Imagine your goal is to reach an island by boat, but there’s an obstacle you can’t cross. Then you follow it around to the right until you’re able to head towards the island without problems.
Heuristic is an adjective for experience-based techniques that help in problem solving, learning and discovery. Source: Wikipedia
The example above isn’t the most comprehensive, but it will work well, and you’ll eventually get your result.
Here, are a few other heuristics examples:
- If you are having difficulty understanding a problem, try drawing a picture.
- If you can’t find a solution, try assuming that you have a solution and seeing what you can derive from that (“working backward”).
- If the problem is abstract, try examining a concrete example.
- Try solving a more general problem first (the “inventor’s paradox”: the more ambitious plan may have more chances of success). Source: Wikipedia
One of applications of heuristic is certainly personal productivity. Productivity heuristics are rules used to get things done more efficiently. Here, I’ve put some of more important:
Image Credit: Fuchsphoto
1. Set a goals – Focusing on what you’ll do to not succumb to distractions. If you have several goals, give each a priority. Every day, set one or two goals max, then do it. Without a clear focus, it easy lose your time. Note: If a goal is too large, don’t worry if it can seem that you are not making progress towards it.
2. Hit your target - No matter what you must do, you need to identify and reach your target. For instance, if you writing a blog post, you could decide not to get up until you’ve written at least 500 words.
3. Identify your important tasks – Choose your peak times and identify your most important tasks for those times. Choose minor tasks during your non-peak times.
4. Work early in the morning - You can often get more done before 8am than most people do in a day.
5. Punctuality - Arrive always early despite it takes many time.
6. Visualize your goal in your mind as already realized – Once put yourself in right mental state, you’ll soon see it as already accomplished.
7. Take frequent breaks – Spend your time to see a movie, read a book or at an amusement park. I use Workrave to help remind to take micro-pauses. It has multiple timers that are only active when you are mousing.
