Look, there are a lot of things we don’t know, but there is one thing we know for sure — productivity needs a f*cking rebrand, and we rose to the challenge.

We knew there had to be a better way to make progress in work and life than by muscling through everything, relying solely on willpower. Over the past two years, we’ve redefined, updated, and created new entry points for people to think about getting things done.

We bring you: Spacetime’s Productivity Glossary

Spacetime’s Productivity Glossary

SPRINT

• A period of focused work to accomplish as much as possible within the limited timeframe, typically 1 hour. Great for creating routines, task batching and task initiation.

DASH

• A short burst of focused activity dedicated to one specific task, typically 15 minutes

FLOW

• A period of focused work that requires deep thought, persistence, and/or extensive focus, typically 2 hours. Great for Deep Work, open-ended creative projects, and tasks that require full immersion to reach a desired outcome.

TINY TASK

• A one-off task that typically takes 5 minutes or less to complete. Often these are easy to do, but the resistance to do them makes them feel difficult.

MONOTASKING

• Focusing on one idea, task, or project at a time for a defined period of time

MULTITASKING

• The act of attempting several tasks simultaneously, leading to a false perception of productivity. In reality, the rapid context switching results in exhaustion and overwhelm.

MINITASK

• A smaller, more manageable step of a larger, potentially more daunting task

FIRST FIFTEEN

• The initial period of resistance when starting something

BODY DOUBLING

• The act of having another person present while working on a task or a project to improve focus and reduce potential distractions

DEEP WORK

• A state of distraction-free, focused, uninterrupted work, enabling high-quality output, coined by Cal Newport

DEEP CHILL

• An intentional period of downtime for cognitive disengagement from demanding tasks or heavy stimulation

BRAIN BUFFERING

• The experience of slow, cloudy brain function, usually caused by executive dysfunction or overstimulation, leading to a feeling of frustration and a sense of time wasted.

FLOW STATE

• A mental state of full immersion and focus, resulting in heightened creativity, a sense of effortless action, and optimal performance and enjoyment. It is often referred to as being "in the zone," coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

BARE MINIMUM MONDAY

• The act of easing into the work week by reducing expectations and doing only what needs to be done on Monday

TECH REST

• Deliberate technology downtime to disconnect from the digital and reconnect with the physical

PRODUCTIVITY GUILT

• The feeling of unease, self-criticism, or anxiety that arises from a perception of not being productive enough, due to comparison, unrealistic expectations, and low self-esteem

TIME BLOCKING

• Assigning your available time into blocks for specific tasks or activities in order to enhance focus, manage time more effectively and increase overall productivity

BRAIN DUMP

• An exercise to transfer all thoughts, ideas, and tasks onto paper or digital format to help organize thoughts, reduce mental clutter, and get clarity by externalizing the internal chaos