One of the misunderstandings about getting things done is that the person who works the hardest and longest is the most productive. In fact, the opposite is more likely the case. GTD author David Allen has confessed on numerous occasions to being “probably the laziest guy you’ve ever met.” In fact, if you want to get more done, the science advises to take more breaks.
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n his recent book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, author Daniel Pink discusses why breaks help make people more productive. He outlines five different types of breaks to take throughout the day to recharge your battery and refocus on the task at hand. The types of breaks are:
- Micro Breaks (One Minute or Less)
- Moving Breaks (Standing Up and Walking Around)
- Nature Breaks (Going Outside for Fresh Air)
- Social Breaks (Chat with a Friend)
- Mental Gear Shifting Breaks (Meditation or Deep Breathing)
Pink’s book offers other great insights, including when to change your job, when to schedule meetings, and the importance of beginnings, middles, and ends. So the time is now to pick up a copy from your local library.
The other day I received the following email from 
“A typical question I get is, “What’s the one thing that we do that gets in the way of us being productive?” It’s not one thing, but five, all wrapped together: People keep stuff in their head. They don’t decide what they need to do about stuff they know they need to do something about. They don’t organize action reminders and support materials in functional categories. They don’t maintain and review a complete and objective inventory of their commitments. Then they waste energy and burn out, allowing their busy-ness to be driven by what’s latest and loudest, hoping it’s the right thing to do but never feeling the relief that it is.”
The 
Do you know someone who has piles of papers stacked on their desk? Over time, these piles can spill out to neighboring chairs, tables, and even onto the floor. In such cases, it is safe to assume that this person’s filing system has stopped functioning.
simplest way to do this is through a “Waiting For” folder. A “Waiting For” folder is a depository for copies of any message which requires a response. Most of the time, our colleagues respond quickly. However, the “Waiting For” folder pays dividends for those times when a response is lagging. A best practice is to check the “Waiting For” folder at least once a week. While browsing through the contents make an executive decision on each message: Do you follow up to encourage action or let it lie fallow for another week?
