"15 Habits That Will Totally Transform Your Productivity
1/16 From decluttering your desk to letting yourself complain, these 15 easy behavior changes can change how much you accomplish each day.
BY STEPHANIE VOZZA6 MINUTE READ
Editor's Note: This article is one of the top 10 Leadership stories of 2015. See the full list here.
People who manage to get a lot accomplished each day aren't superhuman; they've just mastered a few simple habits. Some may be easy to guess: Keep your desk organized and aim for around eight hours of sleep a night. But others, like taking a mid-day nap or complaining, might surprise you.
Here are 15 easy ways to make every day more productive:
1. DECLUTTER YOUR DESK.
MESSY WORK SPACE:
Creativity may arise from chaos, but a litter-strewn office probably isn't helping you get stuff done. "Attention is programmed to pick up what's novel," says Josh Davis, director of research at the NeuroLeadership Institute and author of Two Awesome Hours. Visible files remind you of unfinished tasks. An unread book is temptation for procrastination. Even if you don't think you're noticing the disorder, it hurts your ability to focus.
TIDY WORKSPACE:
People with neat offices are more persistent and less frustrated and weary, according to a recent study in Harvard Business Review, which found that a clean desk helps you stick with a task more than one and a half times longer. "While it can be comforting to relax in your mess, a disorganized environment can be a real obstacle," says Grace Chae, a professor at Fox School of Business at Temple University and coauthor of the study.
2. BE PART OF THE 20%.
No matter how crazy your days get, make sure you carve out and ruthlessly protect just 90 minutes-20% of an eight-hour day-for the most important tasks. "Even if you squander the remaining 80% of the day, you can still make great progress if you have spent 90 minutes on your goals or priorities," says Charlotte, North Carol
the Common Core standards are based on college and career readiness standards. The Common Core:
Focus to a greater extent on text complexity and drawing information from sourcesAs I interpret this, students now have to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different text sources (including digital) and comprehend information that comes from media as well as text.
Address reading and writing across the curriculumThere’s reading in science as well as reading in language arts. All disciplines require writing
Where’s the technology?Technology is a tool rather than a set of isolated standards. I like this. The Common Core speaks generally about students choosing a variety of texts (including digital) and publishing writing in a variety of formats including digital.
My sources:
Storytelling is evolving, as humans are adapting, experimenting and innovating with the use of ever changing technology, the growth of human networks and our ability to imagine new paths.
It is NOT about the tools… it is about the skills
writing, speaking, communication skills
oral fluency
information literacy
visual literacy
media literacy
language skills
auditory skills
drama Skills
presentation skills
listening skills
publishing skills