7 to-do list hacks thatll help you be more productive every day

7 to-do list hacks thatll help you be more productive every day7 to-do list hacks thatll help you be more productive every dayWe all know writing a list is one of the easiest ways to make aya we get everything we need to do done. But there may be some to-do list hacks that can help us be way more productive. In search for our answer, we turned to the expert herself for some advice on how to get the fruchtwein out of our to-do lists every day.Paula Rizzo is The List Producer. After working in broadcast media for over a decade, she learned a thing or two about staying organized. Careers and life can get overwhelming, so Rizzo turned to her to-do list to help her get everything done. Now the author of the Listful Thinking Using Lists to be More Productive, Highly Successful and Less Stressed, Rizzo helps others hack their to-do lists so they can thrive in their careers and life. We spoke with her about the ultimate tips and tricks for using our to-do lists to get more done, too.1. Write your to-do list the day before.First things first Every day before leaving work, make your to-do list for the next day. Rizzo told Swirled that this is the best way to set yourself up for success.Before I leave every night, I walk through whats going to happen the next day, Rizzo said. So I set an intention What do I actually need to get done?Rizzo said this is the best way to make sure that the next day doesnt get away from you. Youll be able to come into the office in the morning and know exactly what needs to get done.2. Make sure you have all the resources you need to complete the tasks on your list.Dont put anything on it that you dont have the time or the resources to do, Rizzo said. Whether that means you need to wait for a team member to get back to you with data before you write a report, or you need to break a bigger project down into smaller bite-size tasks, make sure everything on that to-do list can be done that day.Pro TipConsider making a list of things that you need in order to get other tasks done. Then tackle that list when you have time, maybe at the very start of the day. If youre able to find the resource you need to get a bigger task done, then that bigger task can be added to your to-do list that day or the next.3. Set a time limit for tasks.Building off the mentality that you need to make sure all items on the list can be done that day, make sure you physically have the time to complete everything, too.Sometimes we say oh this will just take five minutes, and then 25 minutes later, were still working on that task, Rizzo said. I encourage people to time themselves. This comes from my background in TV. Everything was very defined and there were a lot of deadlines, so if it needed to be one minute and 30 seconds, then it was one minute and 30 seconds. I knew exactly how long it was, so being able to have that ingrained - how long tasks actually take you to do - is really helpful.When you can stay on time with your tasks, youll be more p roductive and wont be wasting any time. Rizzo suggests setting a timer on your phone or an alarm so you know when a task must be completed.4. Keep separate lists for everything.If you just keep one long to-do list for everything in your life, it could get very overwhelming. Instead, Rizzo said to do a brain dump of everything you need to do and then organize it into separate lists.For instance, I do a work list and a home list, she said. It could be on the same piece of paper, but its just elend all jumbled together on the same list.If youre using the same sheet of paper, try keeping all work-related tasks on the left and all home-related tasks on the right. Rizzo said this helps your brain decipher whats what, rather than having to pick what you need to do from a long list. You can even get more granular with separate lists for everything in your life beyond just what you need to do, like grocery shopping or packing for a trip.5. Know whats a priority on the list and what isnt.It c an be difficult to determine whats a priority every day when theres so much that needs to get done. Instead, Rizzo said to think about the top three things that you need to do and consider that good enough. From there, add other smaller tasks that support those three big ones. Knowing what requires laser-focus will keep you in line with your priorities, and will prevent you from wasting time on tasks that are really just not that important.Pro TipWe can often get very distracted by emailles during the workday. Instead of constantly checking your email and responding ASAP, only check your email once per hour. You should write this down on your to-do list. If necessary, block off an hour of time in the morning or afternoon and use it to respond to everything that came through while you were accomplishing another task.6. Apps and tools are great, but the old-fashioned way might be best.There are so many digital apps and tools that can be used to make a to-do list these days, but Rizzo is still a fan of pen and paper.I feel like writing it down on paper ingrains it into this is action mode, Rizzo said. If I write it down, I have to do it.Andstudieshave found that people actually remember things better when they write them down on paper, rather than when they type them on a laptop. Rizzo writes down her daily to-do list, and then uses apps and tools for other lists. A few of her favorites includeEvernote.Rizzo usesthis appfor her packing and traveling lists, as well as a place to store information that she may need to reference later on when making a to-do list.Wunderlist.When she needs to run to Sephora or the grocery store, Rizzo makes short lists inthis app.Todoist.Rizzo knows how often an email can end up becoming a task, so she usesTodoistto keep track of those items. It integrates with Gmail to show a pop-up to-do list that you can keep right there on your screen.7. Take back your inbox.Knowing how much time you spend every day reading, replying to and delet ing emails is important. Thats valuable time that you could be using to get stuff done at work and at home. Rizzo got to the point where she felt overwhelmed by everything and decided to hit the ultimate restart button.A few years ago, I gave myself 15 minutes and looked through my inbox to save some of the stuff or reply to things that were important, and then I just deleted everything else in order to start fresh, Rizzo said. I know its terrifying, but I wanted to start fresh and I knew if something was important and it mattered, it would come back to me. Somebody would follow up with me if they really needed to.This strategy might not be for everyone, so Rizzo told us that starting with a tool calledunroll.meis a good plan. The website helps you unsubscribe from every newsletter and email that you no longer read.I love a 15-percent-off coupon or an eBook or whatever, so I sign up for a lot of newsletters, but it ends up creating lots of clutter, she said. In the end, you just end up spending more time deleting stuff because youre not reading or using it.Pro TipIf you want to keep things even more organized and spend more time crossing things off your to-do list and less in your email, create multiple email accounts and use each one for a specific thing. One should be for work, and then one could be for home, one for newsletters and one for online shopping receipts.Put effort into your to-do list and reevaluate it often. With a little bit of work, your to-do list will be your guiding light, helping you be super productive and leading you to even more success in your career and life.Thispostwas originally published onSwirled.comin the Thrive section, which covers valuable career and personal finance content for Millennials.close dialogAdvertisementclose dialog/* effects for .bx-campaign-1012255 *//* custom css .bx-campaign-1012255 */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-type-agilityzone .bx-close z-index 2-ms-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin from -ms-transform rotate(0deg) to -ms-transform rotate(360deg) -moz-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin from -moz-transform rotate(0deg) to -moz-transform rotate(360deg) -webkit-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin from -webkit-transform rotate(0deg) to -webkit-transform rotate(360deg) keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin from transform rotate(0deg) to transform rotate(360deg) bx-close-inside-1012255 top 0 right 0 /* rendered styles .bx-campaign-1012255 */.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative *first-child padding 0width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative background-color transparent.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-active-step-1 .bx-close stroke whitebackground-color blackborder-style solidborder-color whiteborder-width 1pxbox-shadow 0px 0px 0px 3px black.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx -group-1012255-3RBnJGC position absolutetop 50%left 50%transform translate(-50%, -50%)z-index -1.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-wryzWV5 width 55px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-wryzWV5 *first-child animation-name bx-anim-1012255-spinanimation-duration 800msanimation-iteration-count infiniteanimation-timing-function linear.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-me4p1bl padding 10px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-ZdLO37u width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-ZdLO37u *first-child padding 2px 4pxfont-size 10pxcolor rgb(255, 255, 255)text-transform uppercasebackground-color rgb(0, 0, 0)background-color rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34).bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-lyDBLV9 width 900pxheight 550px

Small Reactor with Big Potential

Small Reactor with Big Potential Small Reactor with Big Potential Small Reactor with Big PotentialThe key to a future of safe, cheap, clean energy is simple go with nuclear, but remove the risk. That, of course, would mean cutting out radiation. If we could render our Geiger counters archaic and shrink the scale of our reactors and use an easier-to-come-by source of fuel, then wed have something truly utopian. Such a future may be within our grasp, thanks to the work of Leif Holmlid, a professor of atmospheric science in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Gothenburg. Forten years now, he has been researching ultra-dense deuterium. This kompetenzprofil fuel source is made from heavy hydrogen, which happens to be found in that plentiful stuff of our planet called water. After a while, Holmlid realized that the distance between the atoms of the ultra-dense stuff was rather close. So it was quite possible to easily start fusion in this material, he says. Holmlid then set ab out doing just that, first in the theoretical world, then in the real. The result is a laser-fired fusion reactor that has already managed to produce more energy than it takes to run. In short, the technique involves putting deuterium in a high-pressure chamber so the ultra-dense material forms on the surface. When zapped with a laser for a few nanoseconds, the fusion process begins. The trick is timing the pulses of the laser with the production of deuterium, currently about ten times a second. Thats the main thing in the reactor. You dont have to do much more, says Holmlid.The initial laser process in ultra-dense deuterium. Image Leif Holmlid First attempts revealed that the particles coming out of the reactor were too fast to be coming from ordinary fusion. Further investigation revealed that the particles were not the typical neutrons, but muons. Muons decay much faster than neutrons, in 2.2 microseconds compared to a neutrons 1,000-second-long decay. That means they can easily be absorbed by a simple wall. There is a risk with muons, says Holmid, You cant just neglect them. But the enclosure is much smaller than if you have neutrons. Another great advantage to the emission of muons is that, unlike neutrons, theyre charged, so they can be used to directly produce electricity. Just how, though, has not yet been determined. That is what we are going to investigate next, says Holmid. The reactor will likely use a so-called inverted cyclotron, a small magnetic device that makes a charge a circle. And harvesting the heat the reactor produces will be a mere technical matter. With the threat of radiation reduced to nearly nothing, Holmlids reactors neednt take up massive swaths of any municipality. They could be built small enough to power neighborhoods or even single homes. It doesnt seem that it will be small enough that you can have it in a car or a robot or something like that, he says. But in a house, yes. The ultra-dense deuterium reactor isnt the only one in development using heavy hydrogen. But those add tritium, which is not safe to handle at a large scale, says Holmid. It is usually believed you can measure and take care of radioactivity, but thats the not the case with tritium, he says. You can have lots of tritium around but you cannot measure it with any instrument, in the lab, or anywhere. Ultra-dense deuterium is some 100,000 times denser than water and thought to be denser than the stuff at the suns core. With luck, and a good deal more work, it too may bring us free safe light and warmth. Michael Abrams is an independent writer. Learn more about the latest in energy solutions at ASME Power Energy For Further Discussion There is a risk with muons- you cant just neglect them. But the enclosure is much smaller than if you have neutrons.Prof. Leif Holmlid, University of Gothenburg

Four Ways to Engage your Top Healthcare Workers

Four Ways to Engage your Top Healthcare WorkersFour Ways to Engage your Top Healthcare WorkersFour Ways to Engage your Top Healthcare Workers BlackMany healthcare systems embrace a team-based healthcare deliveryand for good reason. In this model, a team of physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) work together to ensure patients receive the best care possible.While beneficial, this collaborative approach has created hiring challenges when members of the healthcare team leave the practice. Its a problem that I frequently hear about from healthcare providers.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for physician assistants and nurse practitioners will increase mora than 30 percent during the next eight years. Because behauptung practitioners are in such high demand, its easier for them to shop around for other jobs if theyre not satisfied with their current employer.With increased demand for NPs and PAs comes the need to be more competitive when hiring and more mindful about how toretaintalent.If you are seeing high employee turnover with your PAs and NPs, it may be that their needs are not being met. And salaryis often not the issue. For most clinicians money is a satisfiernot a motivator.Here are a few things you can do to retain and engage these healthcare employeeswhich are often not about the money.The opportunity to learn and grow professionally. It is critical that a positive learning environment be fostered for those who seek additional skills or experience. This can be challenging in the busy world of direct patient care but it will pay long-term dividends. PAs and NPs are looking for jobs that will provide them with new experiences, educationand training. They often accept a job for the opportunity of learning a new specialty, regardless of the compensation.Work/life balance is key. Whether they are balancing child care, school schedules or simply want more time away from work, many employees want workplace flexi bility. Adding some leeway to an employees daily, weekly or monthly schedule is often seen as a big win and can be even more important than compensation.Working relationships and mentorship are important for professional growth. Do your employees have mentors? Is there someone they can go to for career advice? If not, you may want to look into a formal mentoring program. Asking seasoned employees to guide those younger in their careers can help engage both the mentor and mentee.In addition, consider offering a budget for continuing medical education and time off to take those courses. This will help engage employees and lets them know you want them to stay up on the latest practices and procedures. The added focus on professional growth will also help attract new employees to your facility.Expanded scope of practice improves engagement. Another way that PAs and NPs can grow in their careers is by giving them more autonomy. The more clinical experience they have, the more independent ly they can work.There should be a consistent growth pattern for nursing practitioner job responsibilities in relation to their collaborations with physicians and PAs. This leads to better team-based medicine, as each practitioner can fulfill their roles in concert with each other. Expanding the scope of practice in the clinical setting should occur as more trust is developed.In time, both the PA and NP should be practicing at the top of his or her license. This not only helps these providers be more engaged, it also prevents physician burnout. Focusing on these four steps should help stymie exiting PAs and NPs from your facility. It will also help you recruit a smarter, more engaged workforce, enabling you to achieve your business goals.Tyler Black is the vice president of allied staffing at CompHealth, which places PAs, NPs, and CRNAs in permanent and temporary positions around the country. For more tips on hiring and retention, CompHealth.com.