common response is to set up a to-do list, with the highest priority items at the top. The problem is that this always prioritizes the urgent and important (what Stephen Covey labeled “Quadrant 1”), leaving important but not urgent items to languish. Covey called … Continue reading The Power of Saw Sharpening
Like millions of people, I recently read the New York Times article about the 7-minute workout: http://nyti.ms/18IjmzB This workout, which originally appeared in the American College of Sports Medicine’s journal, consists of 12 simple exercises which, when performed at a high intensity for short periods with even shorter rest periods, provide a comprehensive whole-body workout. … Continue reading When in doubt, try something
Most entrepreneurs get accused of having a short attention span. There’s something about the willingness to pursue new ideas that seems to go hand in hand with a restless mind. The result is that follow-through can be a big issue for entrepreneurs. I’ve adopted a simple hack to address this issue: Do first whatever you’re … Continue reading Productivity Hack: Do 1st Whatever You’re Most Likely To Forget
When I younger, I prided myself on my tireless work ethic. When I was in high school, I worked like a maniac to set a meaningless record for earning extra credit in my English classes. Trust me, I was already going to get an A+; all that extra credit was purely for ego purposes. When … Continue reading Forget long hours, work intense hours (H/T @rahimthedream @awesomeculture)
I’m known for cramming a lot into my day. Here’s a day in the life blog post from 2009 which describes a moderately busy day. If anything, I’m busier now than I was then! But fortunately, I’ve been able to compensate with a simple system that makes me more productive. At the beginning of the … Continue reading My 20-minute secret to being insanely productive
When it comes to doing cognitive work most adults perform best in the late morning. Most people are more easily distracted from noon to 4 p.m. Alertness tends to slump after eating a meal. Sleepiness also tends to peak around 2 p.m., making that a good time for a nap. For most adults, problems that … Continue reading The Best Time of Day For 10 Key Activities