I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: I come up with the greatest ideas…at the worst times. Yesterday, I was driving home and blasting music when the best blog post idea dropped into my head. Obviously, I couldn’t just reach over and write it down in a notebook because I was DRIVING. I get so mad at my brain sometimes. I couldn’t help it though, I knew I’d forget it by the time I got home, so I reached over and recorded the idea into my phone.

I asked myself later why I can’t seem to come up with great ideas when I’m actually brainstorming?? I researched it and came up with these 3 tips for making your brainstorming session as productive as when you’re sitting in your car blasting Paramore.
Grab an umbrella because it’s about to start raining ideas. <— (Yes, I know. Cheesiest joke ever.)

productivity, creativityCarolina Da SilvaFebruary 9, 2016tips and tricks

Productivity Preparation: 4 Things to help you be more productive

There are three things I know. As a college student, I know how important it is to plan ahead and not fall behind in my school work. I also know how important it is to manage my time correctly so I’m not stuck doing two assignments in one night. Being more productive at school or when I’m working is a great goal and there are many people who have the same goal. Here’s the third thing I know: planning to be more productive instead of preparing to be more productive is setting myself up for failure.

I plan to be more productive all the time. That doesn’t mean I am more productive. A plan is an intention, it’s the awareness that you want to do something. Preparation puts action to your plan and can provide more incentive to get things done.

Whether you're a student or you are looking to be more productive in the workplace, these tips will help you get started and stay on track.

productivityCarolina Da SilvaJanuary 20, 2016tips and tricks

Practical Productivity Tips: Define success every day

One habit that I’ve picked up recently and have really enjoyed doing is something I’m calling daily success factors. I’ve been researching a lot lately on what it means to be productive in a meaningful way — in other words, making progress that actually counts towards an important goal, as opposed to something that might not really matter all that much right now.

productivitySamer AbousalbiDecember 30, 2015tips and tricks, success

Practical Productivity Tips: Using Music to Get More Done

In psychology, students learn about something called Classical Conditioning (and the scientist Ivan Pavlov). You can read about it in more detail here (thanks, Wikipedia!) but in short, it’s about associations and the reactions they illicit.

Pavlov would feed dogs right after ringing a bell. Part of the normal reaction of eating is salivating (to help break down the food). It would be like: Bell ring, then get food and begin salivating. He did it enough times that one day he simply rang the bell (no food), and the dogs began to salivate anyway. Their brains had now wired together that a bell meant food, which meant they should salivate.

Knowing this, there’s a really cool productivity hack you can do if you’re trying to be more productive or more disciplined about a task. One of my many tasks of this company is sit down and write code (for our apps). It’s a difficult process because it requires that you really have a strong focus, and it requires a lot of abstract thinking at times. Writing and creating code (like any other creative process) has a lead in time that can’t be disturbed otherwise you start over at zero. Think of it as falling asleep— you gradually fall asleep and then you’re out. If you get disturbed by a loud noise, you more or less reset back to being awake and you have to start all over again.

productivitySamer AbousalbiDecember 17, 2015tips and tricks

Practical Productivity Tips: Start your day with a cold shower

I’m now over 120 days into taking a cold shower every morning— a full cold shower from start to finish. The kind of shower that you literally have to count down from 5 every morning to step into and then deal with the shock of the cold (and question your sanity a little bit as to why you do this).

Well, one of the biggest reasons for me starting the cold shower habit is that it’s one of the healthiest and most productive things I do for myself every day. I actually can’t recommend it enough— it’s changed how I start my days, and how much I get done in the few hours after stepping out from the shower.

A lot has been written about the health effects of taking cold showers— it’s supposed to help your immune system, increase your metabolism, improve your body’s thermoregulation, improves your mood, and way more. Today I want to focus on some of the intangible benefits— the emotional benefits of taking a cold shower every morning.

productivitySamer AbousalbiOctober 27, 2015tips and tricks

Creative Ways to Increase Productivity: Doodling!

Every once in a while I get writers block. (Okay fine, it happens often). I do a variety of things to break down my writers block. Sometimes I stare off into space and let my mind wander while I listen to music until it settles on something I can write about. Other times I have to simply start writing and see what happens. Those techniques work most of the time. When they don't, I have to resort to more drastic measures: doodling.

No, you didn't read that wrong, I did say doodling. I doodle to literally get my creative juices flowing, as well as getting my brain in the mood to focus. It allows my mind to relax and open up to new ideas that may pop up.

You don't believe that it works? Here are three riveting facts about doodling:

productivity, creativityCarolina Da SilvaOctober 26, 2015tips and tricks

The Productivity Monk