Jeroen Sangers

It is important to let your thoughts roam freely sometimes. This is also known as “mind wandering” or “scatter focus.” In our world, everything revolves around productivity; everything must be visible and measurable. But because of this, we often forget how valuable it is to give your mind a break. Your brain has a special network (the Default Network) that becomes active when you do nothing and daydream. This network makes you creative and able to solve problems. It generates new ideas and connects loose thoughts, exactly what you need for innovation and creativity.

It is important to understand that not all your valuable work is immediately visible. Most productivity tips focus on working with concentration, doing each task with full attention. But breaks and relaxation are also truly valuable! They give your brain the chance to recover and make new connections. This is becoming increasingly important as computers take over many logical tasks from us, while creative and emotional tasks (handled by your Default Network) remain typically human.

If you want to make room for creativity, you must not only physically leave your office but also mentally experience new things. This means allowing yourself to be bored without immediately reaching for your phone. Boredom can be incredibly powerful for creative thinking because your mind is then forced to find new ways to keep itself occupied. By consciously scheduling time for mental rest and daydreaming, you find a good balance between being productive and being creative. And that ultimately leads to much more innovative and inspiring results.

Related:

• A videoconference provokes a narrow focus on the screen, which hinders divergent thinking
• Doing nothing is more fun than we think
• People with a wandering mind (ADHD) are motivated by actions that captivate, create, compete, or complete
• Take the time to think about, dream of, and look forward to future activities
• Do the right thing, in the right way, and at the right moment
• Creative tasks are best done while low on energy
• Messy work environments have no effect on either creativity or executive functions
• Mindfulness meditation reduces the size of your amygdala, making you less prone to distractions and procrastination
• Capture your mind wandering while reading; get into a conversation with the author
• Even a single guided meditation of ten minutes can help you concentrate better

Multitasking means trying to do multiple things at once. This causes your attention to be divided, making it harder to focus on one task. When your attention is divided, you are more likely to make mistakes or miss important details. As a result, you often have to spend more time correcting these mistakes, which makes you less productive. Research shows that most people are not good at multitasking without their work suffering.

Multitasking can also lead to “attention residue.” This means that when you switch from one task to another, part of your attention remains on the previous task. This makes it harder to fully concentrate on the new task, reducing your efficiency. Constantly switching between tasks can also be tiring, making it harder to think clearly and make good decisions.

To be more productive, it is often better to focus on one task at a time, also known as monotasking. By giving your full attention to one task, you can complete it faster and with fewer errors. This means not only finishing faster but also producing higher quality work. Although some people are good at multitasking, this is not true for most people. Therefore, it is usually better to avoid multitasking for tasks that require a lot of attention..

Related:

• Avoid excessive task switching to increase efficiency
• A small part of the population is able to multitask without performance reduction
• Do the right thing, in the right way, and at the right moment
• Workers lose 9% of their time at work by toggling roughly 1200 times per day between applications and websites
• A little time pressure while working on your tasks helps to reduce ‘attention residue’
• The human mind and brain lack the architecture to perform multiple tasks simultaneously

When you read, your thoughts sometimes wander. Many people see this as a problem, but it can actually be very valuable! When your thoughts wander, you are being creative - making connections with other ideas or experiences. Instead of seeing this as a mistake, you can consider it a kind of conversation with the writer. Even though the writer cannot respond directly, you can still add your own ideas and knowledge to what you read. This makes reading much more enjoyable and educational: you not only absorb information but also actively think along.

To help this ‘conversation’ with the writer, it’s smart to take notes while reading. This can be done in a notebook or on your phone or computer. By writing down your thoughts, you can better reflect on what you read and the connections you make. And by writing down and connecting your ideas, you can create a kind of network of thoughts. By actively participating in reading and giving your own perspective, you not only understand the text better but also develop your own ideas!

Related:

• Use your own words to express your own thoughts
• A Zettelkasten is an intelligent conversation with my past thoughts
• Connect notes to start a conversation with your own thoughts
• Reserve quality time for reading; only with full attention can you make the shift from ‘reading for information’ to ‘reading for knowledge’
• When capturing information, give context by specifying why this note is important
• Give your mind time to wander

When you write information in your own words, you really need to understand what it is about. This helps you remember the information better and form your own opinion. It is an active way to engage with new ideas, rather than just reading what others have written.

It is important to use your own words because there is a big difference between highlighting text and writing down your own thoughts. Highlighting and making notes usually happens while reading, but taking notes happens while thinking. By using your own words, you move from passive reading to active thinking. This helps you think more deeply about what you read and gain new ideas and insights that you might otherwise miss.

Additionally, writing down your thoughts in your own words can help you clarify and better understand your ideas. Writing forces you to organize your thoughts, which can lead to a better understanding of difficult topics. It also helps you convey your own opinions and arguments more clearly. In short, using your own words to express your thoughts is important for personal and intellectual growth.

Related:

• To get better ideas, group members first write down their own ideas
• Rephrasing a text helps me to better understand what the author means
• A Zettelkasten is an intelligent conversation with my past thoughts
• When helping someone, give that person enough information and boost their confidence by showing how that information can help others
• Writing is the best medium for deep thinking
• Capture your mind wandering while reading; get into a conversation with the author

This happens because the things you see influence how you feel. Seeing others working hard reminds you to stay focused yourself. This idea is often used in places like libraries and cafes, where people work together and create a productive atmosphere.

When you see others working hard, it can make you feel like you need to work harder too. This is because you feel responsible and experience social pressure. Research shows that people try harder when they see others performing a difficult task. Working in an environment with focused people can help you concentrate better and be more productive. Therefore, try working in a coffee shop or library, where you are surrounded by others who are also working.

Related:

• A videoconference provokes a narrow focus on the screen, which hinders divergent thinking
• Add some art to your workplace for reduced stress and increased creativity and productivity
• Large organizations extinguish employees' passion
• Physical cues affect our state of mind and can be used to switch between different productive modes

Start with the difficult work and save the easy tasks for later. This helps you manage your time wisely. Difficult tasks often yield the most when you look further ahead. By doing these tasks first, you use your energy for what is truly important. This prevents you from procrastinating. Many people start their day with easy chores, like reading emails. This seems productive, but you don’t really make progress on the important matters.

It can be challenging to start with difficult work. However, this yields more. If you start with a challenging task in the morning, you are still fresh and clear-headed. This helps you achieve better results. After the difficult work, the easy tasks feel much lighter. This gives you a good feeling and more energy for the rest of the day.

The small tasks are also important, but tackle them smartly. Save them for moments when you get stuck with a difficult project. By doing small tasks all at once, you work faster. You can also strategically use small tasks when you have a very short deadline. Then it can actually help to start with the easy things. You feel better for a moment and get more motivation to continue working.

The most important thing is to organize your day in a way that you achieve the best results. This often works best by tackling the difficult tasks first.

Related:

• Do the right thing, in the right way, and at the right moment
• Link the desired behavior to a clear signal
• Most knowledge workers check their email within the first 30 minutes of the day
• Try to get four hours of concentrated work into a workday, and never more than six
• Allow small tasks to accumulate until you can efficiently complete them in batches

Research into the use of sit-stand desks shows that these desks do not directly lead to higher productivity at work. Although they are popular for reducing the drawbacks of prolonged sitting, they have little impact on how well people perform their tasks.

However, sit-stand desks can help create a healthier work environment by offering the option to alternate between sitting and standing. This can lead to a better work experience and well-being, which may have a positive impact on productivity in the long term. For immediate productivity improvement, other factors such as work processes and technology are likely more important.

Related:

• Ensure that your computer screen is large enough so that you can view both the work document and the reference material at the same time

Talking out loud to yourself helps your brain work better. This has been proven by research. For example, saying the word “chair” instead of just thinking about it can help you concentrate better. Teachers also notice that students who talk quietly to themselves during class often perform better than those who remain silent.

You can also talk to an object, like a rubber duck. This helps to organize your thoughts. It’s like writing something down: you have to think about the order of your story. Often, you think you understand everything, but when you say it out loud, you realize what you don’t fully grasp yet. It’s similar to explaining something to someone else to understand it better yourself. Talking is faster than writing, and a rubber duck won’t judge you. This way, you can think freely and might come up with new ideas.

Related:

• Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right
• A Zettelkasten is an intelligent conversation with my past thoughts
• When helping someone, give that person enough information and boost their confidence by showing how that information can help others
• The words you use influence how you see the world

Physical cues, such as what we wear, are important for how we feel and can help us get into the right work mindset. A simple example is how clothing affects our mental state. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people noticed that working in pyjamas often led to poorer mental health. This shows that wearing regular work clothes can help you feel better. Dressing in the morning is a ritual that helps us transition from ‘waking up’ to ‘working.’ Such rituals, like putting on shoes before heading out the door, can prepare our minds for what we need to do.

Besides clothing, other physical cues can also help us concentrate better and be more productive. For example, tidying up the kitchen or making your bed in the morning can signal to your brain that it’s time to focus and get to work. These actions create a sense of order and structure, promoting a productive work environment. The saying “a good start is half the battle” emphasizes how important these small but meaningful rituals are in our daily routine.

Related:

• Add some art to your workplace for reduced stress and increased creativity and productivity
• Choose a workplace where you can see other people focused on their tasks. This will help you concentrate better.
• Take regular ‘thinking walks’ to change your brain to enhance thinking, creativity and memory
• Do the right thing, in the right way, and at the right moment
• Link the desired behavior to a clear signal
• Messy work environments have no effect on either creativity or executive functions
• Interruptions aren’t intrinsically distinct from other events, they’re just events most professionals don’t want around. The distinction is in our head.
• Habit

Three core principles of effectiveness and productivity. It starts with identifying the right tasks that contribute to your goals and priorities. This means being able to distinguish what is truly important from what merely seems urgent. The concept of “do the right things” comes into play here, where you focus on tasks that have the greatest impact on your long-term goals.

Next, it is crucial to execute these tasks in the right way. This involves using methods and techniques that are efficient and effective. For example, by starting with simple steps and gradually adding complexity, you can better manage and complete the task. It is also important to minimize interruptions and focus on one task at a time, as multitasking reduces productivity.

Finally, you need to find the right timing to perform these tasks. This means planning your workday so that you tackle the most demanding tasks when your energy and concentration are at their peak. It is also helpful to group tasks and complete them in batches to increase efficiency. By finding a balance between focused work and adequate free time, you can maximize your productivity without burnout. Finding the right timing helps you to be consistently and sustainably productive.

Related:

• Any personal effectiveness system that helps to get tasks out of your mind is Getting Things Done
• High carb meals slow reactions, but high protein meals can make you more distracted
• Your own implementation is the correct way of doing GTD
• Our (productivity) issues are not new. Read the great masters and find answers to current issues
• Try to complete new tasks on the day you receive them
• Spend a little attention on planning and organizing your tasks, but not more than necessary; then, get to work
• Attempting to do two or more attention-demanding tasks simultaneously reduces productivity
• Physical cues affect our state of mind and can be used to switch between different productive modes
• Although time pressure makes us work faster, it does not automatically mean we work better
• Working slower promotes deeper thinking processes and better results
• Start with the difficult work and do the easy things later
• Allow small tasks to accumulate until you can efficiently complete them in batches
• Interruptions aren’t intrinsically distinct from other events, they’re just events most professionals don’t want around. The distinction is in our head.
• Give your mind time to wander

Start each month with a simple plan. Write down what you want to do and what you should avoid. This helps you use your time and energy well. Think about tasks you want to complete and things that cause you stress. By knowing what to avoid, you can take small steps to prevent problems. Remember that this plan is flexible and helps you navigate through the month, even if unexpected things happen.

Don’t just look at your obligations and deadlines, but also at what makes you happy. By including personal goals and fun activities in your planning, you remain not only productive but also satisfied. Consider potential problems, such as procrastination, and come up with solutions. This can be done by breaking large tasks into smaller pieces or by taking regular breaks.

A monthly plan is not only about what you need to do but also about what you should avoid. Make sure to take time to relax and recover. Set boundaries for your work time to prevent burnout. By clearly defining your goals and limits, you can have a balanced and satisfying month. Keep adjusting and improving your approach so that it fits well with what you need, both personally and professionally.

Related:

• Take the time to think about, dream of, and look forward to future activities
• Modern work is unconfined work
• Take the time before doing something you can’t undo
• Spend a little attention on planning and organizing your tasks, but not more than necessary; then, get to work
• Hard work