61ProductivityHackstoGet

MoreDone



ByDominicMann

 1.ParkinsonsLaw

ParkinsonsLawsimplystatesthatworkexpandssoastofill
thetimeavailableforitscompletion.Thatswhyyoucansee
universitystudentsdoanentiresemestersworthofstudyina
singlenight,whileitcantakearetiredladyofleisureanentireday
todosomethingassimpleaswriteandsendapostcard.

YoucanuseParkinsonslawtoyouradvantagebygiving
yourselflesstimetodotasks.Thinkitwilltakeyouanhourtodo
something?Giveyourself20minutesandhaveatimerticking
besideyou.Whatyoullfindisthatyoubuckledownanddothe
taskasfastasyoupossiblycansoastocompleteitbeforethe
timerhitszero.SuddenlyfeellikecheckingFacebooktoseewhat
Wendysdoing?Screwthat,youtellyourself,youveonlygot12
minutesleft!

Likewise,insteadofspending30minuteseverymorning
leisurelybrowsingyourinbox,giveyourselfnomorethanfive
minutes.Ifyouwanttogohardcore,trygivingyourself23
minutes.

2.ExerciseRegularly

TheancientGreeksusedtohaveasayingthatwent
somethingalongthelinesof,ahealthymindinahealthybody.
Whatthismeansisthattheybelievedthattoperformatones
mentalpeak,onemustbephysicallyfit.Someonewhowas
unhealthyornotphysicallyfit,theybelieved,wouldstrugglewith
dynamicandcreativeintellectualactivity.

Today,modernsciencehasprovedthistobe100percent
correct.Physicalfitnesshasbeenfoundtobecorrelatedwith
intellect.Similarly,aerobicexercisehasbeendiscoveredto
literallygrowthebrainandpromotetheformationofnew
connections.Studieshaveevenfoundthatmicewhodidlotsof
runningwereabletolearnthingstwicethatsright,TWICE
asfastasthemicewhodidntdoanyrunning.

3.EatHealthy

Thesamegoeswithhealthyeating.Intodayssociety,most
peopleeathighcarbfoodsthatspike(andthencrash)theirblood
sugarandinsulinlevels.Thisleadstotheinfamouspostlunch
slumpaswellasgeneralfeelingsoffatigueandbrainfog.

Therearetwosolutionstothisproblem.Thefirstistoeat
lowGI(lowglycemicindex)foods.Thesefoodsarestill
predominantlycarbohydrate,buttheytakealongertimeforthe
bodytobreakdownandburnforenergy.Asaresult,lowGIfoods
providesustainedenergyandfocusratherthantheupsand
downsandspikesandcrashesthatmostpeoplearefamiliarwith.

LowGIfoodsincludesuchfoodsasbakedbeans,wholegrain
breads,sweetpotato,apples,andperhapsthechampionof
lowGIfoodsoats.

 Thesecondoption,andarguablythebetteroptionasit
eliminatesthespikesandcrashesofcarbsaltogether,arehealthy
fats.Healthyfatsarefoundinsuchfoodsasavocados,olives
(especiallyextravirginoliveoil),nuts,seeds,flaxseed,kale,
spinach,andfattyfish(e.g.salmon,tuna,sardines,trout,
mackerel,etc.).

Theadvantageofhealthyfatsisthattheynotonlyprovide
sustainedenergy,buttheyalsoboostcognitivefunctionandwill
notaffectyourinsulinorbloodsugarlevels.Thismeansthatyou
wontbegettingthatpostlunchslump.

4.DailyPlanning

Dailyplanningallowsyoutobeproactiveratherthan
reactive.Itallowsyoutoactivelycontrolyourdestinyandwork
towardyourgoalsratherthangettingcaughtupinreactingto
eventsaroundyouwithoutreallyeverachievinganything
meaningful.

Evergothomeafterahugelybusyday(orweek!)atwork?
Youreexhausted.Youretired.Youvebeenbusy,busy,busy.But
uponreflection,yourealizethatinreality,nothingworthwhile
wasachieved.Youvehaventreallymovedanywhere.Youvejust
beentreadingwater.Youvejustbeenreactingtothingsthathave
happenedtoyouratherthangoingoutandhappeningtothings.

 Getuphalfanhourearlyeachmorningtoplanoutyourday.
Neveragainwillyoufallintothatterribletrapofbeingbusybut
neverreallymovinganywhere.

Ifgettingupearlyisntyourthing,youcanalsodoyourdaily
planningthenightbefore.

5.StartHard

Weperformatourbestseveralhoursaftergettingup.But
youprobablyalreadyknowthis.Afterall,nobodydoestheirbest
work30minutesbeforeleavingtheofficeat5pm.

Butwhy,then,dosomanyofusstartthedaydoingeasy
tasks?Whydontwetakeadvantageofourmorningsbystarting
thedaywiththebiggest,hardest,mostimportanttask?Ifwedid
that,therestofthedaywouldbeabreeze,right?Ofcourseit
would!

Sostartyourdaywithyourmostimportanttask.Saveeasy,
minortasksforlaterinthedaywhenyourefeelingabitloweron
energyandmotivation.

6.BlockOutDistractions

Recentstudieshavefoundthat53percentofwhitecollar
workersintheUnitedStatescantgomorethan15minutes
withoutbeinginterruptedordistracted.Thatisterriblenewsfor
thosewhoseworkrequiresfocus,concentration,anddepth.

Thesolution?

Chuckonsomeheadphones.Thisshouldactasadeterrentto
anybodywhomighthaveotherwiseinterruptedyou.Toblockout
noise,trylisteningtosomecalmingclassicalmusicorgetsome
noisecancellingheadphones.

7.PomodoroTechnique

ThePomodoroTechniqueoriginatesfromanItalianman
whobeganusinghistomatoshapedkitchentimertobreakhis
workdowninto25minuteintervals.TheItalianwordfortomato
ispomodoro.Assuch,eachofthese25minuteintervalsare
knownasapomodoro.

Betweeneach25minuteintervalisafiveminutebreak.After
fourpomodoros(i.e.four25minuteworksessionswithfive
minutebreaksinbetween),thereisa1530minutebreak.

TheideabehindthePomodoroTechniqueisthatthe
frequentbreaksrefreshthemind.Anotherbenefitisthatduring
these25minuteworksessions,youarenotpermittedtodistract
yourself(i.e.nosurfingReddit!).Thisgivesyou25minutesof
focusedwork,makingyousuperproductive.

 Furthermore,studieshaveproventhatbreaksdoindeedlead
tosustainedmentalperformance,whilecontinuousworkwithno
breaksleadstoasignificantdeclineinperformance.

SogivethePomodoroTechniqueatry!

8.TheABCMethod

ThebrainchildofsuccesscoachBrianTracy,theABC
methodprovidesapowerfulnewapproachtothetodolist.The
waytheABCmethodworksisthatyoubreakdownyourtodolist
intothreecategories,Atasks,Btasks,andCtasks.

Atasksarethemostimportanttask.Sofindthebiggest,
mostdifficult,mosturgent,mostimportanttasksonyourtodo
listandputabigfatletterAnexttothem.Theseshouldbethe
tasksthatthereareseriousconsequencesfornotcompleting.

Btasksareimportanttasks,butnotasimportantasA
tasks.So,justasyoudidwiththeAtasks,findyourBtasks
andwriteabigfatBnexttothem.

Ctasksaretasksthatarenotatallessential.Thismight
includehavingcoffeewithcoworkersordoingsomepersonal
businessduringworkhours.Findthesetasksonyourtodolist,
andputabigCbesidethem.

Finally,numericallyrankthetasksineachcategoryby
importance.Forexample,A1willbethesinglemostimportant
taskonthelist,thentherewillbeA2,A3,andsoon.Thesame
goesfortheBandCcategoriesyoullhaveB1,B2,andso
on.

Onceyouvedonethis,getstartedonyourA1task.Dontdo
yourA2taskuntilyourA1taskiscomplete.Likewise,dontdo
anyBtasksuntilallofyourAtasksarecomplete.Workyour
waythroughyourtodolistinthisfashion.

Thebenefitsofapproachingyourtodolistinthisfashionis
thatyoullcompleteallyourbiggest,mostimportant,andmost
cognitivelydemandingtasksfirstupwhileyourefresh,motivated,
andenergized.Italsomeansthatevenifyoudontgeteverything
donethatday,youwillhavefinishedyourmostimportanttasks.
Thiswillbeahugerelief.

9.ChainofCrosses

Thechainofcrossesapproachtogettingthingsdoneis
particularlyeffectiveifyouaretryingtocementanewhabitor
makesureyoudoacertainactivityeachdaythatisntnecessarily
allthatexciting.

Thechainofcrossesmethodworksbygettingapaper
calendar(ordrawingoneuponapieceofpaper).Eachday,when
youcompletethisactivity,youputabigredcrossovertodays
dateonthecalendar.Afterafewdaysofdoingthis,youllfindthat
youvegotanicechainofcrossesgoing.Nowallyouneedtodois
makesurethatyoudonotbreakthechainunderany
circumstances.

Thismethodcanbeusedforanything,whetheritbemaking
sureyouexerciseeveryday,practicethepiano,orwriteacertain
numberofwords.

10.StopMultitasking

Studieshavefoundthatmultitaskingleadstoa40percent
dropinproductivity.No,youdidntreadthatwrong.A40percent
DROP.

Buthowisthatpossible?Isntmultitaskingsupposedto
makeyouMOREproductive,notless?

Theunfortunaterealityisthatourhumanbrainscannot
focusonmorethanonethingatonce.Youcantdoalgebrawhile
simultaneouslydoingacrosswordpuzzle.Youcantlistentotwo
peopletalkingatthesametime.Youcantlearnthepianowhile
playingchess.Itissimplyimpossibleforthehumanbraintodo
twoconsciousactivitiessimultaneously.

Multitaskingisamyth.Whatwearereallydoingwhenwe
thinkwearemultitaskingisactuallytaskswitching.Weare
switchingbetweentasks,notdoingthembothatthesametime.
Theproblemwiththis,however,isthatourbraincannotinstantly
refocusonsomethingentirelynew.Ittakesanywherefromasplit
secondtoseveralsecondsforyourbraintorememberwhatyoure
actuallydoing.Overtheday,thisaddsuptoarounda40percent
lossinproductivity.

Theproductivitycostofmultitaskingissohigh,infact,that
ithasbeenestimatedthatthecostofmultitaskingtoUS
businessesis$650billion.Crazy,right?

Furthermore,youreleftwithasocalledresidue.Whatthis
meansisthatyoursubconsciousisstillthinkingabouttheother
taskyoujustswitchedfromandtakesalittlewhiletofullyrefocus
onthenewtasksbywhichtime,mostpeoplewillhaveswitched
ontoyetanothertask,severelyrestrictingtheirperformanceand
qualityofwork.

Ifyouwanttoperformatyourbest,cutoutthemultitasking.
Youllnotonlygetthingsdonemuch,muchquicker,butbetter,
too.

11.MakingtheMostofWasted
Time

Manyofushavehourseachdaythatareunavoidablywasted.
Whetherthatbesittingonthesubway,waitingforthebus,
standinginlineforcoffee,orwalkingfromoneplacetoanother.
However,allthistimeaddsupoftentoseveralhourseachday.
Sowhynotmakethemostofthem?

 Insteadofsimplydoingnothing,orjustthinkingabout
somethinguselesslikelastnightsepisodeofTheBachelor,plan
outsomeworkordosomeproblemsolving.

Gotsomethingyouneedtowritewhenyougetbacktowork?
Planitoutinyourhead.Bythetimeyouhitthekeyboard,youll
havethestructure,subsections,points,andcontentallreadyto
go!

Thiswillalsoservetostrengthenyourabilitytofocusand
concentrate.Beforelong,youllbetheindisputablemasterofyour
attention!

12.WakeUpanHourEarly

Ifyouwokeupnoearlierthan60minutesbeforeyouusually
rise,youdgainanextra365hourseachyear.Toputthatinto
perspective,thatsmorethanninetypicalworkingweeks.NINE.

Imaginehowmuchmoreyoudgetdoneifyouhad61weeks
ayearratherthanameasly52.Well,youactuallycangetthose61
weeksjustwakeupanhourearlyeachmorning!Itsasimpleas
that.

Youcanusetheseextratwoplusmonthsoftimetoworkona
sidebusiness,sculptsomesixpackabs,learnanewlanguage,
becometheErnestHemingwayofthe21stcentury,ortoleave
yourcolleaguesinthedust.

 13.DailyRituals

Youwouldhonestlybeshockedbyhoweffectivedailyrituals
are.Thisiswhyideassurroundingthelikesofmorningroutines
andsuchhavebecomesopopular.Notbecometheyaretrendyor
coolbutbecausetheyaresodamneffective!

Thereasonthatdailyritualsandmorningroutinesareso
effectiveisbecausetheystackhabitsontopofeachother.Rather
thandevelopingjustonegoodhabitthatwillimproveyourlife,a
morningroutineenablesyoutodevelopanentiremorning's
worthoflifeenhancinghabits.

Beenmeaningtomeditate?Wishyoucouldfindtimefor
exercise?Wanttostartgettingupearlyandplanningyourday?
Looknofurtherthanawelldevelopedmorningroutine.

Oneexamplemightbegettingupat5amanddoingsome
exerciseforhalfanhour.Thentakeacoldshowertowashoffall
thesweat,getdressed,andgohaveabanana,mango,egg,
blueberry,andmilksmoothietostarttheday.Thenonecanplan
outtheday,writingtheir35biggestgoalsfortheday,andthen
do10minutesofmindfulnessmeditationbeforejumpinginthe
carandzoomingofftotheoffice.Totopitalloff,youcouldlisten
toaselfhelpaudiobookontheway.

FromTonyRobbinsjumpingintoafreezingcoldswimming
pooltoBeethovenshandcountingofexactly60coffeebeansto
preparehisperfectcoffee.FromBenjaminFranklinsaskingof
himselfWhatgoodshallIdotoday?toSteveJobslookingat
himselfinthebathroommirrorandcontemplatingwhetherornot
hewouldbehappyifthisweretobethelastdayofhislife.Allof
theworldsultrasuccessfulhavewelldevelopedmorningroutines
thathelpthemstartthedayinapowerfulway.

14.Habit

Almostallofushavebadhabitsandsowecanrelatetohow
difficultitistoovercomethem.Whenourhabitsarethatdeeply
ingrained,theyarealmostimpossibletoovercome.Theyarelike
steelchains.

However,thequestionisthis:Dothesesteelchainsliftyou
uporpullyoudown?

Theworldsmostproductivepeopleuniformlyutilizethe
powerofhabittopropelthemtowardsuccessonautopilot.From
morningroutinesthatgetintoanultraproductivestateofmind,
towearingthesameclotheseverydayandoutsourcingtheir
decisionsonwhatfoodtoeat.

Sostartmakingaconsciousefforttodevelophabitsthatwill
helptopropelyoutowardyourgoalsonautopilot.

15.AChangeofEnvironment

 Thenewlyselfemployedoftenfindthemselvesreally
strugglingwithproductivity.Obviously,oneofthereasonsforthis
isthattheydonthaveabossbreathingdowntheirneck.The
majorreason,however,isthattheirunconsciousmindassociates
theirhomewithrelaxationandleisure.Notworkand
productivity.

Thisproblemhasasimplesolution:Changeyour
environment!Gosomeplacethatyourbrainassociateswithwork
andproductivity,orattheveryleast,aplaceinwhichyouhaveno
choicebuttobeproductive.

Thebestsuchplacesarelibraries.Gotothelibrary,takeyour
laptop,andyoullfindyourselfhavingnoproblemdoingasolid
eighthoursofwork.Otherwise,youcouldalsotrycoworking
spaces,cafes,orcreateadedicatedhomeofficethatisntusedfor
anythingexceptfor100percentproductivework.

Soifyoureeverfeelingunproductive,shakethingsup.Give
yourselfachangeofenvironment.

Duetotheinternet,thiscanstillbedoneifyouworka
typicalofficejob.Althoughitdependslargelyonyourtypeofwork
andhowprogressiveyourworkplaceorbossis,itsnotimpossible
toarrangeforadayeachweekinwhichyouworkfromdifferent
locations,suchasfromcoffeeshopsandlibraries.Youllfindthat
thechangeofenvironmentenergizesyou,stimulatesnew
thoughts,andboostsyourcreativity.

 16.WorkstationPopcorn

Workstationpopcorn,thebrianchildofJoelRunyonfrom
ImpossibleHQ(http://impossiblehq.com/aboutjoel/),putsforth
theboldthesisthatoneshouldworkfromatleastthreedifferent
locationsinasingleday.Yougoaboutitbystartingoutwitha
todolist.Youthendividethetodolistupintothreeevenchunks
(ideallyofthreetaskseach),andwritealocationnexttoeachof
them(e.g.HipsterHouseCafe,CityGardensPark,andTown
Library).

Workstationpopcorndoesagreatjobofboosting
productivityforseveralreasons.First,thefactthatyouhaveto
physicallymoveandchangelocationsgetsyoutobuckleanddown
finishthetasks.Secondly,the30minutesorsospentwalking
betweeneachlocationsstimulatesandrefreshesthemindand
boostscreativityandproductivity.

YouthenstartthedaybywalkingtoHipsterHouseCafe,
gettingacoffeeanddoingyourfirstthreetasksoftheday.After
youfinishthefirstthreetasks,youwalk(orcycle)toyournext
locationanddosomethinkingorlistentoanaudiobookforthe30
minuteorsowalk.Thiswalkwillrefreshyourmindandbodyand
youllarriveatyournextlocationasifitwerethestartofanew
day.Andwhoknows,aworldchangingideamightjustpopinto
yourmindalongtheway!

17.StandingDesks

Wehumanshavenotevolvedtolifesedentarylives.Our
bodiesarenotdesignedtositaroundallday.Unfortunately,
though,thisisexactlywhatwedo.Wesittoeatourbreakfast,we
sitinthecaronthewaytowork,wesitwhileworking,wesitin
meetings,wesittohavelunch,wesitinthecaragain,wesitand
watchtelevision,thenwesitandeatdinner,andgotobed.The
entiredaycomprisedofnothingmorethanmovingfromoneseat
toanother.

Evenifyourenotconcernedaboutthenumeroushealth
implicationsthishas,sittingalldayleavesyoufeelingfatigued,
tired,lazy,andunmotivated.Allofthisnegativelyimpacts
productivity.

Thewaytocombattheseeffectsandboostproductivityisto
standasmuchaspossible.Ifyoucatchthebusorsubwaytowork,
standbothonthebus/trainandwhilewaitingforit.Thenwhen
yougettowork,stand.Putyourchair(orabox)onyourdesk,pop
yourlaptoporkeyboardontopandworkstandingup.

Youfindthatyoullbefeelingenergizedandmotivatedall
day,helpingyouavoidthealltoocommonafternoonsleepiness.

18.Minimalism

Notonlydoeslivingaminimalistlifestyledecrease
unnecessarystressandallowyoutofocusontheimportant(and
productive!)thingsinlife,butstudiesarenowfindingthat
clutteredenvironmentsliterallydepletewillpowerandhinder
performance.

YouknowwhytheSpartansweresosuccessful?Because
theirentirecitystatewasdevotedtoproducingthebestpossible
warriors.Spartabecomeawarmachine.Anythingandeverything
thatwasntrelatedtomakingthemthedominantmilitarypower
inancientGreecewaseliminated.Onecouldarguethat,insome
sense,theywereminimalist.Theywerehighlyfocusedtoward
theirgoal.

Livingaminimalistlifestyleallowsyoutoreapsimilar
rewardsincreasedfocus,productivity,andsuccesswith
whateveritisyouareworkingtowards.

19.LittleSteps

Dontfeelbadifyoulookatamassiveprojectyouneedto
completeandfeelsooverwhelmedthatyouendup
procrastinatingendlessly.Thesolutionistobreakdownbigtasks
intolittlesteps,andthenfocusoncompletingtheselittlesteps.
WhenyouretemptedtojustjumpontoRedditandwatchsome
catvideos,refocusondoingoneofyourlittlesteps.Ifyoutryto
refocusontheentireprojectasawhole,youllfeeloverwhelmed
andbelike,f*ckit,andjumpontoRedditanyway.

Ifyouhavetowriteanarticleorablogpost,startwithalittle
step.Startbywritingthefirstfivewords.Ifyoufocusonwriting
1,000words,youllfeeloverwhelmedandwillbemorelikelyto
keepputtingitoffanddistractyourself.Instead,justtakeitin
littlesteps.

RichardBranson,forexample,startedVirginAirlineswith
nomorethanavery,verytinyfirststep.HecalledBoeing(an
airplanemanufacturer)andaskedthemhowmuchitwouldbeto
leaseoneoftheirjumbojets.Thatsit!Ifhehadvefocusedonthe
entirethingstartinganinternationalairlinefromscratchwe
probablywouldntseehisplanestakingoffatairportsaroundthe
globeandBransonwouldntbethemultibillionaireheistoday.

Sofocusonlittlesteps.Breakdownbigtasksintosmaller,
bitesizedpieces.

20.DrinkLotsofWater

Althoughitmayseemobvious,youdbesurprisedbyhow
manypeopledontdrinkenoughwater.Notonlyisitimportant
forourbodiesandmindstobewellhydrated,butthebriefbreaks
thatcomeasaresultofgrabbingaglassofwater,fillingupyour
drinkbottle,andgoingtothebathroomwillrefreshyourmind
andpreventyourperformancefromdecliningoverthecourseof
theday.Studieshavealsofoundthatdrinkingwaterboosts
brainpower,andalittleextrabrainpowercancomeinhandy
whenitcomestogettingmoreoutofyourday.

21.PowerNaps

 Takingaquick20minutenapcanbeagreatwaytorestore
brainpower,reenergize,andmaximizewhatwouldhave
otherwisebeenatypical,sleepyafternoon.

22.PolyphasicSleeping

Now,thissuggestionisonlyforthoseofyououttherethat
aresomekindofsolitarymadgenius.Whilemostofussleepallat
once,usuallyforalengthofaroundeighthours,polyphasic
sleepingmeanssurvivingonquicknapshereandthere.Onesuch
polyphasicsleeproutineknownastheUbermanis
comprisedofa20minutenapeveryfourhours.Overthecourseof
a24hourperiod,thisisnomorethantwohoursofsleep.

Althoughpolyphasicsleepingcertainlytakesalittlegetting
usedto,itcanprovidetheextratimeandsustainedenergyneeded
bytheaveragemadgenius.Onefamouspolyphasicsleeperis
NikolaTesla,whoinventedeverythingfromradiotoACcurrents
thetypeofelectricitythatspoweringthedevicethatyouare
readingthisonrightnow.

Formostpeople,though,especiallythoseofuswithdayjobs
andanactivesociallife,polyphasicsleepingisntallthatsuitable.

23.OutsourceYourWork

Perhapsthesinglebestproductivityhack,outsourcingalot
ofthesimpleandrepetitivetasksthatbogyoudowncanfreeup
yourtimetofocusonthemoreimportantthings.The80/20rule
showsusthat20percentofourworkgenerates80percentofthe
results.Oursoucethetimeconsuming80percentofactivitiesthat
yieldlessthan20percentoftheprofits.

MyfavoriteplacestooutsourceworkareUpwork
(https://upwork.com/)andFiverr(https://fiverr.com/).
Upworkisfullofskilledfreelancersandassistants(VAs)from
allovertheworld,meaningyoucanhireyourownassistantfor
around$3to$5anhourtotakecareofalltheeasybut
timeconsumingworkandallowingyoutoamplifytheresults
generatedbythatprofitrich20percentoftasks.

24.GoonanEmailRestricted
Diet

Checkingemailisntoneofthose20percentoftasksthat
generate80percentoftheprofits.Althougheverybodysalways
checkingtheiremailsasthoughtheygetpaidadollareverytime
theyopentheirinbox,therealityisthatemaildoesntgetanything
done.Itdoesntmoveyoutowardyourgoals.

Althoughemailisnonethelessanimportantpartoftodays
connectedbusinessworld,fartoomanypeopleletitconsume
moreoftheirmoretimethannecessary.

Aneasywaytoboostyourproductivityistosimplylimityour
timespentintheinbox.Youcanalsosetspecifictimesofday
duringwhichyoucheckyourinbox,leavingtherestofthedayfor
undistractedwork.Ifyoureinajobthatinvolvesabitmore
movingaround,youcanforceyourselftoonlycheckemailwhile
you'reonthego.Thiswayyourenotwastingpreciousdesktime
thatcouldbespentdoingmoreimportant,productiveactivities.

25.WorldHealthOrganization
BrainFoods

TheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)recommendsdark
chocolate,nuts,seeds,andfishasthebestfoodsforcognitive
function.Soifyouwantalittleextrabrainpowertopowerthrough
yourtodolist,trysnackingonsomeofthesebrainfuelingfoods.

26.IntensityBeatsExtensity

Focusongettingmoreoutofyourbigticketitems.Ifyourea
restaurantorlawfirm,thatmeansfocusingonthe20percentof
yourcustomersthatgiveyou80percentofyourprofits.Whenit
comestotimemanagement,thatmeansfocusingmoreonthe20
percentofactivitiesthatreap80percentoftheprofits,while
eliminating,asmuchaspossible,thoselessproductivetasks.

27.UnderPressure

Chooseataskyouneedtodo.Then,findatimerwhether
itbeakitchentimeroranapponyourphone.Setthetimerand
buckledowntodoyourwork.Withthattickingtimer,any
temptationstomindlesslysurfthewebdisappear.Youhunchover
andworkasfastasyoucan.Youllfindthatwhenyouhaveatimer
tickingawayrightnexttoyou,yourproductivityskyrocketsand
yourfocussharpens.

28.TaskBatching

Taskbatchingmeanscombiningtwomindlesstasks
together.Likewalkingthedogandtalkingonthephone.Oreating
lunchandhavingameeting.Ordoingemailwhilecommutingon
thesubway.Ordoinghousechoresandlisteningtoanaudiobook.

29.Walks

Althoughwalkstaketime,theycanbeofgreatbenefit.They
havebeenscientificallyproventoalleviatefeelingsof
sluggishness,improvefocusandattention,reducestress,and
boostcreativity.Plus,manyofthegreatsfromSteveJobsto
Beethoven,fromCharlesDickenstoCharlesDarwinhavebeen
fansofgoingforwalks.

30.ThePowerofNegative
Thinking

Manypeoplearebigfansoftheideaofpositivethinking.
Whilepositivethinkingcanbegreat,negativethinkingcanalsobe
highlyeffective.Ratherthanvisualizingyourselfwiththebicepsof
abodybuilderandthebankbalanceofBillGates,flipitaround.
Startthinkingnegatively.

Bythinkingnegatively,Imeanfocusingonnevermissinga
workout.Eventually,youWILLhavethebicepsofabodybuilder.
Thepowerofnegativethinkingisthesameforwritersand
bloggers:Focusonnevermissingadayofwriting.Eventually,you
willbeaprolificandsuccessfulwriterorblogger.

Positivethinkingisstufflike,makemyworkoutsmore
intense,followanewdiet,andsoon.Negativethinkinggoes
alongthelinesof,missfewerworkouts,andeatfewer
unhealthyfoods.Therearetwoapproachestoadvancementand
improvement:First,youcandomoregreatwork(positive
thinking),oryoucandolessbadwork(negativethinking).

Mostpeoplefocusondoingmoregreatworkandignore
doinglessbadwork.Therealityisthattheybothwork,andyou
cangainthatextraedgebyalsoutilizingthepowerofnegative
thinking.

31.Competition

Humanscanbeverycompetitive.Thatswhyyoualwayshear
aboutzerosumgames,abouthowwonderfulthefreemarketis
(duetocompetition),andyadayada.Competitioncanbeusedto
drivegreatness,andyoucanutilizethistendencytoward
competitiontoboostyourperformanceandproductivity.

32.CompetitionwithYourself

Youcanalsotrycompetingwithyourself.ErnestHemingway
oncesaid,Thereisnothingnobleinbeingsuperiortoyourfellow
mantruenobilityisbeingsuperiortoyourformerself.

Thewaytogoaboutcompetingwithyourselfandconstantly
improvingandbecomingmoreproductive,efficient,andeffective
istokeepsomesortofjournal.Thatcouldbeanexcelspreadsheet
whereyourecordyourproductivity,oryoucouldhavea
diaryesquebookforkeepingtrackofhowyouaregoing.Either
way,thebestapproachistohavesomeeasilymeasurable
indicatorofproductivity.Foranovelist,thatwouldbewordcount
andquality(theycouldputintheirspreadsheet2,300wordsand
a4/5ratingifitsgood).

Thenextday,thisnovelistwouldthenseektoscoreanew
personalbest.Perhaps2,400wordsanda5/5rating.

Evenifyoudontscoreanewpersonalbesteveryday,this
methodstillboostsproductivityasitgivesyouareferencepoint
andatargetaimfor.

33.ContemptibleCharities

Setyourselfagoaltoachievefortheday.Thatmightbeto
spend60minutesexercising,ortowritea1,000wordarticle.
Then,promiseyourselfthatifyoudontachievethatgoal,youwill
donateacertainamountofmoney(e.g.$50$100)toacharity
thatyouabsolutelyhate.Dependingonyourviews,thismight
includetheGeorgeW.BushPresidentialLibraryortheClinton
PresidentialCenter.

34.AccountabilityBuddy

Havinganaccountabilitybuddymakesyousignificantly
morelikelytogetdonewhatyouneedtogetdone.

35.ChewGum

Studieshavefoundthattheactofchewingonsomegumcan
actuallyhelpyoutoconcentrate.Tryitout!

36.Unplug

Onethegreatestproductivitysappersintodayssocietyis
constantconnection.Weareconstantlybombardedwithemails,
tweets,Facebookstatusupdates,newblogposts,phonecalls,text
messages,andthelistgoeson.

Oneofthemostobviouswaystoboostproductivityisto
simplyunplug.Setasidetimewhereyourphoneisturnedoff
andputaway,theWiFiisturnedoff,andyouhavenodistractions
whatsoever.Imaginehowproductiveyouwouldbe!

YoucantakethisevenfurtherbynothavingaTwitteror
Facebookaccountandeliminatingasmanydistractionsasyou
possiblycan.Thisiswhatsomeoftheworldstopauthorsdo,
includingMichaelLewisandMalcolmGladwell.Thisisprobably
partofthereasonthattheyareabletoproducethequalitywork
thattheydotheyunplug!

37.TheAppThatTracks

Therearemanyappsandbrowserextensionsthatyoucan
usetotrackyourproductivitythroughouttheday,butmy
personalfavoriteisRescueTime.Youcanuseappssuchasthese
tokeeptrackofyourproductivity,toseehowmuchtimeyou
spendontimewastingsites,andtohaveageneralsenseofhow
productiveyouareduringanygivenperiodoftime.

Youcanusethisinformationtoseewhereyouaregoing
wrong(perhapsevenblocksomeofyourbiggesttimewasting
sites)andworkonimprovingyourproductivity.

38.WebsiteBlockers

Studieshavefoundthatmorethanhalfofallemployees
spendatleastanhouradayonnonworkrelatedsites.Thats
right.AtleastanHOUReverysingleday.Themostobvious
conclusion,then,isthatbysimplynotvisitingdistractingsites,
youcangetsignificantlymoredone.

Theproblem,though,isthatwe(generally)dontseektogo
onthesesites.Wedontwriteourtodolistsofamorningand
thenaddSurfRedditandWatchatleasttwocatvideos.The
rootoftheproblemisthatwesuccumbtothetemptationofa
quickwaytorelaxwhendoingsomethingtediousand
unenjoyable.

Theeasiestwaytogetaroundsuccumbingtothese
temptationsistodownloadabrowserextensionthatallowsyouto
temporarilyblockdistractingsites.Ifyoudontmindabitof
colorfullanguage,agreatChromeextensionthatdoesthejobis
GoFuckingWork.Wheneveryougotoasiteyouvetemporarily
blocked,itgivesyouaswearwordfilledmotivationalmessage.

39.ShakeThingsUp

Whenwedothesameoldthingeveryday,weeventuallyget
bored.Thisboredomthenleadstoprocrastinationandwasting
ourtimeondistractions.Thewaytocombatthisistoshakethings
up!Ifyouresickofwritingblogpostsintheexactsamewayevery
day,getacheapoldtypewriterandbangoutsomeblogsonthat.
Orseeifyoucancreateablogusingavoicetotextfeature.Or
writebyhandonaparkbench.

Youcanalsotryshakingupyourroutineorworkingfroma
differentlocationtousual.

 Allinall,shakingthingsupeverynowandthenkeepsthings
interesting,keepsyouengaged,andkeepsyouproductive.

40.KeepEnergized

Goforsomeshortwalks,dosomepushupsevery1030
minutes,listentosomeupbeatmusic(aslongasyourenotdoing
ataskthatrequiresintensefocus),andkeepgettingupand
movingaround.Allthisactionwillkeepyouenergizedand
motivated,allowingyoutopowerthroughthedayandbreeze
throughyourtodolist.

41.DoorDie

Donothingelseuntilthetasksarecomplete.Noteven
research.Ifyourewriting,justchuckinaplaceholder.
Somethingalongthelinesof[checkXYZ]or[writemoreabout
XYZ]willdo.Checkbacklateronceyouredone.

Thereasonforthisisthatoneofthebiggestproductivity
killersoccurswhenyouareactuallydoingyourwork.Seems
crazy,huh?

Whendoingwork,wecheckthis,redothat,corroboratewith
somethingelse,andsoon.Beforeweknowit,thedaysoverand
wevedoneonlyasmallamountofACTUALwork.

 Therearetwogreatwaystogetaroundthis.Thefirst
approachistoturnofftheinternet,putyourphoneonairplane
mode,andbuckledownandfinishthetask.Donothingelse.No
research,nocheckinganything.Nothing.Onceyouredone,
youcangooveritallagain,checkthebitsyouneedtodoallthat
for,andfinishitforgood.Thepowerofthatinitialundisturbed
session,though,isthatnowyouveactuallygotthethingdone.
Youcandoallthechecking,editing,rehearsing,andsoon
afterwards.

Ifthefirstoptionsoundstohardcore,thesecondapproachis
tosetasideablockoftimesay,onehouranddojustasyoud
dointhefirstapproach.Except,afterthehourisup,youcan
returntoyourordinarymethodofworking.Afterawhile,youcan
doanotherhourofundisturbed,offlinework.

42.DontBeAfraidtoSayNo

Becausealotofpeoplearetooniceand/orseektheapproval
ofothers,manyareafraidtosayNoifsomeoneasksthemto
workonsomethingordothemafavor.Whileitdoesnthurtto
occasionallyhelppeopleoutordosmallfavors,learntosayNo.
Youcantdoeverything.Youmust,firstandforemost,getYOUR
workdone.Ifyouvegotasparemomentoritsnobigdeal,sure.
Butwhenitcomestomoretimeconsumingrequests,youhaveto
learntopolitelyprioritizeyourownproductivity.

43.DontBeaPerfectionist

Weallhaveourinnerperfectionistwhowontaccept
anythingbuttheverybest,andhedoesagoodjobormakingsure
wedontjustsettleforabsolutegarbage,butwemustalsolearn
whentosilencehimandmoveontothenexttask.

44.ReplaceToDoListswith
SchedulingTasks

Ratherthancreatinganendlesstodolistthatyouknowwill
nevergetdone,scheduleyourtasks.Forexample,from9amto
11am,finishthatpressrelease.From11amtomidday,finalizethat
quarterlyreport.From1pmto1:30pm,respondtoemails.Andso
on.

45.DeclutterThatDesk

Havingjunkstrewnaroundeverywhere,havingpapers
stackedtotheceiling,andnotbeingabletoseeyouractualdesk
becauseitissocoveredinstuffhurtsyourproductivity.Studies
havefoundthatclutteredenvironmentssapatoneswillpower
andliterallyreducetheirbrainpowerduetothebrainhavingto
processalloftheabundantstimuliclutteringupyourdesk.

46.CreateaDistraction
ToDoList

Almostallofusregularlyfeeltheurgetogooffanddo
somethingelseattheslightesthintofdifficulty.Wemightbein
themiddleoffinishingthatquarterlyreportweneedtodowhenit
startsgettingtediousandboringandwesuddenlyfeeltheurgeto
gomindlesslybrowsetheweb.

Theresawayaroundthis,though.

Createadistractiontodolist.Wheneveryoufeeltheurgeto
godosomethingelseunproductive,writeitdown.Youwilldoall
ofthatlater.

Althoughitsoundssimple,itisridiculouslyeffective.

47.MakeBadHabitsDifficult
forYourself

Weallhavebadhabitsthatwewishwecouldovercome.
Theydestroyourproductivityandleaveusfeelingguiltyand
sappedofenergy.

Theresawayaroundthesebadhabits,though.

Makeyourbadhabitsdifficultforyourself.

Areyouinthehabitofmindlesslywatchingtelevisionfor
hoursaftergettinghomefromwork?Hideyourtelevisionremote
inacupboardupstairs.Inthehabitofmindlesslywanderingover
thekitchencupboardwhenyoureboredandeatingunhealthy
snacks?Chuckoutallthoseunhealthysnacksandreplacethem
withnutsandfruit.

48.AirplaneDays

Alotofhighflyingbusinessmen(excusethepun)findthat
theyaremostproductiveonairplanes.

Why?Becausethereisnothingtodo.Theyare100percent
disconnectedfromtheworld.Noemail.NoReddit.Nophone
calls.Nocatvideos.

Asaresult,alltheycandoiswork.Theycangetstuffdone
withoutanysortofdistraction.Theresnothingbuttheclouds.

Aswecantjustcatchaplanewheneverweneedtobe
productive,wehavetosettleforthenextbestthing:Airplane
days.

Onairplanedays,pretendyoureonaplane.Thatmeans
gettingoutoftheoffice,turningyourphoneoff,goingsomewhere
thereisnointernet,andbucklingdowntodosomeseriouswork.

49.TwoMinuteRule

 Ifataskpopsupandyoureabletodoitinlessthantwo
minutes,doit!

50.MaximizeYourGolden
Hours

Figureoutwhenyouareatyourmostproductive.Theres
earlybirds,nightowls,andothersinbetween.Onceyouknow
whenyou'reatyourbest,protectthosehoursatallcosts.No
distractions.Nointerruptions.Usethesehoursto,asBrianTracy
wouldsay,EatThatFrog!

51.(10+2)*5

The(10+2)*5procrastinationhack,thebrainchildof
MerlinMannat43Folders,hasthreeparts.First,youdo10
minutesofwork.Nodistractions.Nocheckingrandomwebsites.
Noneofthat.For10minutes.Thatsit.

Afterthe10minutesareupandthetimergoesoff,takeatwo
minutebreak.Dowhateveryouwant.Coffee,Reddit,whatever.
Afterthetwominutesareupandthetimergoesoff,yougoback
anddoanother10minutesofwork.Youthendothisfourmore
times(atotaloffivetimes).

Thishecticschedulewillquicklyleaveyoulookingforwardto
boththebreaksANDthework.Eventually,youllstartskipping
breaks.And,tada!Yourenowworkingyourbuttoffandbreezing
throughyourtodolist.

52.GadgetFreeDesk

Studieshavefoundthattheaveragepersoncheckstheir
phone150timesperday.Nope,youdidntreadthatwrong.This
isobviouslyahugedrainonproductivity.

Sowhenyoureworking,putyourphonesomewhereoutof
sightandoutofreach.

53.EliminateDecisionFatigue

Studieshavefoundthataswegothroughthedaymaking
decisionsandexercisingwillpower,ourabilitytomakegood
decisionsandexercisewillpowergetdepleted.Thatswhyallthose
argumentsyouvehadwithyourpartnerprobablyoccurredofa
night.Thatsalsowhyalmostallaffairsandcrimeoccurlateat
night.

Tocombatthis,someoftheworldsmostproductiveand
successfulpeopleincludingMarkZuckerberg,SteveJobs,and
ChristopherNolanweartheexactsamethingeveryday.One
lessdecision.

WhileImnotnecessarilysuggestingyoustartwearingthe
sameoutfiteveryday,streamliningyourlifeandeliminating
unnecessarydecisionswillhelptomakeyouamoreproductive
person.

54.TheMcDonaldsSystem

McDonaldsisoneofthemostsuccessfulbusinesseson
earth.Theyreincountlesscountries,havewhoknowshowmany
differenttypesofburgersandmeals,andare,overall,arather
complexbusiness.

Nonetheless,McDonaldshasmanagedtobreakdownallof
theirprocessesandmethods.Theyvecreatedsystemsfor
employeestofollow.Becauseofthis,theyhavemanagedtomake
theirbusinesssosimplethatitcanberunbyhighschoolkids
(literally).

Applythesametoproductivity/tasks/workcreatesystems.
Littlesteps.Makeitsosimpleyoucouldoutsourceyourtasksto
someonefarlesscompetentthanyourself.

55.Workat5am

Workat5am,asifitwere9am.Nodistractions.

Youwillfindyoullbenotonlyfresh,butfreeofany
interruptions.Youllbeabletogetsomequality,focusedwork
done.

 56.BeattheMondayBlues

BeattheMondayBluesbyplanningyourweekonSunday
andarrivingatworkhalfanhourearlyonMonday.Youstartthe
weekreadytoconquer.

57.AvoidMeetings

WecantalwaysavoidALLmeetings,however,wecanavoid
themasmuchaspossibleandkeeptheabsolutelyessentialones
asshortaspossible.Meetingsareamassiveproductivity(and
time)killer.

58.AvoidUnnecessaryWork

Wealltooftengetcaughtupinbeingbusywithoutgetting
anythingimportantdone.Befriendthe80/20principleand
eliminateallbutthemostessentialandmostprofitableactivites.
Anythingthatisntmovingyoutowardyourgoalisunproductive.
AsStephenCoveysaid,dontprioritizeyourschedule,but
scheduleyourpriorities.

59.FieryPassion

Dosomethingyouarepassionateaboutifyoucan.Youll
findthatyouwillbeeagertogetthingsdoneandwillbehighly
productiveifyouenjoyorarepassionateaboutyourwork.

60.KeepaDoneList

Adonelistiswhereyouwritedownalofthethingsyou
havedone.Onceyoufinishatask,writeitdownontoyourdone
list.Thiscanhelptokeepyoumotivatedwhileyouworkand
propelyouontoyournexttask.

61.TimeSpeaker

Haveyourcomputerannouncethetime(thiscanbedoneon
bothWindowsandMac).Youllbesurprisedbyhoweffectivethis
simplehackisatkeepingyoufocused,productive,andmotivated.