Are you like Dwyane, who continually feels like he isn’t getting anything done no matter how hard he tries? I can sit at my desk for hours and work without getting anything done because my focus is so disorganized.
And to make matters worse, this year has seen a complete loss for my online business. I continue to work the same 9 to 5 job that I despise because I’m afraid of failing and don’t take consistent action. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to overcome my lethargy and get work done, which makes me feel so bad and ashamed.
This video is one of the most crucial ones I can watch this year if this describes me and I’m someone who just can’t seem to figure out why I always put things off.
I’ve made more than $300,000 in profit over the last 2 years. Due to my lack of productivity and attention, I have burned entire businesses to the ground. I’ve had to learn how to balance a variety of tasks, including running one of UK’s fastest-growing e-commerce businesses, making blog content, hanging out with friends and my partner, and spending time with my family and loved ones. I came to the conclusion that I needed to develop my own productivity hacks if I wanted to succeed in every aspect of my life.
My entire life would implode under a stress mountain if I didn’t have these seven easy productivity techniques to adhere to. These are the explanations for why I can wake up in the morning feeling alert and clear-headed. I can treat my partner well. I have access to incredible travel.
I promise that if I put them into practice, my ability to complete tasks swiftly will significantly improve. So let’s get started right away and stop wasting time.
I would transform from someone who is sloppy and disorganized to a result-producing machine if I eliminated everything else on my list today and solely concentrated on this one productivity practice. People like Bill Gates and Elon Musk vouch for it since it’s so successful; it’s called “time blocking.”
Using the time blocking strategy, I block out particular chores in my calendar for a certain time each day. I am able to become completely focused on one issue thanks to this. I can see on my calendar that every minute of my awake time has a job assigned to it.
Although time blocking is not particularly novel, the skills we learn today will enable me to make the most of the strategy. My assistant and I go through all of my emails and to-do lists every week, generally on a Monday, and we basically schedule 15 to 60-minute activities for me to complete throughout the week.
The assignment can be as straightforward as sending an email in response or reading newsletters to learn the newest marketing and product trends. Since I won’t be distracted by needing to respond to erroneous emails for the remainder of the week, this provides me a lot of mental room to think clearly.
Even though I don’t yet have an assistant, this strategy is still very helpful to me, and let me explain why.
It will also significantly lessen how often I put off the really tedious activities that I detest completing.
If it’s scheduled in my calendar with a specific time to work on it, I’ll make sure to finish it. Because I can actually see if I have enough time to embark on this new endeavor or accomplish this new item, or whether I need to assign it to someone else, it also greatly aids in time management.
If my entire week, the following week, is fully booked, I’m going to need to delegate or start saying “no” to things.
Resetting my dopamine is the next way I 10x my productivity, and I’ll be honest, I’ve had a lot of trouble doing this in the past. My previous methods of switching off included binge drinking and binge eating, which, although they can be successful in the short term, have a lot of unfavorable side effects.
To find the best method for people like myself to restore their dopamine levels and prevent burnout, I made the decision to delve really deeply into the subject.
Let me first define dopamine before I discuss the solutions I came up with. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in my brain that causes me to feel joyful after accomplishing a task or enjoying a tasty meal. I’ll find that I have more motivation and am much more focused to do my daily duties when my dopamine levels are high.
But I’ll undoubtedly feel drained if my dopamine levels are low. I’ll experience a sense of emptiness and boredom that will gradually engulf me. It may have an impact on my sleep, eating habits, emotions, and even libido.
How do I re-set my dopamine system? I eventually found Andrew Huberman on the internet after sifting through tons of useless content. He has a fantastic podcast. He is a neuroscientist who fully understands what he is discussing.
He claims that taking breaks from work at least twice a week is the greatest method to reset my dopamine levels. I immediately realized where I had been misbehaving after hearing that counsel. I used to work a ridiculous number of hours each week, and then to give myself a break, I spent two days going out with friends. This really threw me off, and it killed my productivity for the next two days while I rested.
So I did as Huberman suggested. On Wednesday, I introduced a half-day break during which I only engaged in non-destructive activities to restore my dopamine levels. I also discovered that being in nature helped to reboot my head.
This gave me the opportunity to execute my upcoming productivity trick, inducing ennui. Many people will never do this, and it actually terrifies them, but it enables me to find solutions to issues that would have never occurred to me. Forcing boredom and those times of boredom have given me some of my best ideas, such as licensing Disney.
Most people believe that boredom is detrimental, but it can really increase productivity in amazing ways. When I’m bored, my mind might wander and think of solutions to issues that I previously believed were impenetrable. This is a result of my brain not being everywhere. I can think more creatively since I’m not thinking about a bunch of different things.
One of the ways I accomplish this is by using our first strategy, time blocking, to designate a walk during which I am only required to listen to music and spend time with my dog. I sometimes leave Sherlock at home and don’t even listen to music just to be really, truly bored. It’s essentially a mini-monk mode that allows my mind to gradually decompress after all of the day’s thinking, and then the magic just starts to happen.
The next productivity trick I use is actually an anti-productivity trick, but I adore it nonetheless. The five-hour rule is it. People like Gary V, Tim Ferris, and even Benjamin Franklin have praised the effectiveness of this approach in accelerating people’s success.
The fundamental tenet of this rule is that I must set aside at least five hours each week to devote to learning something that will advance my abilities and advance me. I set aside five one-hour time slots each week shortly after lunch to study topics that interest me since I believe it will broaden my knowledge and aid me in my journey.
I’ve recently been investigating topics related to artificial intelligence, climate change, human psychology, and central banks. The farther out of left field it is, the better because it will simply widen my scope of expertise. I started becoming intrigued with SAAS a year ago when I utilized this technique to read blog entries by David Sacks. Today, I’m just starting my own SAAS project.
Because so few individuals commit the time to upskill and increase their knowledge, I think the five-hour rule is so very effective and will give me a huge advantage. The majority of individuals simply assume they are experts, which is the wrong perspective to have.
By reading books, listening to audiobooks, or even viewing YouTube videos, you can get so much knowledge that goes beyond the rudimentary understanding of a subject. You risk missing possibilities to develop your sector or bring related industries together, such as SAAS and E-commerce, which were linked to create amazing tools like Trend Rocker. If you’re just a little bit too concentrated on your industry.
It is challenging to remain productive over an extended length of time. Burnout happens to everyone. These tips are a good starting point, but I still need to keep reminding myself of why I want to succeed. Is it monetary liberty? Is the goal to transform the world? The tiny chores I have ahead of me will seem extremely simple in comparison to these large aspirations.
I want to now discuss the 5-minute rule, another useful productivity tip. This is a straightforward method that enables me to finish the tasks I’ve been putting off. The plan is to dedicate just five minutes to finishing a task I’ve been putting off. After just five minutes, I usually feel interested and ready to continue. This tactic is especially useful for dividing large jobs into more manageable portions.
As someone who benefits greatly from routines, I cannot overstate how crucial it is to have a morning ritual. I can start my day on my own terms if I get up early, and having a regular morning routine creates a nice atmosphere for the rest of the day. Exercise, meditation, reading, or any other activity that makes me feel balanced and prepared to take on difficulties might be included.
My productivity toolkit also includes the ability of saying “No.” Although it may seem contradictory, doing so will help me concentrate my attention on what is most important. I used to be terrified of denying opportunities, but I’ve since realized that doing so frees up time for the things that matter the most.
I’ve learned the tremendous importance of deep work in my pursuit of maximum productivity. This entails setting aside focused, unbroken time to work on projects that require my complete concentration. I make substantial progress on challenging projects by eliminating distractions and blocking off set periods of time for focused work.
Let’s not overlook the significance of self-care, though. It’s simple to forget, but maintaining a high level of productivity requires taking care of my physical and mental health. My overall effectiveness and resilience are influenced by my regular exercise, wholesome eating, and sufficient sleep.
The 2-minute rule is one of the lesser-known productivity techniques I use. I finish tasks right away if they can be finished in under two minutes. As a result, little jobs don’t pile up and become too much to do. I manage my to-do list and avoid the mental clutter that results from procrastinating by responding to them right away.
I frequently employ the future pacing strategy as a fan of visualizing. This entails visualizing myself performing a task or reaching a target successfully. I encourage myself and make a mental road plan to follow by clearly visualizing the intended result. By utilizing the power of positive thinking, this method empowers me to face challenges head-on.
Another important guideline in my productivity playbook is to accept imperfection. Pursuing perfection can paralyze and cause overthinking. I’ve instead learnt to value improvement above perfection. Moving forward and improving my work is made possible for me when I acknowledge that not everything needs to be perfect.
And last, I think the practice of contemplation has great significance. Reviewing my successes, failures, and lessons learnt on a regular basis yields insightful information. This routine enables me to improve my plans, make the required changes, and keep developing my productivity strategy.
In conclusion, the concept of productivity is not universal. Although these productivity tips may not work for everyone, they have completely changed the way I approach my chores and goals. Every tactic, from time blocking and resetting dopamine levels to accepting boredom and applying the 5-hour rule, helps me be more effective and successful overall. I’ve been able to handle the difficulties of a fast-paced environment while attaining personal and professional growth by building a toolkit of strategies that are consistent with my values and goals. I urge you to investigate these techniques, customize them to fit your requirements, and identify the particular productivity route that is most effective for you. A more fruitful and rewarding adventure lies ahead.