Some more lessons/reminders for getting shit together

Want to make a list of a bunch of productivity 'hacks' I have rediscovered in recent days as I've gotten back to the checklist life, as I start putting in several hours of work on this blog, the website, on writing, work stuff, and everything in between.

1. Timebox everything, it really helps. Writing, chores, you have it, just timebox it and if you feel so, don't work for a second outside the timeboxed time. The idea is to give myself a sense of psychological comfort, an anti-fear technique to remind that I won't have to work on the hard/annoying issue beyond the box if I don't want to, so I can go in with more confidence to begin.

2. Listen to music while writing, working and avoiding tiredness, do it while writing and doing chores, because music is a great mood modifier, put on high-energy music to pump up my muscles, maybe it'll even help me get deeper insights than my tired and bored boring mind.

3. Timetables are kinda important unless you want to push all the important things to the end of the day. It doesn't mean I need to plan the crap out of every hour or two during everyday, just that I need to prioritize the important events to when they will eventually actually get done. It can be as simple as doing writing and workouts in the morning as a matter of rule, or writing the first thing at work and before quitting work. I used the technique to great advantage during the pandemic and then forgot everything about it.

4. It's important to look at the big picture, to not get stuck in the muck of details and get disheartened because when working down in the coal mines, it kinda gets hard to see the eventual goal of it all, why we're doing all of it without clear benefit. But if you bring a community together and work towards progress for each day, you're getting better, because you'll know what the goal is. Maybe you want to present to your friends, or publish a book, or get an awesome job, to keep an eye on the goal is important.

5. Don't burn yourself out doing your personal projects, losing personal and professional energy on the way. Remember the daily achievement are additive, so the more effort you put in, the more figure out how to get out of the morass. So a day missed here, a couple of times gone there don't matter, it's okay to rest and relax, count your blessings and achievements, and chill for a couple of days.