Neil Desai

Image by cloois via Flickr

Have you ever been so immersed in a task that it feels like time speeds by? You can do anything and you’re extremely productive. You aren’t distracted and you’re only focused on the matter at hand. This is a state of flow. Every time I work I try and attain this state. At this state I feel like superman. If you want that feeling all the time then here’s a list of things you can do to help achieve “flow”.

• Minimize distractions. Put your phone in airplane mode. Quit all other applications (if you’re at your computer). Force yourself to focus on only the task at hand.
• Your environment. Find a place where you are comfortable and can get work done. Preferably, work some place where you have previously achieved a state of flow. Try and isolate yourself from other people if it helps. 
• Clear your mind. Write whatever else you have to do down. Clear your brain out so it can focus on only one thing. 
• Challenge yourself. The task that you’re trying to accomplish must be engaging and take some serious brain power. Some say you can make boring tasks more challenging by setting time limits etc to help you achieve a state of flow but I don’t buy it. The task must be truly invigorating to get your heart racing. 
• Have clear goals. Set your level of expectations and what you need to accomplish. If you have good action steps defined then each one you accomplish will reenergize you and get you one step closer to a state of flow.
• Kill the clock. Hide all forms of time away from you. The most important one I’ve done is to hide my clock out of my menu bar/start bar. It makes a world of difference not having an easy to look place to see the time.

Image via Wikipedia

One of the best things I’ve done to increase my mental health, relieve stress, and boost productivity has been to write everything down. Any task, mental note, or whatever I want to do I write it down in my system.

First, you must create a system. You can go old school with a pen and paper or new school with some sort of digital system. I personally prefer Things for my Mac and iPhone. Just find something that works and the most important thing is that it’s with you at all times. 

Clear your mind. You have no idea how unbelievably freeing it is to know that everything you have to think about is written down. You can finally focus on the task at hand and not have to worry about running errands later. 

This also helps with keeping commitments. I firmly believe that honoring commitments helps build relationships with your friends and family. When you say you are going to do something then do it. Don’t forget. Write it down and you’ll do it.

So today I challenge you to write every single thing you have to do down. If you want to spend some time brainstorming for a project then write it down. If your friend tells you to check out a new album then write it down. If you forget to floss a lot then write it down. Make this small change in your life and it could make a huge difference. It has for me.

What is Dead Time? Dead time is when you’re waiting for your computer to reboot after a restart. It’s when you’re walking from one place to another. It’s when you’re on the can. It’s when you are doing something but not really and can’t use that time to do some of the more productive things in your life. Dead time is what tends to shorten days and make you feel like you have less time. Recently, I’ve been trying to make the most of my dead time and compiled a list of some of the ways to make the most of time drains.

1. Listen to an audiobook. Since I’m a student I frequently have to walk from one end of campus to the other and I used to listen to music. When I’m not in the mood for some tunes I just turn on an audiobook and start listening away. It makes doing sometimes dull things like walking around a little more interesting.
2. Get creative. Let your mind wander and think about your goals. Start thinking about new ways to accomplish your task. People always complain that they just don’t have enough time to creatively think about their projects but really they do. Just use dead time.
3. Read a book. I personally use Stanza for my iPhone so whenever I find myself having nothing to do while I’m waiting in line I whip out my iPhone and start reading. If you’re not into eBooks, you should be. It’s the most convenient way to read and I always have my library with me. It’s amazing.
4. Use your smartphone productively. If you don’t have a smartphone then you should get one. It really has improved how productive I am. Also, instead of playing all those games and other mindless apps try and doing something more useful. Maybe go over your to-do list and organize the rest of your day. Start researching something for a project you’re working on and save it for later.
5. Call your loved ones. Call your family or close friends. Maybe even close friends you just haven’t talked to in a while. It’s hard to stay close to everyone in your life but you can give it your best shot by using your dead time better.

Can you think of any other useful ways to use your dead time?