X is for eXecution.

I know, I know... execution doesn't strictly begin with X. Well, once I've worked out how you can use a xylophone to get more done then I'll come back and update this entry; until then it's staying as execution.

"Execution" is the sort of word you only expect to encounter on the powerpoint slide of a high-powered business executive, but it's just a fancy way of talking about doing the tasks on your list.

W is for Work.

I'll keep this short because it's a topic that nobody wants to dwell on. However, sooner or later almost everything worth doing will involve some effort.

We've been conditioned by adverts that claim that we can have it all without having to do any work - we can get thin without exercising, get rich without lifting a finger - but they're all touting that tempting easy fix that deep-down we know won't work.

When he was talking about people who say that successful people are lucky to be where they are, Stephen Fry said...

V is for Victories.

What was the last thing that you ticked off your to-do list? Can you remember? How did it feel when you drew the line straight through the middle of it? Did you notice it, or were you busy rushing onto the next item that needs to be done?

If it's just a blur, then go back and cross it out again. This time really savour it. That task is gone... done... you've have vanquished it from your life. I can wait if it gives you time for an extra moment of enjoyment.

U is for Urgent.

When I first matched all the letters to their productivity term, having Urgent for U was one of the easier choices. Now I come to write it, however, I realise that what I'm about to write about is more to do with not urgent than urgent. Can this be "U is for Un-Urgent"?

I think we can get away with "U is for Urgent".

T is for Tags.

I apologise to anyone who only uses pen and paper to track their to-do lists, because T's subject is only useful for computerized to-do list applications. However, I think it's such an important and useful part of a computer-based solution that you lo-fi (and if paper works best for you then stick with it) system users will have to bear with me.

I may be biased, given that I've written and use a tag-based online to-do list app, but I believe that the ability to tag your tasks is one of the most important features when it comes to managing your tasks.

S is for Slope.

This is a technique I picked up ages ago for helping you to get the day off to a good start. It gives you a quick slug of momentum to build upon and ensure that you get your work off on the right foot.

Do you find that it's tricky to get started on your to-do list in the morning? You're still waking up, and there's always the temptation to check your email... make that pot of coffee... catch up on the gossip with your co-workers...

R is for Recharge.

One of the problems of keeping everything you have to do in your system is that there's always something more that you could do. Being more productive is one thing, but working yourself into an early grave is something entirely different. It's important to find time, however many things are left on your to-do list, to take a break from work and recharge your batteries.

Please note, though, that this entry is recharge, not relax. Finding a way to relax is a great way to recharge, but if you'd rather blow the cobwebs away charging down a twisty singletrack on your mountain bike, or get the adrenalin pumping cheering on your football team, then that's fine. Just get away from the daily grind.

Sadly I don't mean "complete things accidentally" in the sense of "whoops, I've just finished that 10,000 word essay... I didn't mean to do that until next week..."

No, I just mean your tasks in tedium. Every now and then I click on the wrong "Completed" button, and something that's still waiting to be done now has a line through it.

We're a quarter of the way through the year already! It doesn't feel that long ago that I was writing about the Annual Productivity Report for 2007, but the Productivity Reports for January through March have just been generated.

If you're a tedium user you should have received an email telling you about the report, or you can just log into your account and choose the "My Reports" link at the top or bottom of the page.

Q is for Questions.

Okay, I'll admit it: choosing a productivity topic for the letter Q wasn't the easiest of tasks.

However, when trying to pin down what you need to do, or how you should organize your work, it can be helpful to think through any of a number of generic questions. They don't always give you the answer directly, but help you to frame the issue differently and hopefully gain a new perspective on it.