Productivity: Applying Psychology to Achieve Your Goals

The Zeigarnik Effect is the psychological need to complete tasks once they have been started. What research has demonstrated is that we often experience a form of minor anxiety as we hold open tasks in short-term memory. This lecture discusses the effect as well as ways to harness the power of the concept to boost productivity.

An important aspect of productivity is being able to shift focus back and forth between your long term vision and short term actions. One way to think about this process is by using the simple analogy of hiking a mountain, requiring us to assess, plan and execute at different levels.

From analogy to application, I discuss the primary way I shift focus to be more productive, using one day a week to focus long term and then shifting to narrow in on my weekly targets.

The Planning Fallacy is an interesting concept that demonstrates the extent to which we are psychologically biased when it comes to estimating the time and resources we need to achieve our goals. This has several implications for productivity, including heightened levels of stress and diminished results. The lecture discusses how to help eliminate the planning fallacy by anchoring future estimates on objective past performance.

Bonus: In downloadable material, watch a short clip from Shark Tank that is a good example of the planning fallacy. If you want to just watch the relevant part, start the clip at 3:15 when Robert Herjavec asks, "What are your sales today?" Then watch as the plan unfolds.

A great tool for managing your to-do-list, the 4 D's can help you get organized. Similar to the Eisenhower Matrix, the 4 D's is a way to determine next steps. It also benefits from the Zeigarnik Effect, reducing stress and allowing you to focus on your high priority tasks. 

It is difficult to be productive if you do not have an effective way to set and monitor your goals. This lecture discusses a popular version of SMART goals, taking you through the necessary steps to ensure that your goals are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant and time bound.

A controversial topic, this lecture discusses research on multitasking as well as how to eliminate distractions. In order to boost productivity, findings support eliminating interruptions so that you can focus your energy on the core tasks you want to accomplish throughout the day.

Based on student feedback, some external sources have been added, providing the original research on multitasking mentioned in the lecture by Gloria Mark of the University of California Irvine.

In addition, check out the link regarding the Hawthorne Effect. In the 1920's a series of experiments were conducted to try and increase worker productivity. Today the experiments are best known for what is no called the "observer effect".

One method for organizing tasks and deciding what action to take is by using the Eisenhower Matrix. By knowing which tasks you need to tackle first you can increase productivity. The basic idea is to organize all tasks along two criterion, (1) the importance of the task and (2) how urgent it is for the task to be completed. These two questions form the matrix with four potential outcomes for organizing your 'to-do-list'.

This lecture discusses research findings on the impact of sleep on productivity and provides some tips for making sure you get the rest you need. Between a study of 18,000 employees and the results of a sleep laboratory, findings demonstrate how lack of sleep reduces cognitive performance and increases mistakes.

This final lecture offers up a final insight from the Zeigarnik Effect and provides next steps. Given the purpose of the course is to help increase productivity, a final note encourages you to take what the course has provided and apply it in the real world.

Check resources. I have provided you with a great link to an article with 80 additional productivity tips from a variety of experts.