work more efficiently

On my first day at my new job (two weeks ago) my new boss hands me the David Allen book, ‘Getting Things Done: The Art to Stress-Free Productivity’. I’ve skimmed the book, which has tons of ways to get things done, but the biggest is really a change of perspective. I’m so tuned to thinking that productivity is getting the big things done, when actually its more about getting the small things to be small things and making the big things in small things. I’ve only read the first two chapters, but another goal will be to finish this book, and then I’ll review how productive I consider myself.

I’m a software developer, and most of the time it’s hard to show that I’m productive. I work long hours, and I do a lot, but I don’t have anything to show for my progress (other than I’m closer than I was before). I want to show progress and I want to be productive. I’m still trying to identify the things which don’t make me productive (like distractions, and meetings, and things which don’t add to the final goal of the output). I have to determine what productive means for me so I can determine what the goal will look like.