It happens to all of us. One minute we're focused working on a task--the next we're checking our newsfeeds or opening dozens of tabs before realizing what we're doing and wondering how to become more productive.
Most people suffer from distractions. This has led me to research for hacks and techniques that successful entrepreneurs are using to make the most of their time, attention, and efforts.
Even though I've built a productive work environment by doing things like buying an ergonomic chair and adding a standing desk to my work space, and I've removed extra clutter by going wireless with a wireless mouse and wireless printer, I have found that adopting additional hacks have helped me and my team to achieve the productivity levels we desire.
1. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a mind hack that was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It emphasizes working in 25 minute intervals separated by breaks to achieve focused working sessions and to improve mental agility.
Studies show that doing work while you're distracted is the same as working after you’ve pulled an all-nighter, and can reduce your productivity by as much as 40 percent. The Pomodoro Technique discourages multitasking, enables concentration without distractions, and encourages deep thinking.
The essence of this technique is to decide on a task you are going to do, work on the task for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break, and then repeat. After four times of work and breaks, you're allowed to take a longer break.
This method has worked great for me. I've used it for language learning to blogging, but I also know many designers and authors who use this technique to increase their focus and productivity.
There has been criticism on the effectiveness of this technique, but it is a good technique that can get you out of the habit of procrastinating
Action Step: Experiment using the Pomodoro Technique one day next week. Note how your productivity improves and consider using the method more regularly. If you can't find a physical timer, use this "tomato timer" and start working.
2. Pareto principle
The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is one of the most powerful concepts you'll ever learn. It is named after the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who published a paper in 1896 describing his observations that 80 percent of the income in Italy went to 20 percent of the Italian population.
He took this concept even further and discovered that it applied to multiple situations. For example, you may notice that you wear 20 percent of your clothes 80 percent of the time, or 80 percent of your business is generated by 20 percent of your customers.
So how can you use this principle to improve your productivity? The key is to determine which projects or everyday tasks will have the most impact on your business and then focus on those items first. You have to be ruthless and hard on yourself as self-accountability is the key for this method to work. If you have ten items on your to-do list, two of them will have more value than the other eight, so focus on working on those tasks first before working on the rest.
Action Step: Spend some time analyzing past business results to identify what falls into the most important 20 percent of activities to focus on (e.g., services, products, customers, marketing strategies, etc.). Adjust your strategy and plans accordingly.
3. Biological prime time
Are you a morning person or a night person? I'm unable to accomplish anything in the evenings, so that's when I take a nap to help me get productive hours in late at night.
Sam Carpenter, author of Work the System, refers to this time as Biological Prime Time," the part of the day when you are the most productive. By identifying the time of day when you're more focused and have more energy, you can adjust the time you work on your most important tasks which will make your day super productive.
To start, you need to pay attention to three things: your productivity, focus, and motivation, and after every hour or two, rate each on a scale from 1 to 10. It will take you a week before you can create a graph that will give you data points showing when you are most focused, motivated, and productive.
Action Step: Start tracking three factors; while preparing your graph, make sure to discover links to your diet, sleeping, habits, influence from family, and work environment to see if any of them elevates your focus or productivity.
4. Don't Break the Chain!
"Don't Break the Chain" is an amazing hack introduced by Jerry Seinfeld. It is getting a lot of praise because it simply works.
We know the importance of tangible notes, and for this technique you also need a calendar which you display in a prominent spot to look at every day (e.g., the area where you brush your teeth, or your worktable).
Once you have a calendar, identify what you want to accomplish and routine tasks that will take you closer to your goal. Every day when you complete a task, mark the day with a big "X" on your calendar; pretty soon you'll see chain of X's.
Action Step: Get a calendar and mark a date for when you want to achieve your goal.
