How to be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott – Book Review

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Productivity Ninja - AmazonAfter reading this book be prepared to be one of the most productive ninja’s you know!
In this book Graham Allcott looks at how to manage our attitudes and attention, rather than our time. Allcott states we are in an age of “information overload” and his encouragement of a ninja like approach certainly makes the book a light hearted read, “zen-like calm”, “ruthlessness”, “agility” and “mindfulness” are some of the highlighted ninja attributes that will get you working efficiently.

Chapter 3 on attention management, I feel, is one of the key concepts in the book. As briefly touched on; Allcott discusses how we live in a world of “information overload”. This is essentially referring to the vast number of inputs into our daily lives we all have; from texts, phone calls and emails to T.V, websites and social media sites. If we can manage to control, or at least respond to our attention then it is likely we can increase our productivity! Our attention is essentially a finite resource, limited in the amount we have each day. By identifying different levels of attention and when we are peaking/flagging its possible to use this information to our advantage.

Productivity Ninja - AmazonAllcott split the different levels of attention into different categories; proactive attention, active attention and inactive attention. During periods of proactive attention (when you’re most on the ball and ready to tackle anything) you should be doing your hardest tasks. Leave the more menial, boring tasks to when you’re going through a period of inactive attention; maybe change the printer cartridge or just go and grab a coffee! By identifying at what time of the day you’re on top form, and what times you’re not, can allow you to plan your days accordingly, ensuring the hardest of tasks get your utmost attention!

The book is packed full of similarly great insights in how to manage everything on your plate. Another example is the encouragement of doing a daily and weekly review. Within this review you may want to look at those tasks which you have to do and yet you feel some form of resistance against them. Allcott states how by doing the tasks you hate, first thing in the morning, then your day can only get better. A simple technique in altering your approach to something can have such a drastic effect on the rest of your day, as this hated task is no longer looming over your head.

After reading this book you really should be a true productivity ninja! Why not check out Allcott’s blog on productivity or if you want to grab yourself a copy of the book then Amazon is a great place to do so!

About the author 

Pete Baikins

Pete Baikins is an international authority on gamification, a lifelong gamer, successful entrepreneur and a lecturer. As CEO of Gamification+ Ltd he mentors and trains companies world-wide on the use of gamification to solve business challenges. Gamification+ won the Board of Trade Award from the UK's Department of International Trade in January 2019.

Pete is co-host of the health gamification podcast Health Points and is also Chair of Gamification Europe, the annual conference for Gamification practitioners.

Pete is an Honorary Ambassador for GamFed (International Gamification Confederation), having previously been the Chair from 2014 to February 2019, whose aim is to spread best practices within and support the gamification industry.

After 15 years as a Lecturer on gamification and entrepreneurship at the University of Brighton he now guest lectures on Gamification at King’s College London and at ESCP Europe at post-graduate and under-graduate levels.

Over the past 20 years Pete has built and sold two businesses. One was in security software and the more recent one was a telecoms and internet connectivity business. He is also an Ambassador for Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce in the UK.

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