This regular feature shares the secrets of the most highly efficient Productivity Ninjas. In this post, our Head of Outreach, Pippa Moyle, shares her secrets behind monotasking in a multitasking job and how hiding herself away brings out her inner ninja.
About Pippa
Occupation: Head of Outreach
Company: Think Productive
Location: Brighton
Other job titles in life: Blogger, Writer and Photographer
What’s important about your workspace?
My desk has to be organised, but surrounded by creative inspiration. At TP, we have ‘desk pets’ disguised as stress balls. Mine’s a penguin that I’ve named Pingu.
Which ninja characteristic have you got nailed the most?
I’ve totally nailed Stealth And Camouflage. I have a day out of the office once a week when I lock myself away and conquer a whole load of really big rocks.
Which ninja characteristic are you still working on the most?
I’m still working on Zen-Like Calm. The nature of my job means that a lot of what I have to do is actioned quickly – for instance, getting materials over to journalists and responding to requests on social media and any sales enquiries or productivity questions that come through the website. Achieving these with zen-like calm can be a real challenge sometimes. Daily yoga and meditation is helping though.
Which five apps could you not live without?
I really can’t live without Evernote, Pocket, Twitter, Pinterest and Headspace.
What’s your favourite piece of stationary?
I’m a big lover of Post-it notes! I love covering my cork board at home with them.
When in the day do you have the most proactive attention?
I’m an early bird girl – I’m on fire between 9am and midday. But then I can be a bit of a night owl too and get a lot done between 8pm and 10pm.
What’s your trick for when you’re tired or struggling with attention in the day?
The Pomodoro Technique saves me from a productivity slum every time! Work for 25 minutes, rest for 5 minutes – repeat.
What’s your best advice for reducing stress?
I have a lot to be thankful for with my Weekly Checklist. When my work feels overwhelming, it’s really useful to see where my projects actually are – I usually find it’s a lot more manageable than I think!
What’s your email regime?
I tend to check my emails every other hour, and when I do, I process them right away.
What’s your favourite way to take a break in the middle of the day?
I love going out for lunch with my colleagues, it really helps to break up the day. If everyone’s busy though, I wander down to the beach, or get lost on pinterest if it’s a rainy day.
What’s the secret to your productivity?
Keep track of where your projects are, always process your emails when you see them and finish your day by writing a to do list for the next day.
For more ideas on how to incorporate productivity techniques into your daily routine, see our entire ‘How I Stay Productive’ series here.
Or read the most popular posts from the series…