Productivity Ideas

If you are afflicted by self-doubt, procrastination, attention deficit disorder, old-fashioned laziness or a simple inability to get things done, 43 Folders is a very useful source of advice. Completely devoid of motivational bumph and navel-gazing, Merlin Mann's mission is to help you avoid distraction and get on with your real work. For example:

• set your email to update once an hour, rather than every five minutes.


• Writers should write, rather than read books about writing.


• Everything takes longer than you expect, even when you anticipate it will take longer than you expect


• Spend significant time thinking rather than filling up every moment of your time with activity

Many of his thoughtful and amusing musings boil down to the following nugget: "Creative work only seems like a magic trick to people who don’t understand that it’s ultimately still work."