Productivity Glossary

A

Action Plans — detailed plans outlining specific steps needed to achieve particular goals.

Activation Energy — the initial burst of effort required to start a task or make a change, borrowed from chemistry where it represents the energy needed to trigger a reaction.

ADKAR Model — a change management model developed by Jeff Hiatt, involving five sequential stages (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) to help individuals adapt to transitions and transformations.

Agile methodology — a flexible project management methodology based on iterative approach and continuous improvement.

Assignments — the ability to delegate tasks to specific team members.

Asynchronous Teamwork — asynchronous teamwork involves coordinating team efforts across different time zones without real-time requirements, allowing independent handling of tasks like supplier communications.

B

Boards — visual task management boards for organizing projects and lists.

Brain Dump — an initial planning step where all tasks, ideas, and commitments are rapidly listed without judgment, typically in 15 minutes, to clear mental clutter before prioritization.

Buffer Time — unscheduled periods intentionally left open in a schedule to handle unexpected disruptions, breaks, or overflows, aiming to fill only 70% of available time for flexibility.

Burnout — a state of chronic physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or overwork.

C

Calendars — integrated scheduling tools to plan tasks over time.

Checklists — step-by-step lists to ensure that no essential tasks are missed.

Climbs — a feature that breaks large goals into smaller, manageable steps.

Cognitive Load — the mental effort spent on remembering and managing tasks, which can be reduced by documenting everything in one place to free the mind for focus.

Collaboration — the process of working with others to achieve shared goals.

Color Coding — a method for visually distinguishing tasks based on type or priority.

Comments — a feature that allows users to leave feedback or notes on tasks.

Constraint Satisfaction — the process of optimizing arrangements to meet competing demands under constraints, as practiced in puzzle-based games, to improve efficient resolution of team or resource conflicts.

Context Switching — refers to disruptions from changing tasks or real-time coordination, which asynchronous work minimizes, saving up to 4 hours per day per employee.

CRM — systems or strategies for managing a company’s interactions with current and potential customers.

D

Daily Planner — a tool for structuring daily tasks and responsibilities.

Deadlines — the final dates by which tasks or projects must be completed.

Deep Work — a state of focused concentration on cognitively demanding tasks without distractions.

Decision Journal — a tool for tracking and analyzing decisions made over time.

Diffuse Thinking — a relaxed mode of thinking that allows the brain to make creative connections.

Drag & Drop — a feature that allows users to move tasks within boards easily.

E

Eat the Frog — a productivity technique that involves tackling the most challenging task first thing in the day.

Eisenhower Matrix — a prioritization tool that categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance, helping focus on what truly matters.

Embeds — the ability to insert external content or applications within Timestripe.

F

Failure — an essential part of growth; understanding and learning from failures can lead to greater success.

Feynman Technique — a learning method that involves explaining complex concepts in simple terms.

Filters — a function to sort and display tasks based on specific criteria.

Focus — the ability to concentrate on important tasks while avoiding distractions.

G

Gantt Chart — a visual representation of a project schedule with task dependencies.

Getting Things Done (GTD) — David Allen’s comprehensive task management and productivity system.

Goal Setting — the practice of defining objectives to guide actions.

Google Extension — a browser extension for quick access to Timestripe features.

H

Horizons — a system of planning that organizes goals across short-term, mid-term, and long-term perspectives.

I

Integrations — connections between Timestripe and other productivity tools.

K

Kanban — a visual workflow management system using boards and columns.

Knowledge Sharing — the process of exchanging information, skills, and expertise within teams or organizations.

L

Labels — customizable tags that help categorize and filter tasks.

Lists — customizable lists for organizing tasks, ideas, or goals.

M

Magic Link — a secure, shareable invitation URL generated in workspace settings to easily add team members to a collaborative space without complex setup.

Meeting Notes — structured records of meetings that capture decisions, action items, and key discussions.

Mind Garden — mind garden is a personal, evolving space for your thoughts, inspired by the way plants grow: messy, organic, interconnected.

Mind Maps — diagrams that visually organize thoughts and ideas.

Micro-retirement — short breaks from work for rest, recovery, and life reassessment.

Mobile Sync — the ability to synchronize tasks across multiple devices.

Month View — a broader calendar overview showing tasks and deadlines for the month.

Multitasking — the act of performing multiple tasks simultaneously or switching rapidly between tasks.

N

Notes — a space for capturing additional information, insights, or reminders.

O

OKR — a goal-setting framework used to define and track objectives and their outcomes.

Old Internet — refers to the early days of the internet, characterized by simpler websites and communities.

Onboarding — the process of introducing new users to Timestripe’s tools and functions.

Overthinking — the excessive and repetitive analysis of a situation or decision, often leading to unnecessary stress, indecision, or distorted perceptions.

P

Pomodoro Technique — a time management method using 25-minute focused work intervals followed by short breaks.

Prioritization — the process of ranking tasks by importance and urgency.

Productivity — the efficiency in completing tasks and reaching goals.

Project Timeline — a chronological view of a project’s phases and key milestones.

Q

Quiet Quitting — doing the minimum requirements of one’s job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary.

R

Recurring Tasks — tasks that repeat at set intervals (daily, weekly, etc.).

Reminders — notifications to keep users aware of upcoming tasks and deadlines.

Revenge Quitting — leaving a job or position abruptly as a form of protest or retaliation.

Reverse Mentoring — a process where younger or less experienced individuals share knowledge with senior colleagues.

S

Seagull Management — a management style where a manager only interacts with employees when there’s a problem, often leading to negative outcomes.

Search — a tool for quickly finding tasks, notes, or goals.

Self-rewards — a system of acknowledging and celebrating personal achievements and completed tasks.

Shortcuts — keyboard commands that improve workflow efficiency.

Slow Living — a lifestyle emphasizing a slower approach to aspects of everyday life, promoting mindfulness and quality over speed.

SMART Goals — goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Snake Tasks — elusive, unfinished projects or responsibilities that linger in to-do lists, constantly shifting and expanding while draining mental energy through the Zeigarnik effect.

Spaces — collaborative workspaces for teams to manage shared projects.

Sprint Planning — the process of planning short work iterations within Agile methodology.

Subgoals — smaller objectives that help achieve a larger goal.

T

Tasks — individual actions or responsibilities within a list or project.

Task Dependencies — relationships between tasks where one must be completed before another starts.

Task Decomposition — the process of breaking down large, complex tasks into smaller, manageable components.

Team Management — the process of leading, coordinating, and organizing team efforts toward common objectives.

Team Productivity — the collective efficiency of a team in achieving shared goals and outcomes.

Templates — pre-designed structures for quickly setting up tasks and projects.

Time Management — the process of organizing and controlling time spent on activities.

Time-Blocking — a productivity method that assigns fixed time slots to specific tasks.

Timestripe — a unique planning tool that helps users set goals, track progress, and structure their tasks across different time horizons.