Productivity Glossary

The cognitive phenomenon where focus lingers on a previous task after transitioning to a new one.

Grouping similar tasks together to complete them in a single focused session.

A state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwork.

The mental cost incurred when shifting attention from one task to another.

The decline in decision-making quality after making a prolonged series of choices.

Professional activities performed in distraction-free concentration that push cognitive abilities to their limit.

Assigning tasks to others to focus on higher-value activities that require your unique skills.

The practice of completing the most difficult or important task first thing in the day.

A prioritization tool that classifies tasks by urgency and importance into four quadrants.

Optimizing physical, emotional, and mental energy rather than managing time alone.

A mental state of complete absorption in a task where performance peaks and time perception alters.

David Allen's five-step task management methodology: Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect, Engage.

Pre-planned if-then responses that link situational cues to goal-directed behaviors.

A prioritization system of listing and ranking the six most important tasks for the next day.

A habit that triggers a cascade of positive changes in other areas of life or work.

The observation that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.

The adage that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.

A time management method using 25-minute focused work intervals separated by short breaks.

The measure of output quality and quantity relative to the resources (time, energy, attention) invested.

Non-cognitively demanding logistical tasks that can be performed while distracted.

The practice of dedicating full attention to one task at a time rather than multitasking.

A scheduling technique of assigning specific time blocks to designated tasks or activities.

Allocating a fixed maximum duration for a task and stopping when the time expires.

A 90-120 minute biological cycle of alternating high and low alertness throughout the day.

The psychological tendency to remember incomplete tasks more vividly than completed ones.