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Guest post by Daniel from Blinkdagger

We all strive to find the right balance. Sometimes we work too much. Sometimes we play too much. Sometimes we sleep too much.

In order to be truly productive, you need to find the perfect mixture among the three, which is not as easy as it sounds as it is constantly changing day by day. Working 24 hours won’t necessarily make you more productive. In fact, it causes you to burnout and unable to function. This is when you look for resources in how to work smarter and how to get things done, which will ultimately lead you to be more productive. But isn’t it true that even after reading Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen, visiting Lifehacker and Zenhabits, you still struggle in completing your to do list?

Finding applicable GTD tips and following up with good execution is what is going to get things done. Nothing is more discouraging than trying a tip and failing to live by it. You revert back to your old habits. You are back to where you started, except you wasted more time.

In this post I want to share with you a Work, Play, Sleep (WPS) matrix and how taking a step back in identifying your WPS profile will help you make the most out of your GTD tips.

This matrix illustrates that people have different preferences just like how a personality tests reflect our preference in being an introvert or extrovert. These preferences change over time and circumstances. I am sure people can identify themselves to different pairs of WPS at different stages of their lives. So what can this matrix do for me and how can it even be any useful? This is primarily to help people who have little success in GTD tips to take a step back to reflect on them first, then taking their reflections into action. Let’s dig deeper what I mean by that.

Identify Your Current WPS Pair

Our WPS describes our underlying preferences and priorities. It is part of who we are. There is no perfect pair. It is important to see where we are coming from first before tackling our productivity problem.

Matching WPS Pair to GTD Tips

Our WPS direct us at what tips we should be considering. The author of the tips does not know who you are. He/she is expressing what has worked for himself/herself. This does not mean it will work for you! It makes no sense for a Work/Work person to hear motivational tips, nor getting Work/Sleep person to cut down miscellaneous activity.

Don’t Overlook Common Knowledge

There is a reason why “early to sleep, early to rise”, “exercise”, “ask questions”, etc. always make it to every GTD list. These tips address all WPS pairs at the same time. I have seen “keeping a notebook by my side” on many lists and brushed it off as unnecessary. I gave it a try and now I am loving it.

High Risk High Yield

Some GTD tips involve some risks. Depending on your WPS: cutting email time, losing some sleep, purchasing a tool, stepping out of comfort zone, breaking old habits. It is true some tips will never pay off, but when it does you will never revisit what you use to do.

Finding People Like/Unlike you

People who are share same WPS pair battle the same problems in GTD. Exchange insights and tips. People unlike your WPS pair will confuse you at first. But listening to something different is refreshing at times. You may also find insights on why they prioritize differently.

Maximizing Dead Time

No matter what WPS pair you are, there are still mutual dead times: Waiting in line, driving your car, buying groceries, etc…. For example, many of my great ideas and inspiration came when I am showering. But when I am tired, I avoid thinking in the shower and keep it as a relaxation process.

Perfect Balance lies Upon You

You would think that the people who got it together has attributed Work, Play, and Sleep 8 hours each. That is only mathematically balanced. The perfect balance is met when you feel like you are getting the most of your day and life. Putting a time measure can certainly help, but it does not define your balance.

I hope people who have little success in GTD tips have found this useful. Ultimately it will take actions and changes to see progress. But certainly do not follow GTD tips blindly. Have a plan that caters to your WPS pair. By doing that you are already more productive!

Tags: Productivity //