The rule of three is a highly effective productivity technique. It’s all about focusing on three daily goals, which tie into three weekly goals. Those, in turn, connect to three monthly goals, which come from your three big yearly goals. Little by little, you’ll make steps towards reaching your goals!

There is a misalignment between traditional productivity metrics and the true nature of academic work, creating unnecessary stress and friction. We must rethink how we measure productivity in academia. Here are my thoughts.

Having a morning routine is one of the most powerful productivity habits that you can acquire. Don't worry, you don’t have to get up at 5 p.m. A morning routine is what you do in your very first part of your working day. The idea is, how you start the day will define how the rest of your day is going to be. Set yourself off in the right direction.

Eat the frog is a powerful productivity technique, which suggests that you should do your most difficult and important task (your ugly frog) first thing in the morning; everything after that is much easier. This is incredibly powerful if you are able to make it a habit.

The Pareto Principle (also know as the 80/20 rule) shows up everywhere. Try to look for it. It can help you to identify the most important tasks you should focus on. They are the ones that provide the most leverage. They have the most impact. This is also true the other way around. Avoid tasks that don’t give you leverage as much as possible.

Here are my tips on how to use the Pareto Principle in academia.