In today's busy world we have become more and more concerned with "hacks work" and so-called hidden secrets of how to produce better.
Doing more in less time helps us to move forward, and it also gives us more access to the things we love outside of work — whether that gives us time for personal hobbies or to follow the idea of a small business. The problem we face is that it is easy to be motivated, but it is difficult to stay focused.
Most of us have a negative view of a product: work management tools are shiny at first and then not used. Being tied to your desk is unhealthy as it is not productive. Success is not just about doing everything, it's about doing the right thing. Production is about saying no.
Focus and consistency are bread-and-butter for truly productive. Let’s take a look at science after how the brain works in a state of integration, and what changes you can make to improve it.
You will learn:
- Why worrying about having “more willpower” is a fool’s game.
- How world-class experts stay productive… and what they do differently.
- The reason why better energy management = a more productive you.
- Big pitfalls that lead to busywork and procrastination.
Why willpower isn’t enough
In today's busy world we have become more and more concerned with "hacks work" and so-called hidden secrets of how to produce better.
Doing more in less time helps us to move forward, and it also gives us more access to the things we love outside of work — whether that gives us time for personal hobbies or to follow the idea of a small business. The problem we face is that it is easy to be motivated, but it is difficult to stay focused.
Most of us have a negative view of a product: work management tools are shiny at first and then not used. Being tied to your desk is unhealthy as it is not productive. Success is not just about doing everything, it's about doing the right thing. Production is about saying no.
Focus and consistency are bread-and-butter for truly productive. Let’s take a look at science after how the brain works in a state of integration, and what changes you can make to improve it.
The habits of productive people
If I were to describe the practice of world-class artists, you would think of a closed artist who plays all day and then plays his instrument at night.
Surprisingly, a study by Anders Ericsson that examined the practice sessions of high-profile violinists clearly showed that the best performers did not spend much time on the violin, but instead were more productive during their practice.
Best of all, most specialized athletes get more sleep on average than all other people. How is that possible?
The following Nokia research reveals the answer: the best players are deliberately practicing. You’ve heard the word, but beyond the hype, what is it about?
It is nothing more than spending time on more strenuous activities and being better at managing your energy levels.
Think of it this way: If you were trying to improve your basket, you would be better off practicing certain exercises for two hours instead of shooting all day long.
Since deliberate practice requires you to use more energy than you do on a busy basis, how can you do so without wasting energy?
The first answer is an unfortunate fact: the best way to overcome your fears is to use a lot of energy on a big project just to start.
The result of Zeigarnik is something that has been built by psychologists in many studies with skepticism. Some of these studies have given participants puzzle-buster puzzles to complete, but not enough time to complete them. Surprisingly, even though participants were asked to stop, more than 90% of them continued to complete the puzzles anyway.
The same thing happens when we share a story in a book, movie, or TV show: we want to see how it ends.
You can use this information to your advantage by simply starting out with the next big project; in the basic sense, do not focus your attention on making X Work. Instead, focus on making Work X easier to do.
Start the night before. Is your to-do list already written? Is your workplace ready for you to get started? Break down barriers to the conflict before relying on power.
Working like an expert
Numerous studies have shown us that discipline is best served by habits, not by intent.
According to Tony Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project, most people are holding their product back by not planning a full day's work and breaks.
While most of us are concerned with the power of determination, we do not push ourselves to the highest output: instead of “giving everything” in the short term, we redouble our efforts throughout the day, getting us back to the busy work of fulfilling our time.
What should we do instead?
Schwartz often cites a study by the Federal Aviation Administration that revealed how short breaks between long working hours led to a 16% improvement in awareness and concentration.
Research from Peretz Lavie on ultradian rhythms is in line with these findings: long productive periods (90 minutes) followed by short breaks (no more than 15-20 minutes) that align more closely with our natural energy cycles and allow us to maintain better concentration and higher energy levels. all day.
Both of these power management courses are similar to violin training sessions: the most common type of plant breed cream was a 90-minute block of intense practice followed by a 15-minute break.
The moral of the story is that it is hard to produce while trying to maintain high levels of energy throughout your day.
It is much easier to work hard when you know that the break is near, not at the end of the day. Instead of trying to save energy for hours, break down big projects into smaller pieces and schedule a recovery time soon after.
For projects done on your own time, try setting up 90-minute activity session blocks with a scheduled 15-minute break right after that. When you know that the break is near, you will not try to rush through your work, and you will be more inclined to get into difficult situations.
While it is good to deal with the most difficult parts of major projects, this approach does not really address many of the discipline-related problems, a significant part of staying productive for more than a day or two.
The art of staying disciplined
One segment of the population known for struggling with discipline are those who are addicted to hard drugs.
Given their disposition for being unable to commit to many things, you might be surprised to find that during an experiment testing the ability of drug addicts to write & submit a 5 paragraph essay on time, those who wrote down when & where they would complete the essay were far more likely to turn it in.
These findings have some interesting correlation with those related to discipline in other people: in a study examining the ability of average people to stick with a strict dieting plan, researchers found that those participants who rigorously monitored what they were eating were able to maintain far higher levels of self-control when it came to maintaining their diet.
Last but not least, Dan Ariely and colleagues conducted a study involving college students and found that students who imposed strict deadlines on themselves for assignments performed far better (and more consistently) than those who didn’t.
These findings were especially interesting because Ariely noted that students who gave themselves too generous of a deadline often suffered from the same problems as students who set zero deadlines: when you allow yourself too much time to complete a task, you can end up creating a mountain out of a molehill.
Since we now know that tracking our progress is a key component of productivity, how can we implement this practice into our daily routine?
One method is to use an Accountability Chart to track what work you’ve completed during your 90-minute productive sessions, similar to how the dieters tracked their food consumption.
To easily implement one, simply create two columns on a piece of paper, Google Docs spreadsheet, or even a whiteboard.
- Column 1 will list the time span of one of your productivity sessions.
- Column 2 will list what tasks you’ve accomplished in that limited time span.
Don’t include any columns for your 15-minute breaks, as those times are for your own sake and means to replenish your willpower.
This works well for two specific reasons: Dr. Kentaro Fujita argues that tracking your progress in this way is helpful because you’ll be exposed to the work you’ve actually accomplished, and not the (inaccurate) assumption of work you might construe in your head.
Forcing yourself to write down the fact that you spent 2 hours on YouTube isn’t about shaming, it’s about awareness; you’ll be less likely to do it again.
Progress tracking is also a known strategy for stopping yourself from engaging in robotic behavior (also known as ‘busywork’), a habit that researcher John Bargh describes as the #1 enemy of goal striving.
Productivity and multitasking don’t mix
With a work schedule, a power management strategy, and an existing job tracking system, the final challenge we have to face is to do more work.
According to a 1999 study, we have a tendency to consider multiple tasks as functional, or not
However, researcher Zhen Wang was able to show that on average, most jobs are actually less likely to be productive, but they feel emotionally satisfied with their work - they create the illusion of productivity.
Worse, Stanford researcher Clifford Nass evaluated the performance of many employees and evaluated their ability to:
- Filter information
- Switch between tasks
- Maintain a high working memory
When working on a computer, the best thing you can do is turn on airplane mode; no need for a trial where you can't even access the web. If you can, help yourself with tools like StayFocusd to block disruptive sites.
The next best strategy is to create a culture of evening planning where you choose a few of the most important tasks to accomplish the next day.
The reason this method works so much better than planning your daily activities in the morning is that a study from Kellogg School has shown that we calculate the amount of focus we will be able to maintain in the future. We firmly believe that we will be able to quickly plan our day tomorrow morning, but only if tomorrow stumbles.
You can create a custom evening planning with a pen and simple paper or use an online tool like TeuxDeux each night. Write down only the most important tasks (the "big 5") of the day.
Instead of listing, “Work for a research project,” as a daily goal, try something like, “Complete an introduction,” or, “Find other sources,” as a task to complete.
Instant replay: Productivity in practice
Too long, didn’t read:
Determination alone is not enough: Your productivity should not depend solely on your will. Strength will go a long way, but to stay calm, it is better to rely on plans.
Empower yourself to go "all-in-one": Working hard on important things will discourage you mentally and physically. Don’t be afraid to give yourself plenty of breaks throughout the day. It’s best to make the “half” of production time at 90-minute intervals (to keep yourself sharp and reduce the pressure of moving your energy throughout the day.
If it is not worth measuring, it should not be done: Proven tracking is the best way to stay active in your progress. Create an answer sheet to write down what productive things you did throughout the day. You will see how much you really accomplish.
To perform many tasks for your enemy: Treat it that way. Avoid unwanted distractions and as Ron Swanson would say, "Never put half a donkey two things, one donkey thing." Plan your day the night before so you don’t eat the wonderful online distractions when you start your day.
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