Natalie Houston discusses practical productivity in academia.

Podcast Notes

Guest: Dr. Natalie Houston

Opposition to the term productivity

Productivity defined

Productivity, to me, is not about doing more things faster. It is about doing the things that are most important to me and creating the kind of life I want to have…

To do something with ease is to bring a kind of comfort and grace to the task. It can also be more room [in your life]… Living a life with more ease…

Challenges and approaches for faculty

Blurring between work and non-work time
Protect quality time for your most important work/projects
Creating appropriate boundaries
Schedule blocks of time to let
Commit to avoiding digital devices before bed
Establish a bedtime for ourselves
Articulate an ideal weekend/Saturday
Enlist partner’s support in fulfilling that ideal day

The idea of a sabbath day in many spiritual traditions is to set aside a day for rest.

Create transition rituals to help acknowledge the move between work and personal time
Don’t force yourself to use digital tools, if analog work better; perhaps a hybrid system might work well, in some cases
Todoist

Email

Multiple touch points

Challenge with accessing email on our phones

Taking breaks

Set an alarm

A timer is my most important productivity tool. You can use a timer in so many parts of your day.

Timing a break enhances the relaxation of that break.

Recommendations

How to manage references with Zotero, by Catherine Pope (Bonni)

IDoneThis.com (Natalie)

The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance, by Stephen Kotler

Practical productivity in academia

Teaching in Higher Ed