I got to chance to read some good articles on Lifehacker under the How I Work series. Two articles in particular stood out to me, one centered on Basecamp’s Jason Fried and the other on Linus Sebastion of LinusTechTips.

Linus Sebastion of LinusTechTips on the best advice he ever received:

“Execution is everything. Sitting around and planning is worthless unless it turns into something tangible. You’re better off to have 100% execution of a 50% plan than 50% execution of a 100% plan. Nothing drives me crazier than sitting around pontificating about “the perfect way to do something” when we’re in a hurry, which is always if you want to get anything done.”

Jason Fried of Basecamp on his workspace setup:

“…I’m a one-computer guy—a 12″ MacBook, so I can work from anywhere. Years ago I used multiple monitors and had multiple computers. Then I jettisoned multiple computers but kept the multiple monitor setup. And a few years ago I tossed out the second monitor and have been a single computer, single screen person since then. I go full screen on nearly every app. I also hide my dock. I don’t want anything pulling my attention away. When I’m curious I’ll look. Otherwise, I’m looking at what I want, not what someone else might want me to see.

I can’t stress this enough—protect your attention like you protect your friends, family, money, etc. It’s among the most valuable things you have.”

The above quote ties into Jason’s time-saving rule:

“Saying no. Techniques and hacks are all about managing what happens when you say yes to too many things. All the techniques and hacks in the world never add up to the power of no. Having fewer things to do is the best way to get things done. I’m very careful with my time and attention—it’s my most precious resource. If you don’t have that, you can’t do what you want to do. And if you can’t do what you want to do, what’s the point?”

I am burning these into my hard drive (brain).

Credit: Lifehacker: How I Work