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Productivity sketches

Explore sketches, drawings, and illustrations that simplify ideas related to Productivity.

The One in a Row principle: the way it all starts - with a person pushing over the first bowling pin — wisdom from Matthew McConaugheyOne in a RowWhat is the Eat The Frog time management and productivity technique and its meaning with a person about to eat a frog and a to-do listEat the frogWhat is Fauxtomation explained with claims of automation actually done by people, often across the worldFauxtomationThe automation paradox explanation, or paradox of automation, summary with a hiker choosing their phone in place of a physical map and then getting lost in a landscape when there's no signalThe Automation ParadoxWhat is a Public commitment pledge explanation - a soft commitment device shown by someone battling a desire to eat cookies with a public commitmentPublic commitment pledgeRose Thorn Bud reflection technique summary showing a rose with thorn and bud highlighting successes, challenges and potentialRose, Thorn, BudRivers and buckets metaphor illustration: one person sits calmly by a river watching interesting things go by, another gently stresses holding a bucket with an overflowing list surrounded by more buckets on the floor, each with long listsRivers and bucketsFeedback fear illustration: A poor soul goes through all sorts of internal doubts about what they might have done wrong and how they might have failed when someone gives a friendly suggestion to ask what others thinkFeedback fearSharpen the saw from Stephen Covey illustration: A woodcutter explains that they have no time to stop and sharpen the saw as they have so many trees to cutSharpen the sawA sketch of extrinsic motivation with a donkey being followed by a man with a stick and in turn following a carrot that's strapped always just out of reachExtrinsic motivationA meeting with some in-person participants and one remote participant showing the disadvantages of eachHybrid meetingsFor want of a nail poem: from the shoe, to the rider, the battle and the kingdom it's all lost because that fellow dropped the nailFor want of a nailWhat is yak shaving and what does it mean example: someone looks on confused as another explains the convoluted story which led to them sitting there shaving a yak, just like solving problems in software developmentYak shavingForcing function: a person is forced into getting into shape after signing up to a marathonForcing functionWhat is Manager Time Maker Time example explained: Paul Graham's manager schedule maker schedule illustrated with Manager Time, on the left shows someone in their office at their laptop, scheduling in meetings and calls throughout the day, neatly managing time with hourly and half-hourly slots in their calendar. On the right, Maker Time ideally does away with any scheduled meetings or calls to allow for an open day for our worker at their desk to grind through a complex problem or new project. The passing of time is only marked by day turning to night. Manager time, maker timeCommitment device illustration: Odysseus asking his men to tie him to the mast so that he can resist the siren's song who are kind flying womenCommitment deviceThe transparency paradox: In an open classroom one student secretly passes a note to the other illustrating the transparency paradoxThe transparency paradoxWhat is the Peter Principle explanation: a confident and competent junior worker gets promoted to a senior level. At the senior level, they appear very happy and excel such that they get a promotion to Director. As a Director, their competence has been exceeded and we see them in a state of stress and disarray. Oh dear. The Peter PrincipleThe cost of being late illustration: an executive walks into a meeting 10 mins late adding up to 100 total lost minutes of everyone else's timeThe cost of being lateThe power of streaks illustration: a task schedule is shown as a daily grid where all but the final 2 squares have been completed. The power of streaksWhat is Jevon's paradox: fuel use tends to increase, not decrease, despite efficiency gains. Observation from William Stanley JevonsJevon’s ParadoxWhat is the Pomodoro Technique in 3 steps: plan your tasks, complete one 25-minute pomodoro with a 5-minute break, and repeat for four pomodoros before taking a longer break.The Pomodoro Technique: Stay Focused and Get More DoneImplementation Intentions illustration: A blank ballot paper is shown as the result of vague plan to vote at some point. A completed ballot paper demonstrates how a specific logistical plan on when, where and how they'll get to the polling station got the job done. Implementation intentionsWhat is the Doorstep Mile example about getting started: A lone soul beginning a seemingly long journey away from their isolated house in an empty landscape accompanies the Seth Godin quote "Start small, start now".The doorstep mileHow to grow your own fresh air illustration: examples of common houseplants that help create an environment with relatively cleaner air; the Areca Palm, Mother-in-law's Tongue and the Money Plant. How to grow your own fresh airGoldilocks Tasks: a spectrum where the challenge is not too easy, not too hard, but just right for flow and masteryGoldilocks tasksInformation radiatorWhat is the Fresh Start Effect example explained: a brave person thinks challenge accepted on Monday 1st January thanks to the Fresh start effect from Katy MilkmanThe fresh start effectBenefits to you from getting started chart — put it off and stress about it = no benefit, start now with something = some benefitBenefits to you from getting startedWatch out for barnacles illustration: One barnacle on the left seems like nothing, but if you have enough of them coating the back of a ship and its propeller then the cost of prevention, drag and removal will cost youWatch out for barnaclesSpend time on activities with long-term value firstMatch challenge with skills illustration: a chart of skills and challenge shows flow in the center and anxiety and boredom at the edgesMatch challenge with skills for flow at workHow to peel a post-it so it doesn't fall down. Don't peel from the corner. Do pull flat and straight, so it doesn't fall down. For the classic Post-It or sticky note.Peel a Post-it so it doesn’t fall downRemove text formattingEnough molehillls make a mountain quote from Seth Godin, showing how a book can be made up from a little writing or sketch a day, or a trash heap is made from small pieces of litter.Enough molehills make a mountainArrange kitchen storage to minimise excess travelDon’t let your thinking be limited by your toolsGet satisfaction and a clear record of past to-dos with checkboxes
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