Ecology of life. Lifehack: Journalist Jeremy Anderberg talks about a simple way to get a lot more done and not worry about what you haven't done...
Journalist Jeremy Anderberg talks about a simple way to get a lot more done and not worry about what you haven't done.
By the end of 2016, I had made a big leap in my work productivity. What prompted me to do this was, firstly, a thorough analysis of what I spend my time on and where it is wasted. It was an extremely rewarding endeavor.
Secondly, I discovered "rule of three", which allows you to work consciously throughout the day, and not just react to events.
This concept, discussed in various blogs and books, is defined by author Chris Bailey this way:
“At the beginning of each day, before you start work, identify three tasks that you want to accomplish by the end of the day. Do the same at the beginning of each week."
It's a simple concept, but it's a total game changer. It's actually quite easy to apply.
First, let's briefly discuss what we mean by performance.
Quick performance reassessment
People often think of productivity as the sum of things that get done—that is, a countable number of tasks. The more boxes ticked on the to-do list, the more productive the day was.
This, let me tell you, is a terrible way to define performance.
This approach assumes that every item on your list is of equal importance, but this is not true.
If you have 15 items on your to-do list, but there is one item that is really important to get done today, what good will it do if 14 out of 15 get done and leave one item that is actually important?
The best way to measure your productivity is to ask yourself a simple question at the end of each day: “Did I accomplish what I planned?” Or, as Bailey puts it, “being productive doesn’t mean doing more tasks, it means doing the right tasks” .
There are always good things on your to-do list that are easy to check off, but improving your productivity requires tackling the most important things first. Those that have the greatest impact and bring you closer to your goal.
To calculate them, you need to determine what the results of the work must be so that you can consider a successful and productive day (week, month or year). You must also determine which task will bring the most benefit to the company or business.
In my case, for example, the highest value in my work on the Art of Manliness website and radio show is preparing articles for publication, inviting guests and creating a show, and writing articles. The result is quality, publish-ready articles, great guest appearances, and high-quality shows.
If my main, most important task for the day is to finish writing an article, but I was distracted by less important things on my to-do list because they were easier to complete and check off, then I will not be able to answer the question “Did I do it” in the affirmative? Am I everything I intended?”
Let me remind you: productivity is not about the amount of tasks you complete, but whether you did the necessary and important things that are more important to your business.
Instead of writing a list of 10, 20 or even more items, or worse, starting the workday blindly, without any guidelines, highlight the three most important things that absolutely must be done and focus on getting them done.
Benefits of the Rule of Three
You work consciously rather than react to what is happening. A lot of people work based on events that happen throughout the day: phone calls to answer, emails to answer, and then the boss reminding them about something they forgot to do. When you use the “rule of three,” you plan your day based on your top responsibilities and what will benefit your business.
You don't switch off from work when you have to be distracted. If you're like me, you have those moments when you suddenly realize you've been distracted for 30 minutes and can't even remember what you were working on before. Once you have 3 priority tasks written down, you can always refer to those notes and know exactly what has been done and what needs to be done in the remaining time.
It's quite simple once you really start following this rule. One of the common problems with various productivity systems is that they are overly complex. I can't think of David Allen's approach without feeling overwhelmed. The Rule of Three is simple enough to apply every day (and every week). All you need to do is learn to prioritize and prioritize the three most important things (an ability that will come with time and experience).
Unimportant tasks disappear. They have no place on your to-do list. Instead of pushing the same tasks from day to day and week to week, realize that if they don't meet the Rule of Three, they might not be worth doing at all. Or maybe someone else will make them better. Don't let unimportant things ruin your productivity.
You don't overload your managers. Instead of sending your boss a bloated to-do list, why not send your three most important tasks? You're more likely to get noticed when you show what you're doing and report positive results. Nobody cares about the little things you're going to do, but management will be impressed when you can present three things every day that actually add a lot of value to the company.
The same goes for teamwork. If you're in charge of a product release team, you don't want to give them a hundred little tasks a day. Give them 3 tasks, no matter how small, to get done in a day and you are much more likely to get consistent and positive results without your team feeling overwhelmed.
How to Make the Best of the Rule of Three
As noted above, the “rule of three” is very simple to apply: write down the three most important things you need to do today. But there is a few tips to get the most out of it.
Use the "rule of three" not only throughout the day, but also for the week, month and year. Outline the 3 most important results for each time frame, then create weekly and daily plans based on the smaller actions that will lead to the intended result. This may be more difficult due to the larger volume (in my experience, it's easier to think about things that need to be done today), but imagine yourself on a Friday afternoon or at the end of the month and ask what would upset you most if you didn't made.
Use a paper notebook. Of course, you can use any digital application. Create a note on iPhone, write in Evernote, and more. But from everything I've read and my own experience using the "rule of three", I have concluded that paper is best. Writing down a plan manually on a piece of paper makes it more memorable - the main thing is imprinted in the brain. You can keep it on the table next to your computer so that it is always visible; Otherwise, it will be lost in a heap of Internet browser tabs or in the depths of a cell phone.
Plan your day in advance. You can make a plan while you go to work in the morning, but personally, I feel less stressed and engage in work much better when I already know what I'm going to do. Instead of spending 20-30 minutes of fresh energy planning, why not get straight to it? To do this, I made it a rule to devote the last 15-20 minutes of my working day to drawing up a new plan.
Meditate. At the end of the day (and week, month and year), reflect on how you did. Were your goals realistic? Were you too ambitious or not ambitious enough? Over time, you will learn to understand what you can and cannot do within a given period of time (monitoring your efficient use of time will speed up this learning process!).
Be flexible. If you have done 3 planned things, don’t stop there, don’t say: “Well, I’ve done everything, you can relax!” J.D. Meyer says in his book The Fast Track to Results: “First accomplish the three things you set out to do, and then go for more.” And if you haven't completed three tasks, forgive yourself. Perhaps you overestimated yourself. Perhaps it was a bad day. Everyone has them. The beauty of the “rule of three” is that you start again every morning, even if one of the items has to be moved.
React as needed. No matter how much we plan our day, sometimes things just fall out of the blue. In this case, quickly reevaluate your plans. Meyer says, “Do it, set it aside, schedule it, or delegate it.” To figure out which task is more important, and whether it needs to be done right now or can be put on the back burner, you can ask yourself, “Which task will bring more value to my job and the company?”
Come up with your own "rule of three". Once you have mastered the Rule of Three at work, create another rule to apply to your personal, home, or family goals. Tame your work life, tame your home life, rule the world!
When I don't use the Rule of Three, my productivity suffers and, surprisingly, so does my motivation. I've found that being able to identify the three most important things for the day, even if it's micro-tasks (sending an email) as part of a larger project, helps me feel fulfilled about my day.
Instead of spending your days going with the flow, take steps to consciously plan it yourself by implementing the “rule of three.” published
Imagine the most successful person you know. Why did he manage to achieve such high results? He learned to use his time effectively to develop good habits and take actions that will help him achieve his goals.
What do you have in common with this person? You, like him, have 24 hours a day to develop. When you wake up in the morning, no matter who you were yesterday, you start over with a clean slate. You must learn to completely control and direct your life. Here are some tips and techniques to free up your time and use it more effectively.
How to free up your time
Determine how much time you are spending now
We live in an age of distraction. Therefore, we must pay attention to what we do and what we spend our free hours on. Determine what you spend the most time on (activities that will not help you achieve your goal).
Be honest with yourself. Evaluate how often you use social networks, watch YouTube or TV. This doesn't mean you have to give it all up right away. You just have to be aware of how you manage your time. Only you can choose what to invest your time in.
Optimize your sleep and wake up earlier
Choose the best time to go to bed and when to wake up. Try breaking your sleep into cycles that last 90 minutes. It will look something like this: 1.5 hours > 3 hours > 4.5 hours > 6 hours
Have you ever felt sleepy after eleven hours of sleep? Because you woke up in the middle of the cycle.
Or how did you feel refreshed and full of energy after three hours of sleep? Again, cycles.
By developing the habit of waking up early, you can spend a few hours focusing on yourself and your goals. Here are some tips on how to do this:
- Go to bed at the same time
- Gradually wake up earlier (If you currently wake up at eight in the morning and want to wake up at six, start at 7:50, then 7:40 and continue in the same spirit until you achieve the desired result)
At first you may feel a drop in energy, but this is normal: this is how your body gets used to the new schedule. In such cases, try to sleep for 20-30 minutes.
Make good use of your dead time
Dead time is time spent on activities that do not require serious mental effort. These include, for example, shopping for groceries or working out at the gym. Try to do something else useful at such moments. For example, listen to audiobooks, podcasts, practice languages on Duolingo or Memrise.
How to use time effectively
Set Goals
You must manage your resources wisely. If you don't set goals, you'll just be wasting your time. Therefore, it is very important to allocate your resources correctly. You must know what you are aiming for.
Targets work like a camera lens. If you point the lens and focus correctly, you will get a clear photo. If not, the photo will be blurry.
Try planning a year in advance; Set three to five major goals for the most important aspects of your life (work, health, relationships, personal growth, travel). Your goals must be specific. All you have to do is write them down on a piece of paper and start moving towards them.
Identify activities that will bring maximum results with minimal effort.
Here you can apply Pareto's law or the 20/80 principle. According to this principle, 20% of effort produces 80% of the result, and the remaining 80% of effort produces only 20% of the result.
Ask yourself:
If I could do one thing on my list all day, which one would bring me the most benefit and bring me closer to my goal?
Then ask yourself the second question:
If I could complete one more task on the list, what would it be?
Finally, ask yourself about the third task.
Create a morning ritual
An effective morning ritual is a great way to start your day. It should consist of the most useful activities that will help you achieve your goals.
For example, if you want to start a blog, you should write at least one article per week. Try writing something every morning for 30-60 minutes. Here are some tips to make your morning ritual even more effective:
Drink water
Your body has just survived six to eight hours without water. Give him a chance to recover.
Do something good
Do something you're proud of, like making your bed.
Play sports
It's best to start the day with exercise.
Delegate, eliminate or automate tasks
We usually think that we can do everything ourselves. Among all your tasks, find those that do not bring any benefit. Choose which ones you can delegate to someone else. See if you can remove some things from your list or automate them.
For example, Zdravko Cvijetic spent at least two hours preparing food every day. He decided to save this time and began ordering delivery from restaurants. With these two hours free, he could do useful things that would help him achieve his goals in the future.
Block time or “put a meeting with yourself on your calendar”
Spend time alone with yourself and make sure that you are not disturbed at such moments. Use this opportunity to focus on actions that will help you achieve your future goals.
Break your work into periods
This is quite an interesting tip. You can use the Pomodoro method. The technique involves breaking tasks into 25-minute periods followed by short breaks. This will help maximize your productivity and avoid burnout.
Enter the flow
Flow is the time when you are completely immersed in a task and one hundred percent focused. It's important to understand what you're working on and how it will help you achieve your goals in the future. Tip: One of the best ways to get into flow is to find the right music.
Daytime sleep is important
Of course, after completing a serious task, you will need rest. In this case, find a quiet corner in your office or home and close your eyes. You don't have to fall asleep, just let your body relax.
Remember the time buffer
A time buffer protects us from anything that might go wrong. If you have an appointment at 3:00 p.m., arrive at 2:45 p.m. Just in case. If you have a project due by July 1st, complete it by June 28th.
Don't worry if things don't go according to plan
Even if you become an expert in time management, you will still encounter unforeseen circumstances. Usually this will not be up to you. If someone is late for a meeting with you, first exhale. Take this moment to read a book or listen to a podcast.
Watch what you spend your time on
Keep track of your core activities throughout the week and then evaluate their importance. This way you can see the reasons for inefficiency and fix it next time.
Evaluate your results
Once a week, take thirty minutes to evaluate your current results. What was productive? Focus more on this. What was ineffective? Delegate it, eliminate it, or automate it.
Set aside one day for routine tasks
Dedicate one day to routine tasks - for example, buying groceries or cleaning the apartment.
Say no to meetings that don't have a specific outcome.
At his previous job, Zdravko Cvijetic constantly asked his colleagues before meetings what their outcome would be, and if there was no such outcome, he simply did not come there or came only when his tasks were discussed. Thus, he did not waste time on useless things and did something more important.
Say no to email until you're done with your morning routine.
Don't check your email more than twice a day.
Say no to things that don't align with your goals.
It is very important to learn to say “no” and thus make your life easier. Remember: you don't say no to others, you say yes to yourself.
Reward yourself
Your life shouldn't be planned out until the last minute. After a productive week, rest.
Develop a nightly ritual
You had a very productive day. It's time for you to rest. Think about what was pleasant or good that happened during the day.
Technological detox
An hour before bed, turn off your laptop, phone, and other electronic devices. Talk to your loved one, read a book, or get ready for tomorrow - think about your tasks, what you will wear and where you will have lunch.
Conclusion
It may take you a few years to develop these habits, but trust me, the results will be amazing. You must understand that you will not get back the time you wasted, so live every day as productively as possible. Of course, you won't be able to follow all of these tips perfectly, and you shouldn't strive to do so.
Think about the small things you can control. You decide for yourself when to wake up, when to complete the first and second items on your list. When you do these small things, nothing else matters anymore, other problems are no longer under your control and you don't have to worry about them.
Try to put these techniques into practice and you will see that you can achieve much more.
You spend the whole day spinning around, creating the appearance of great busyness and fuss around you, but in fact, not a single thing has moved forward. Is this a familiar story? The inability to properly plan your day is the source of evil in many everyday problems.
1. Strict morning routine
Many successful people and businesspeople have a similar morning routine, which includes waking up early, eating a healthy breakfast, doing a little workout, and quickly checking email to determine the most important and priority tasks for the day. Learn from the powers that be. Warm up your brain in the morning and make a small plan from the list of things you need to do. Or you can not look at anyone and create your own habits for your personal “good morning”: a contrast shower, loud music, a mandatory walk with the dog, whatever! A productive mindset is half the battle.
2. Prioritization
Sometimes you're unable to make the most of 24 hours because you simply don't know where to start. The simplest solution is to create a weekly plan based on the importance and urgency of each task, with a precise deadline. Only specific tasks and specific deadlines.
You can place each task under one of the categories, and it is recommended to take on those tasks that are under the first point.
- things you don't want to do but need to do;
- things you want to do and need to do;
- things you want to do but actually shouldn't do.
3. Focus on one thing at a time
The biggest killer of your productivity is distraction.
One of the biggest productivity killers is distraction. External noise or extraneous thoughts that take you away from the main pressing problems are the main enemies of any productive day. That's why it's so important to know where and under what conditions you work better.
Do you need a little background noise to keep your thoughts at bay? Try working in a coffee shop in the morning, turn on the TV at home, but work in the next room if possible. If the ticking clock or conversations in the next office are disturbing, use headphones. Or threats of physical harm.
For example, there are various online services where you can create and track your to-do list and the extent to which you have completed them. Even if you get distracted and forget who you are and who all these people are around, this application will happily remind you of where you started and where you should end.
4. Take breaks
When you work hard on the same issue, mental fatigue makes itself felt and your productivity drops.
There is a great time management method that was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.
The Pomodoro method involves breaking tasks into 25-minute periods called pomodoros, followed by short breaks.
Each pomodoro consists of 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest. After every 4 pomodoros in a row, rest for 20 minutes.
“Tomatoes” cannot be divided!
No interruptions for 25 minutes, otherwise start all over again. Divide a task longer than 5 pomodoros into several subtasks, and if the task is not worth even one pomodoro, group it with other tasks.
5. Effective time management
There is no such thing as free time. There is only unstructured time. Use the RescueTime app to help you figure out when you're busy working and when you're idle. With the help of this data, you will be able to plan your day profitably and direct yourself in the right direction. The program consists of two parts, the one that monitors your activity on the computer, and the server that collects, analyzes and displays this information to you in the form of a graph. You can clearly see which sites you were on and for how long. What programs were launched, what algorithms were executed.
6. Reward yourself for your honest work
Regardless of how you spent your day, look back at your time wasted and take stock of your accomplishments. If your successes want to leave the best, this is not a reason to destroy all the hair on your body, just analyze where you took the wrong turn, starting from the plan drawn up the day before. And try to take these mistakes into account in the future. Well, if you did everything properly, fork out for a small “incentive” bonus for your efforts. Plus, the bonus factor is a great way to motivate and relieve stress.
I myself have asked myself questions many times:
- Where and how to start the day correctly?
- How to come up with a morning ritual or plan your morning so that the day goes as efficiently as possible?
- How to achieve your goals faster?
As a result of searching, I found my optimal regimen, which I try to adhere to constantly. Yes, sometimes I get out of the process, but the previously built-in useful habits are already working for me and allow me to get back on track.
These simple rules will help you make your day richer, better quality, and you will be satisfied with the results of your activities. In this article you will learn 9 simple rules for a productive day.
By following these rules, your morning will be productive, and by lunchtime you will be surprised to notice how you accomplished everything you planned.
You will have free time that you can spend on your favorite activities or finding your calling. So, let's go...
#1 Wake up early
I have noticed that when I wake up at 6:00 am, my day goes more efficiently than on days when I wake up later. Even if I go to bed at midnight, six hours of sleep is completely enough to get a good night's sleep and restore strength.
By waking up early, you will be able to do a lot more things without stress, in a relaxed manner, and the whole day will go well.
The only difficulty is to accustom yourself to getting up early. So, at first you will have to fight the desire to sleep. But there was an extra hour or two hours of time.
It took me a little over 30 days to establish the habit of waking up early. Now the habit is working for me and it’s already becoming uncomfortable to wake up later.
#2 Start your day by drinking a glass of water
Drink a glass of water immediately after waking up. Water will fill the body with enough moisture and start the brain to work efficiently. And you yourself will wake up faster. Water helps the brain work much more efficiently.
#3 Morning meditation
Just sit for 10-15 minutes in silence, turning off all thoughts. Be relaxed and concentrate on your breathing. When different thoughts come to you, and this will certainly happen, release them and continue to concentrate on your breathing.
You can listen to music, but it is not necessary. Meditate the way you like.
I noticed that by starting the day with meditation and repeating this ritual every day, you feel calmer, more organized, everything gets done much easier, and achieving goals happens much faster.
#4 Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements of a desired outcome that you say in the present tense.
In the morning it is also useful to speak and listen to positive statements; they set a good mood for the whole day. Affirmations reprogram the subconscious and achieving goals becomes easier. I love listening to abundance and success affirmations. I have several tracks that I listen to regularly.
#5 The first hour of the day is the golden hour
Robin Sharma says the first hour of the day is the most important time. It is better to devote the first hour to self-development and working on yourself. Do not turn on any computers or televisions, do not read newspapers or listen to the news. So that nothing fills your brain with unnecessary information.
Engage in self-development: writing personal notes, meditation and reflection,.
By the way, if what you are reading now is useful, save it to your wall and continue reading
#6 Read useful books in the morning
Two things that can change you are the books you read and the people you associate with. Read. On your topic: business, personal effectiveness, motivating.
Read at least 30 minutes a day. Thus, in a year you will read more books than in the previous 5 years. And this will greatly advance you and increase your efficiency.
#7 Play sports
The best time to exercise is in the morning. It's much easier to force yourself to study in the morning. Even if it’s just exercise and stretching for 15-20 minutes. If you find it difficult to train yourself to exercise, then do it in the morning. In the morning there is much less resistance. I got the job done and was free all day.
#8 Daily plan
Review the plan you made in the evening for the current day. This way you can re-evaluate what is important and what is not, and make adjustments. Highlight important and unimportant matters. And start doing what’s important.
#9 First, “eat the frog”
Try to do the most important thing right away and first. Or at least in the first half of the day. Don't do small things until you've done the most important things. Then minor things will be done faster.
You will be satisfied with yourself and have more free time.
I hope these simple rules for a productive morning will help you become more effective.
I would welcome your comments and thoughts below this article.
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On Sunday evening, after you have rested and switched from work to family, switch back. Take a list of your goals for the year and month (do you have one?). Such lists help you stick to the main direction of development and not be distracted by unnecessary things. Long-term goals may not be urgent, but they are important. Be careful - urgent matters may seem important to you, but this is not always the case.
Look at your schedule for the week - meetings, meetings, presentations, etc. And relate them to your goals. Make a list of things that work towards achieving these goals.
The point is to tie your actions to them. Otherwise, you will simply go with the flow and let time control you. Urgent things will cloud your mind and crowd out the things that really matter.
2. Plan even small tasks.
Most often, people only write down meetings or meetings with clients in their diary. And you will also allocate specific time for small tasks - “write a commercial proposal”, “draft a presentation sketch”, “review marketing materials”. If you don't plan for these little things, they can easily slip away, or be put aside and forgotten, and you lose the thread of your reasoning on the topic. And among the “little things” there may be a truly significant task.
3. Compose realistic to-do list.
We make a list of things to do, but never schedule a time for them. So what's going on? There are always several lines on the list for which there is not enough time. If you have five meetings a day for an hour and a to-do list for eight hours, then this list can be considered a mission impossible.
Assigning a time to each task will force you to set clearer priorities and stay focused. Multitasking is a myth; every task requires focus. If you know you only have 30 minutes to complete a task, you will attack it with all your passion and nothing will force you to stop. And don't forget to turn off email notifications in your browser! Otherwise, you will automatically click on the pop-up window - and that’s it, you’ve left the race.
4. Planning meetings - no longer than 30 minutes.
Whoever defaulted all schedulers to one-hour periods for each task will burn in hell, because because of him humanity is wasting trillions of hours. Most can be completed in half an hour, and some in as little as 15 minutes, especially if everyone present is mindful of the limited time. Don't be slaves to planners. Only ask for an hour when you are absolutely sure you will need an hour.
5. Multitasking is evil.
It would seem that during long meetings you can do things that do not require mental effort - cleaning your mailbox, for example, or deleting unnecessary files from your laptop. But even this makes you distracted, which means less productive, and generally turns the meeting itself into a pointless waste of time.
Multitasking is a personal productivity killer. Don't try to do two things at once. Yes, you can get two good results. But do one thing and you'll get one excellent result. What's better - ten mediocre achievements or one excellent one?
6. Use downtime.
Traffic jams! How many hidden opportunities they contain for extending working time! Schedule all the calls you can make during this time. Just don't forget about the hands-free headset. What about waiting for flights at the airport? What about the flights themselves? Surely you have accumulated something to read - reports from subordinates, textbooks for self-education, articles about current trends in the industry, etc.
Look carefully at your schedule to see if there is still time lost in the form of forced downtime. Plan during this time to do things that can be done in similar circumstances.
7. Keep track of the time.
To do this, you can use the Toggl service. Once you start managing your time, you will be surprised how much time you waste doing unproductive things.
8. Lunch is not a waste of time.
But here multitasking is not just welcomed - it manifests itself. Socialization, strengthening business connections, making new acquaintances, building a corporate culture - you know that these are not trifles. The main thing is to update your lunch company every day. Lunch takes about five hours each week. Five! Think about how else you can use this time productively, but, of course, not at the expense of rest and good nutrition. You don't have to work during this time, but make this time work for you.
9. Don't take yourself away from your family.
At home you should be with your family. Have dinner, help the kids with their homework. No calls, no emails. For a few hours until the kids go to bed, forget about work altogether. If you allow yourself to slip, you will not succeed either here or there. The hustle and bustle at home will prevent you from focusing on productively completing work tasks, and to your family you will look absent.
10. Start your day right.
Research shows that moderate aerobic exercise (running or swimming, for example) in the morning energizes and improves your mood for almost 12 hours in advance. This is not only a powerful kick to get started, but also a solid foundation that will allow you to stand firmly on your feet all day - both physically and psychologically, and therefore be as productive as possible.