| What is your PTF (Productive Trigger Formula)? | | | | you're counting! |
| We all have one. It's what gets us into the "Zone," | | | | Notice that my particular PTF does not include a |
| when everything we do flows so easily and | | | | Vi - Visual Internal - (This would be a visualization) |
| completely. | | | | or a Ki - Kinesthetic Internal (This would be a |
| Your PTF consists of a combination of internal and | | | | strong gut feeling). Your PTF, on the other hand, |
| external Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic patterns | | | | may include those two, or not, depending on what |
| that you can implement when you need to - if | | | | works for you. |
| you know what they are! | | | | The key to getting into your Productivity Zone, |
| For example, I discovered that I can get up to | | | | and being as productive as you can be, is to |
| four times as much work done on an airplane as I | | | | figure out how to get into the state that |
| can anywhere else. My PTF begins when the plane | | | | produces the most productive work for you. |
| reaches its cruising altitude and I HEAR that | | | | Here is a list of the Visual, Auditory, and |
| steady hum that most people aren't even aware | | | | Kinesthetic possibilities that will assist you in |
| of - that's Auditory External (Ae). | | | | discovering your own Productivity Trigger Formula: |
| That hum triggers my next action, which is to | | | | Visual External - Anything you see that produces |
| say to myself, "Time to get some work done," | | | | a s strong feeling in you. |
| or similar words - that's Auditory Internal (Ai). | | | | Visual Internal - What you see in your mind's eye, |
| Next, I reach under the seat in front of me and | | | | a visualization. |
| retrieve whatever I intend to work on from my | | | | Auditory External - Whatever you hear or say |
| briefcase (or I get my computer from the | | | | out loud. |
| overhead bin). This action is a combination of | | | | Auditory Internal - Your Self-Talk, whatever you |
| Visual External (Ve) and Kinesthetic External (Ke), | | | | say to yourself. |
| as is my next action of pulling down the tray | | | | Kinesthetic External - Hands-on, what you do. |
| table and setting my work on top of it. | | | | Kinesthetic Internal - Any strong, gut feeling. |
| Then, I say something to myself like, "Okay, I | | | | Think of a time when you were in your own |
| need to finish this by __________." Or, "I need | | | | "Zone" and were as productive as you could |
| to read four chapters in this book by the time | | | | possibly be. Where were you? What did you see, |
| the Flight Attendants come by with the beverage | | | | hear, do, and/or feel in what order? What was |
| cart." This is again Auditory Internal (Ai). | | | | the first trigger? The last? What came in the |
| And away I go! | | | | middle? |
| So my Productive Trigger Formula looks | | | | Write out your formula and attempt to replicate it |
| something like this: | | | | to find out if you can get into that productive |
| Ae + Ai + Ve + Ke + Ai = Begin! | | | | state intentionally. |
| I am primarily Auditory in terms of my Learning | | | | This may take some time and experimentation. |
| Thinking Style, and my formula contains three | | | | However, once you know your PTF and how to |
| Auditory moves and one Visual External and one | | | | achieve it, you will be able to create a ritual to get |
| Kinesthetic External move - or two Visual External | | | | there at will. |
| and Kinesthetic External each, depending on how | | | | |