| Let’s be clear about something.
Most stuff you’ll read online about productivity or how to be successful is not meant to make you more productive… or more successful.
It’s designed to suck you in and make you consume indefinitely.
Oh sure, all the productivity articles and videos feel super good when you consume them. But when you’re done, it feels a bit like having eaten at your favorite fast food joint. You’re kind of full, but there's a tingling sense of regret and guilt that’s eating away at your core.
Maybe I’m overly dramatic.
Just like fast food, a little bit of productivity porn - I have no other word for most of those articles and videos - will probably not hurt you.
The problem starts when you start consuming that stuff for its own sake.
Meaning, that you forget that you have actual stuff to get done… and you spend hours, days, weeks, months, engaging in the productivity cult.
So today, I want to just give you a handful of…
Boring productivity fundamentals that will work forever.
#1 - Take Care Of Your Body
Now, this is a bit counterintuitive.
“What do you mean - instead of being more productive and accomplishing more stuff I now have to spend time exercising and eating right?”
The answer is yes. (And by the way, I fully understand that “5 productivity shortcuts that you can implement while watching Netflix” sounds way more fun, but bear with me here.)
I won’t even go into all the health benefits exercise can provide you with - let’s just focus on stuff that’s related to productivity directly.
- 1. Exercise helps you sleep better. The way you feel when you’re awake is determined a lot by what happens when you sleep. While you snooze away, your body is working hard to support healthy brain function and your physical health.
- 2. Exercise boosts focus. Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels - all of which affect focus and attention.
- 3. Exercise helps with your mood, too. (Try finishing a task that requires deep focus when you’re in a bad mood and every little thing irritates you!)
The good news is that you don’t have to become a gym rat in order to see results.
It’s been found that 15 minutes of moderate activity every day can be enough. Meaning, that if you take a 20-minute walk every day, you can reap almost the same benefits (productivity-wise) as someone who spends half of their waking hours in a gym. You probably won’t become ripped but you’re still going to be more focused, more able to do deep work (which is the kind of work that moves you forward in life), and in a better mood.
The other aspect is to make sure you eat somewhat healthy. Just like with exercise, there’s no need to go overboard.
Instead, increase the amount of fiber and protein, decrease the number of carbs, stay away from soda and sweets, and you’re going to be more or less fine.
The main thing we’re trying to avoid here is having those sugar crashes that will hurt your productivity a lot. (A sugar crash is what you experience after the quick energy surge after eating a donut for example).
#2 - Must Do and To Do
What I do is have two separate lists.
Must Do - these are my tasks for the day that has to be done no matter what. I keep no more than 2 or 3 on that list, and at the end of the day, I rip it up and create a new one for the next day.
To Do - these are the tasks I’d like to do eventually. Sometimes, when I’m done with my must-do things, I’d reach for this list and work through it with no pressure - because I’m done with the most important stuff anyway, this is just pure gravy.
What this strategy accomplishes is that it removes overwhelm - and by extension, it also removes procrastination. You might find that you’re able to get twice as much done every day just because you’re no longer overwhelmed and know exactly what you’re supposed to do at any single point.
Now, if you work at a busy office this might not work as well. You’re still going to face interruptions. But since you don’t have a pile of tasks to get back to after the interruption but just one… it’s going to be way easier.
#3 Turn Things Into Habits
No matter what you do… if you do it just once, it won’t work.
It’s like lifting a barbell once and expecting to be ripped by 9 am tomorrow.
You have to make it a habit. And give it time.
For example, if you want to build an online business, and you know that you have time from 7 am to 8 am, make a habit of it. For an hour every morning, you work on your business… holiday or not. Until it’s so ingrained in your life it feels weird when you don’t do it.
Then, success is inevitable.
Bottom line
Here’s the thing. Productivity is way simpler than most people make it out to be.
Focus on a handful of things that will get you 80% of the results… and take care of the rest when you have the time.
To Your Success, Paul Hanson 805-905-3533
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