Brainstorm: For More Productivity, Pair Fun Activities With Useful Ones

A RECENT PAPER in Management Science reported that when people paired unproductive but fun things (like reading trashy novels) with health goals (like going to the gym) they were 56 percent more likely to achieve the former. So, what could you do that would be the equivalent of reading Fifty Shades of Grey while pounding the strider? How about alternating between SI.com and studying your POS guide, 15 minutes on/15 minutes off. Or setting a time to chat via your phone’s headset to your best friend from high school as you polish silver?