Active tasks & maximizing productivity.
Define your goals.
Whether your goal is a simple task, or a combination, having a strongly defined goal allows you to evaluate if the goal is an "active" or "circumstance" task.
This allows you to prioritize certain tasks.
On top of this, reading through your goals at periods during the project can help remind what you're trying to achieve.
Evaluate, measure and modify.
Over the course of a project, keeping a simple log of the tasks, their complexity, and the time taken allows you to measure the velocity of your progress.
Measuring this in its simplest form not only provides a clear historical archive but it also allows you to more accurately predict the duration of future tasks.
This could be accomplished using a simple spreadsheet, assigning the complexity with a number 1-10 (or using Fibonacci numbers ala Scrum)
Stay focused.
Stay focused.
Don't firefight. Especially not with hamsters.
Mistakes, short sighted requirements and scope creep can all be handled. For major issues and scope creep, with your task logs, you can evaluate the potential impact on a project quickly and efficiently.
Smaller issues and mistakes can become the next prioritized goal - don't get side tracked from your current goal.
Reward yourself.
Remain forward thinking, but don't forget all of the completed goals in the project.
Reflect on what you've accomplished, it can help you stay motivated, and forward thinking.
Combine each reflection with a 5 minute break away from your monitor.
Print out your goals, tick off the completed, and read through each goal during your coffee.