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Personal Productivity Megathread

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How do you think about productivity?

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  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.

Rob Monster

Founder of EpikTop Member
Epik Founder
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I am a big fan of productivity hacks -- how to get a lot done in a day. There are some folks here that I know think similarly, and are generous with their ideas and input. I want to see if we can all raise our A-games by sharing productivity hacks that let us get more done in a day. My original list is a bit generic and was posted in a LinkedIn article:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/startup-productivity-2018-robert-monster/

I have been thinking more about this topic lately. I am hoping that like-minded folks with experience can share some of their favorite productivity hacks. If folks do have good hacks, please bring them and we'll see if we can help lots of folks do great in domains and in life! If we work together, we can make the pie BIGGER rather than fight over the small pie.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
This thread might disappear, but just to keep it real, I wanted to share a picture of my two biggest productivity hacks of 2019:

1. Outdoor standing desk/office

upload_2019-9-25_10-24-43.png


This from just now -- the desk is off our back deck in Seattle. I am planning to work outside all winter when not traveling. ICYMI, I don't commute to an office. Our people are all over the world.

2. Breakfast high in anti-oxidants:

Cottage cheese
Greek yogurt
Blueberries
Goji berries
Pomegranate seeds
Chia seeds
Walnuts
Cinnamon
Manuka honey
 
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Sacrificing night hours for early hours.
Meaning waking up early.
5am is a nice time.
5:20..
 
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Work out for 30 minutes/day or session vs 60 or 90 minutes as it's more enjoyable and easier to rest in order to eagerly repeat.
When you train for too long, you get bored, you get tired, and you are not eager to start.
Do all kinds of different exercises so that you never do the same thing twice in a given week.
Makes you train your whole body. So that you get stronger everywhere.
 
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coffee, followed by coffee, followed by.......you guessed it MORE COFFEE.....7 pints of water a day and running 3/4 times a week - doing a 1/2 marathon at Knebworth House's grounds in November......

upload_2019-9-25_19-31-51.jpeg


technically it is the Hertfordshire 1/2 marathon - but it goes through the grounds :xf.smile:
 
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Not posting in forums, you get more work done. Or some take that posting and monetize it with their own blog.
 
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Selling HandReg for $1k at least within an year max better the day after the end of registry lock! 😁 The Best is under trial! 😆
 
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coffee, followed by coffee, followed by.......you guessed it MORE COFFEE.....7 pints of water a day and running 3/4 times a week - doing a 1/2 marathon at Knebworth House's grounds in November......

Show attachment 129986

technically it is the Hertfordshire 1/2 marathon - but it goes through the grounds :xf.smile:

I am a big fan of coffee. :)

Big productivity tip: Get organic coffee beans and buy a machine that makes coffee at the push of a button. If you use milk, I recommend whole RAW milk if you can find it.

Bonus points: While the coffee brews, empty the dishwasher, change the laundry, or hit the head. It is better than watching coffee brew and it frees up time for useful things.
 
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I am a big fan of coffee. :)

Big productivity tip: Get organic coffee beans and buy a machine that makes coffee at the push of a button. If you use milk, I recommend whole RAW milk if you can find it.

Bonus points: While the coffee brews, empty the dishwasher, change the laundry, or hit the head. It is better than watching coffee brew and it frees up time for useful things.
Coconut milk with the coffee for me and while its brewing In the morning I am reading or playing with my 2yr old daughter. During the day or night depending which country I'm ringing into I'm on the phone!
 
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I am at an age that I enjoy the luxury to be unproductive :xf.smile:, after being too busy for many decades.
But I am in awe of all of you people who like @Rob Monster seem capable of accomplishing much efficiently and still happily. (y)
Have a happy and productive day everyone.
Bob

PS Where you are right now looks pretty sweet in the picture, Rob.
 
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1. Outdoor standing desk/office


Chairs in your standing desk/office :xf.eek:

I come up with most of my new ideas when I am napping, so I guess I am most productive when I am sleep. ;)

PS: Beautiful natural scenery in the background of your outdoor office.
 
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Coconut milk with the coffee for me and while its brewing In the morning I am reading or playing with my 2yr old daughter. During the day or night depending which country I'm ringing into I'm on the phone!

Exactly -- find the joy in it all.

When I take conference calls, I will often be taking care of stuff around the house. I find it easier to patiently listen if I step away from the computer, but then the "parallel processors" can still be productive. :)

As for kids, our youngest is 15 years old and the rest are productive adults. No grand kids yet so this is a good time for being productive.

I think if they would let us put Teslas on full auto-pilot, I would get one.... just for the sake of being able to pre-process the inbox when in transit....

How many inboxes do folks have these days? I have, in order of decreasing dependence:

- Email
- Skype
- Phone /SMS
- Telegram
- Slack
- Whatsapp
- FB Connect
- Signal
- WeChat

Who has slayed the inbox? I need a universal inbox.

Did I mention I have no secretary?
 
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I am at an age that I enjoy the luxury to be unproductive :xf.smile:, after being too busy for many decades.
But I am in awe of all of you people who like @Rob Monster seem capable of accomplishing much efficiently and still happily. (y)
Have a happy and productive day everyone.
Bob

PS Where you are right now looks pretty sweet in the picture, Rob.

That is my back deck. There is a sleeping couch right nearby -- good for coffee breaks and power naps. It gets morning sun but afternoon shade.

upload_2019-9-25_13-28-39.png


The Concept 2 Erg and Peloton are in the distance. You know what sucks about the Peloton? You can't use the screen as a standard internet device. Dealbreaker. :)
 
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I find productivity by using a coffee mug 2-3X the size of the one pictured above...:xf.smile:

...and I also find productivity when my remote co-workers stop gossiping on Slack.
 
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That is my back deck. There is a sleeping couch right nearby -- good for coffee breaks and power naps. It gets morning sun but afternoon shade.

How is the weather in those parts, does it let you spend a lot of time outside on your deck. Where I am here in Texas I have to mostly stay inside.
 
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How is the weather in those parts, does it let you spend a lot of time outside on your deck. Where I am here in Texas I have to mostly stay inside.

Temperate year-round. Rarely freezes. The eaves on the roof keep the deck dry unless you have 20+ mph winds but otherwise great. There are so many beautiful places in the world. If I were a domainer, I would not pick Seattle. For one thing, it is way too expensive here. I think we need some Domainer Co-working Dojos in places like Indonesia with fast Internet. @franka46 could work on that for us. He knows people.

Places like this:


Forget WeWork. If I was single and without kids, I would seriously be a Digital Nomad.
 
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Temperate year-round. Rarely freezes. The eaves on the roof keep the deck dry unless you have 20+ mph winds but otherwise great. There are so many beautiful places in the world. If I were a domainer, I would not pick Seattle. For one thing, it is way too expensive here. I think we need some Domainer Co-working Dojos in places like Indonesia with fast Internet. @franka46 could work on that for us. He knows people.

Places like this:


Forget WeWork. If I was single and without kids, I would seriously be a Digital Nomad.
Same...
 
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If I was single and without kids, I would seriously be a Digital Nomad.


One other thing that might make us stay put is our health condition and having access to doctors who are familiar with us, but for younger domainers that are healthy and successful I guess the World can be their oyster. IMO
 
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This thread might disappear, but just to keep it real, I wanted to share a picture of my two biggest productivity hacks of 2019:

1. Outdoor standing desk/office

Show attachment 129980

This from just now -- the desk is off our back deck in Seattle. I am planning to work outside all winter when not traveling. ICYMI, I don't commute to an office. Our people are all over the world.

2. Breakfast high in anti-oxidants:

Cottage cheese
Greek yogurt
Blueberries
Goji berries
Pomegranate seeds
Chia seeds
Walnuts
Cinnamon
Manuka honey
Working outside is very good. I personally work either outside, in library or in Starbucks .. you still have some people around, but they do not bother you, and they serve you a coffee or snacks as well :)

Food high in anti-oxidants is great. I would add carrot juice as well, particularly for those who look into monitor a lot, it is good for eyes.

For productivity, it is good to take some days off and relax a lot. The mind rests, and when mind is rested, it is much more creative and powerful. There are people who work a lot and achieve nothing, and it is because they are not well rested - so it might sound paradoxically, but to achieve better result (aka to be more productive), one should relax and rest a lot :glasses:
 
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One other thing that might make us stay put is our health condition and having access to doctors who are familiar with us, but for younger domainers that are healthy and successful I guess the World can be their oyster. IMO
Oh yes, I agree, after 40 it goes all down, just turned this age this year and well ... having a good, friendly GP is a must! If they are not friendly, replace them. You can be rich and succesful, but once you start to have health problems, it is not funny really.. saying that, good healthcare (when you have money and access to it) will nowdays solve almost all problem, so it is not that bad after all.

And prevention, prevention, prevention ... also a big must. As if you are sick, all your productivity will vanish quickly.
 
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Working outside is very good. I personally work either outside, in library or in Starbucks .. you still have some people around, but they do not bother you, and they serve you a coffee or snacks as well :)

Food high in anti-oxidants is great. I would add carrot juice as well, particularly for those who look into monitor a lot, it is good for eyes.

For productivity, it is good to take some days off and relax a lot. The mind rests, and when mind is rested, it is much more creative and powerful. There are people who work a lot and achieve nothing, and it is because they are not well rested - so it might sound paradoxically, but to achieve better result (aka to be more productive), one should relax and rest a lot :glasses:

Agreed on rest -- I call it Internet Detox.

We have 2 dogs. When the dogs and I are out for walks, the devices stay behind. That land out back is a giant blueberry patch -- the devices are usually not with me then either.

So, yes, definitely find your decompression time. And yes, get adequate rest. If your stress levels are low (mine usually are), you can also sleep like a baby (I usually do).

My wife also likes to travel. Her schedule is regimented due to being a physician. My schedule is more fluid. We travel a few times a year to places where decompression is easy.

Lately we also are thinking more about our parents. We took our parents for a group vacation last December to Huatulco Mexico. Good times. My Dad is more fit than me.... I need to get on his program.

Here is me and my 75 year old Dad hanging out in Huatulco, Mexico last December. He is pretty much undefeated on the pickleball court... So, yes, productivity, but life's not a sprint!

49485925_10217521356282332_4227874452228014080_n.jpg
 
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Agreed on rest -- I call it Internet Detox.

We have 2 dogs. When the dogs and I are out for walks, the devices stay behind. That land out back is a giant blueberry patch -- the devices are usually not with me then either.

So, yes, definitely find your decompression time. And yes, get adequate rest. If your stress levels are low (mine usually are), you can also sleep like a baby (I usually do).

My wife also likes to travel. Her schedule is regimented due to being a physician. My schedule is more fluid. We travel a few times a year to places where decompression is easy.

Lately we also are thinking more about our parents. We took our parents for a group vacation last December to Huatulco Mexico. Good times. My Dad is more fit than me.... I need to get on his program.

Here is me and my 75 year old Dad hanging out in Mexico last December. He is pretty much undefeated on the pickleball court... So, yes, productivity, but life's not a sprint!

49485925_10217521356282332_4227874452228014080_n.jpg
To have dogs is actually very good, they are constantly lowering our stress levels. To leave electronic devices behind is even better.

The thing with electronic devices is, that they enable us to be connected, but on the same time, they put enormous pressure on us to be always available. I personally like to leave notifications on my mobile phone switched off during the whole day, so no one disturbs me. This way I can do what I like, and twice a day I check my mobile - if it is important, I can call back...I admit that by this approach I would not be a good firefighter, but this is not my aspiration anyway, lol. First, some people had problem with it (that I am not instantly reachable), but they all got used to it (they had to). On the other side, I really hate when someone is not picking up when I call.

Dad is looking fantastic :) I too spend now much more time with my family and friends, comparing to times when I was younger and cared more about so called "success" (even going to vacations with them now much more frequently). We have to appreciate what we have, while we have it.
 
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And prevention, prevention, prevention ... also a big must. As if you are sick, all your productivity will vanish quickly.


Unfortunately as some of the other Oldtimers here can tell you there are some things that come with age that just can't be prevented which perhaps limit ones travel ability and that will require you to stay close to your family doctor. I had a heart attack a few years back which has made me a lot more health conscious.

Here are some advice from the Oldtimer for everyone:

One thing that people need to watch for is to not to remain stationary for long periods of time while working. It's best to take a little walk every couple of hours or so to get the circulation going and to also look out the window at a far away place to relax your eyes. Also it's good to watch your posture so you won't be hunched over your computer or your smartphone all day and watch how much typing you do so you won't develop problems with your hands (also people should make sure to keep themselves hydrated as it's easy to forget to take a drink while busy working on the computer all day).
 
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I am at an age that I enjoy the luxury to be unproductive :xf.smile:, after being too busy for many decades.
But I am in awe of all of you people who like @Rob Monster seem capable of accomplishing much efficiently and still happily. (y)
Have a happy and productive day everyone.
Bob

PS Where you are right now looks pretty sweet in the picture, Rob.


72 years old and living in Bali
[now in Oz]
 

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Temperate year-round. Rarely freezes. The eaves on the roof keep the deck dry unless you have 20+ mph winds but otherwise great. There are so many beautiful places in the world. If I were a domainer, I would not pick Seattle. For one thing, it is way too expensive here. I think we need some Domainer Co-working Dojos in places like Indonesia with fast Internet. @franka46 could work on that for us. He knows people.

Places like this:


Forget WeWork. If I was single and without kids, I would seriously be a Digital Nomad.
Thats the place i talked about ..Its on Mertasari beach Sanur
 
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