🔢 Kickstart 2021 with these productivity formulas.
The 3x3 matrix, 1-on-1 secrets, and 3-to-1 ratio you'll need to ace the new year.
Welcome back to work, school, or any other activities you might be starting this first week of 2021! As you brace yourself for a more fulfilling year, utilize these methods to take your productivity up a notch.
These means can be implied adjustably to your unique needs and preferences. Take what works best for you to not only survive this year, but thrive.
3x3 = infinite productivity
Subconsciously, you’ve probably already sorted your activities based on a tangible or non-tangible priority scale on the daily. We’ve talked about the benefits of visualization in one of our previous Editions, and one visualization tool we think you should try is the 3x3 Prioritization Matrix.
Basically, it helps you categorize activities based on the effort it takes to do it and the impact it will create. There are typically 4 quadrants in the Matrix: quick wins, major projects, filler activities, and ‘time sucks’.
See the best times for you to use this Matrix and create your own customized 3x3 Prioritization Matrix here.
A self 1-on-1 to lay out your year
Susan Scott, CEO of Fierce Inc. and a two-time best-selling author, compiled the 16 questions you should ask to have a productive 1-on-1. These questions include:
What is currently impossible to do that, if it were possible, would change everything?
What area under your responsibility are you most and least satisfied with?
What things are you doing that you would like to stop doing or delegate to someone else?
Some teams are lucky enough to be able to have 1-on-1 sessions with their leads/supervisors regularly or whenever they need to. If you’re in one of those teams, pick 3-5 questions from the set of 16 questions and address them in your start-of-the-year 1-on-1 this month. Or, in cases where you might not have the chance, you can always ask these questions to yourself and self-reflect on what you might be lacking and talk yourself through how you could improve in those areas.
Find the full list of 16 valuable 1-on-1 questions here.
Turning the 3-1 positivity ratio in your favor
According to Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, researcher at the University of North Carolina, it takes 3 positive experiences to make up for 1 negative experience in your life. Biologically, this is because negativity has a longer shelf life than positivity due to the way our nervous system works. Mentally, our negativity bias is causing us to focus on the ‘bad’ and put our worth based on our failures. These are some of the tips you can apply to balance out negativity and live a more rewarding and productive life:
Rewrite the negativity bias. When faced with uncertainty, our brain often fills the unknown with fears based on our previous history. Try to treat a new daunting situation as an adventure to have, instead of a problem to fix.
Broaden your scope. Zoom out of your negativity lens and realize that you have a wide selection of positive options to respond to a challenge. From appreciation to love, from amusement to joy, from hope to gratitude, and more.
Flip Mother Nature’s dictates. Challenge your instincts and get in the habit of underestimating threats and overestimating your ability to overcome them—and not the other way around.
Read the 10 ways you can advance your career and personal growth through understanding the 3-1 positivity ratio here.
Have a good 1st Monday of the year! 51 more Mondays await, may you conquer every one of them with the help of the resources we have and will continue to share.
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