This one idea will make you more productive forever

You know when you have to buy something, for instance, a battery, and you keep thinking about that but mostly at the wrong time. 

You are answering a customer e-mail, and then that thought interrupts you again, "Oh, I can't forget to buy those batteries". You are taking a shower, then it comes to you again. Then, you are cooking, and... Well, you got the idea.

But the worst of is yet to come: when you are actually in the right time to remember that, for example, when you are just walking through the store where you can buy those batteries, and you don't remember it and don't buy it. Oh, that sucks!

David Allen, the author of the book, Getting Things Done (GTD) calls this an open loop. 

Open loops kill your productivity, take your attention away from the task at hand, keep you concerned, increase your stress levels, and worse, there is no guarantee that you will remember at the right time when you can act on it.

What open loops are you dealing with right now? What are the things you know you should get done? Stuff you have to buy? Things to have to say to people you work with or family members? 

All that preoccupation is taking precious space in your mind and should be released work more focused and be more productive.

The crucial question then is how to eliminate those open loops and still deal with all those tasks at the right time?

In his book, Allen presents a method he calls GTD. I recommend you to read the book to get it right with all the details. But I will tell you what made the most difference for me.

How to eliminate Open Loops?

First, you have to keep a list of all things you have to do. When you write that down, you released it from your mind and make space for focus and other ideas. 

It doesn't matter if you use software, a notebook, or a simple piece of paper that you would carry with you in your pocket. 

That list must be always on your reach.

Second, there is a crucial point though that you must not miss. For you to eliminate that open loop, you have to review that list frequently. 

If you only write but do not review it, you might forget it, and if so, you may stop trusting the method.

Third, to prioritize better, use buckets (categorization).

I use the following:

• Quick: Things that take no more than 2-5 minutes. I do my best to solve them as quickly as I can.
• Next: Things that I want to do today or in the next few days.
• Future: Things to review in the future.

That's it. It's very straightforward, isn't it? But don't fool yourself, it is easy to understand, but it takes a lot of discipline to put it into practice and make it a habit.

If you liked, there's also a variation of the method called Inbox Zero. It helps you to apply the same idea in your e-mail inbox. I use that too.

I hope that those ideas can improve your life and your productivity. It worked for me, and I think it might for you too.

Cheers!