Work Smarter, Not Harder (2)

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4. Move and work in blocks. I recently read a blog post by Joel Runyon about a method he calls "workstation popcorn" (which is basically what our back-end developer Colin does.)
The idea is that you set up at various cafés, work spaces, or, as in Colin's case, pubs to get chunks of work done throughout the day. Workstation popcorn starts with a clear, thought out to-do list: you create a plan for what you will accomplish at each location so you can immediately jump into those tasks.

Joel breaks up his to-do list into sections--one per café that he plans to visit--and each section into three clear tasks. Once he gets through the group of tasks he has set, he moves on to the next café on his list.

Of course, you can sort out your task list however suits you best, but the important part to note is having a clear finishing point based on your task list rather than the time you will move to a new location. And when you move, cycling or walking is a good way to go, according to Joel:

Use this time to practice your Zen, take a break from your screen, and get some movement into your day. Keep your phone in your pocket, and move. Take a break away from work for at least thirty minutes.

I know Colin often finds this break period helpful for thinking through what he's working on or what he will do next. Joel also noted in his post that he has been more productive, more active during the day, and is working fewer hours since he started this process.

5. Check your email first thing. This one is fairly counterintuitive; basically everyone says not to check email right away, but I do and find it extremely useful. Here are some ways checking email first helps me to be more productive during the day.

If you work in a remote team like we do at Buffer, a business trend that is increasingly more common, you'll know what it's like to have half of your team (or more) working while you're asleep. If you need to work closely with others, it's important to check in before you start your workday and make sure you're on the same page as everyone else.

Since I started working at Buffer, I've woken up to emails saying I had typos to fix, a new blog post published, and even that Buffer had been hacked. Dealing with important issues first thing helps me make quick decisions about whether my day needs to be adjusted to fit in with what everyone else is doing or whether I can proceed with the tasks I already had planned.

What tips do you have for working smarter?

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