The different pieces of research and information below relates to my project because it relates to proven techniques to do with engaging productivity and time management.
Gamification. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification
In behavioral economics, gamification is the use of game play mechanics[1] for non-game applications (also known as "funware"),[2] particularly consumer-oriented web and mobile sites, in order to encourage people to adopt the applications. It also strives to encourage users to engage in desired behaviors in connection with the applications.[3] Gamification works by making technology more engaging,[4] and by encouraging desired behaviors, taking advantage of humans' psychological predisposition to engage in gaming.[5] The technique can encourage people to perform chores that they ordinarily consider boring, such as completing surveys, shopping, or reading web sites.
Techniques
Early examples of gamification are based on rewarding points to people who share experiences on location-based platforms such as Facebook's "Place" feature, Foursquare (social network), andGowalla.[6] Some of the techniques include:
- achievement "badges"
- achievement levels
- "leader boards"
- a progress bar or other visual meter to indicate how close people are to completing a task a company is trying to encourage, such as completing a social networking profile or earning a frequent shopper loyalty award.[7]
- virtual currency
- systems for awarding, redeeming, trading, gifting, and otherwise exchanging points
- challenges between users
- embedding small casual games within other activities.
The subject also received attention from academics. A Stanford professor noted, in a book on the subject,[16] that some scholars believe gamification of businesses and virtual worlds is creating an expectation among people that real-life interactions follow simple mechanics, and some disillusionment when it does not.[40]
Some called gamification a buzzword, and noted that its techniques have been in place for a long time. One author noted that gamification elements are already present in everyday activities such as happy hours.[41] Others considered the business concept invalid, faddish, or a renaming of existing practices.[42] One commentator provided a number of negative consequences of making simple game-like consumer interactions an end in themselves, rather than designing either high quality games or full product designs.[43] Others have noted that gamification sometimes misses elements such as storytelling and experiences which are central to what make games effective
The Pomodoro technique.
What do I need to start?
A kitchen timer
You can use either a real timer (we love the "Pomodoro" kind) or a software timer. Set it to 25 minutes.
A sheet of paper
Blank paper is good, lined paper is better, pre-printed Pomodoro paper is the best!
A pencil
An eraser is also a plus!
How can I start?
The basic unit of work in the Pomodoro Technique® can be split in five simple steps:
- Choose a task to be accomplished
- Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
- Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper
- Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)
- Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break
Getting Things Done (GTD) is an organizational method created by productivity consultant David Allen, described in a book of the same name.
The Getting Things Done method rests on the principle that a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them externally. That way, the mind is freed from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate on actually performing those tasks.
In traditional time management, priorities usually play a central role. In contrast, Allen's approach uses two key elements — control andperspective. He proposes a workflow process to gain control over all the tasks and commitments that one needs or wants to get done, and "6 different levels of focus" to provide them with useful perspective.
The author advocates a weekly review focused on different levels, and suggests that the perspective gained from these reviews should drive one's priorities, which can in turn determine the priority of the individual tasks and commitments gathered during the workflow process. During a weekly review, the user determines the context for the tasks and puts them on the appropriate lists. An example of grouping together similar tasks would be making a list of outstanding telephone calls, or errands to perform while downtown. Context lists can be defined by the set of tools available or by the presence of individuals or groups for whom one has items to discuss or present.
GTD is based on making it easy to store, track and retrieve all information related to the things that need to get done. Allen suggests that many of the mental blocks we encounter are caused by insufficient 'front-end' planning. It is most practical, according to Allen, to do this thinking in advance, generating a series of actions which we can later undertake without any further planning. The human brain's "reminder system" is inefficient and seldom reminds us of what we need to do at the time and place when we can do it. Consequently, the "next actions" stored by context in the "trusted system" act as an external support which ensures that we are presented with the right reminders at the right time. Since GTD relies on external memories, it can be seen as an application of the scientific theories of distributed cognition or the extended mind.
Although GTD material is careful to remain "tool agnostic" and in fact advises people to start with a paper-based system[9], many task management tools claim to be GTD compliant.[10] A wide spectrum of software exists, from commercial packages like Remember The Milk, OmniFocus, Things and ThinkingRock to open source applications such asChandler to command-line implementations such as Taskwarrior. TiddlyWiki has long been used as a personal productivity tool geared towards Allen's GTD methodology.
