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Kirby Ingles | February 21, 2015 | 4 Comments

Gain Momentum with the Productivity Snowball – Kirby Ingles

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Would you want to find out about the productivity snowball? A technique that creates momentum, focus and better results.

Everyone has busy lives, but if you keep on ignoring your responsibilities and tasks, they start to stack up and will eventually create an avalanche.

Lack of productivity can cause stress and tension. All those little tedious tasks nagging at you can occupy your mind, disrupting your ability to focus, making it difficult to start.

The productivity snowball is fantastic for the classic procrastinator.

Signs You Might Need the Productivity Snowball

You may feel like you are buried under an avalanche of snow that has swallowed you up, feeling helpless. Your to-do-list and projects have gotten out of hand. It seems that every day your back is against the wall and under pressure. Everything gets finished at the last gasp, risking deadlines. You know you should have started weeks ago, but you did not. Now you are surrounded by a big pile of work. Though each time you reflect on it, you feel helpless and are willing to surrender. Distracted and focused on the insurmountable tasks before you.

You must be saying to yourself…

What should I do?

Where do I start?

Is it still possible or should I nuke it?

I understand how you are feeling right now. Using the productivity snowball is unbelievably simple and an effective way to get things done. You will become more productive, feeling liberated.

The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball – the further I am rolled the more I gain. – Susan B. Anthony

Here is a Quick Way to Snowball Your Productivity

The productivity snowball is a task list reduction strategy. This productivity management strategy creates momentum, focus and better results. You complete the smallest task first and advance to the next slightly larger task. In principle, each time that you complete a small task your focus and energy intensifies. Resembling a snowball rolling down the hill collecting more snow with each rotation, gaining more momentum and speed as it grows larger and heavier. When you apply the productivity snowball strategy you are adding more tasks to your list of accomplishments, growing that list and gaining momentum.

The science behind completing smaller tasks allows you to complete more tasks quickly, creating quicker wins, giving ongoing positive stimulation to your brain. You are hijacking your brain with positive stimulation which we naturally crave. It is so good that you just cannot stop at one. You free up more time to focus on more important larger tasks. The debt snowball theory declares 20% is in your head and the other 80% is your behavior. The productivity snowball is not any different. Change your mindset, change your behavior.

The 7-Step Productivity Snowball Checklist

  1. List out all your tasks and do a brain dump.
  2. Determine the time it will take each task to be completed.
  3. Organize each task by time from shortest to longest amount of time for completion.
  4. Commit to completing the task that takes the least amount of time.
  5. Once complete, apply your time and energy to the next task that takes slightly more time, but shortest on the list.
  6. Repeat until your list is exhausted or you run out of time.
  7. Begin again every day at the first step.

Get up, make your bed, clear off your desk, put things away that are out of place, and WIN the morning! Some small 5-10 minute task is what actually leads to the bigger task and before you realize it, you are already past step 2 and 3 because you got in the zone. Attack your smaller tasks every day at the onset of each day. Your mind will be liberated, your focus will be clearer, and you will be getting better results on the things that matter.

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Filed Under: Focus

Kirby Ingles

Kirby is a Husband, Father, Christian, Life Coach and Veteran who has 18 years experience leading, coaching and mentoring young people. With a pioneer spirit he helps you spearhead an intentional life of growth through purposeful living and finding fulfillment. He currently lives in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. You can read more about him on his blog at kirbyingles.com, connect on Twitter @iKirby79 or email him at [email protected].

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adam Smith says

    February 21, 2015 at 8:08 am

    Great post, Kirby! I especially love the 7-Step Productivity Snowball Checklist.

    Reply
    • Kirby Ingles says

      February 21, 2015 at 8:59 am

      Thanks Adam. The timing of this post was great. Many things came together at once.
      Sunday, February 15 was Susan B. Anthony Day and the Winter Blast on the East Coast provided inspiration.

      Reply
  2. Glenn Brooke says

    February 21, 2015 at 8:30 pm

    Thanks, Kirby! I think this is particularly helpful when you just can’t get on that big important “thing” that’s stalled. Get some momentum going. I’ve told people that it’s about getting the car moving. Once we’re rolling, I can steer in any direction. Alternativenly you can sit in a parked car and yank all you want on the steering wheel.

    Reply
  3. Jed Jurchenko says

    March 21, 2015 at 2:21 pm

    Great strategies, & exactly what I needed to hear on this crazy-busy Saturday afternoon. Now I’m off to start my list 🙂

    Reply

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