We all have the same amount of time in a day. So what sets apart those who are productive from those who aren’t?
How we manage that time.
In this podcast I go over five tried and tested time management hacks. If you implement these into your life, I promise that you will find you are getting MORE done in less time, and with more calm and focus.
I use all 5 of these hacks on a regular basis to get my work done efficiently and effectively – and therefore do better quality work in less time – which is a win-win situation, for sure!
This podcast is actually a little peek inside one of the workshops I offer in the Thriver Circle – How to be More Productive by Managing your Time, Energy, and Focus.
What I share here today is less than a quarter of what I share in the full workshop, but it’s a powerful hit of information that – if you implement it! – will see your focus improve and your work flow.
P.S. This episode is a redux of episode 30. I managed to pick up an illness on my way home from Japan, and instead of subjecting you to a whole episode of my sounding croaky, I thought a replay of this useful episode was in order, instead!
Quotes and highlights from this Episode:
- It is scientifically proven that multitasking DOES NOT WORK.
- Your brain can not process two tasks simultaneously.
- Instead it very rapidly jumps from one task to the other. That transition period slows you down.
- You will actually get LESS done if you are multitasking,
- The better approach is single-tasking. Turn everything else off, and focus on the singular task at hand!
- Don’t check emails as they pop up throughout the day. Process them instead, and then move onto the next task.
- The Pomodoro Technique works with the scientific findings that after 90 minutes your brain’s focusing ability is tapped out.
- After that period, you must reset your brain. Grab a drink. Go for a walk. Stretch. Play a video game. Play with your cat!
- Split your time between focused work, and then rest. During the work, do nothing but work!
- You can download an app to time your focused sessions.
- When you know there’s an end coming, it allows you to be highly focused.
- Chunking your tasks is another effective approach.
- Create blocks of time for similar tasks.
- You can chunk by the day or by the week.
- Maybe your mornings are dedicated to creating, your early afternoon is for processing emails, your late afternoon is for marketing.
- Or you can dedicate Tuesday and Thursdays to making, Fridays to marketing, Mondays to business. What works for you!
- This approach allows your brain to really dive deep into the task at hand.
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has suggested the matrix technique.
- This method has you put all tasks into four categories, ‘Urgent, Important’ ‘Urgent, Not Important’ ‘Not Urgent, Important’ ‘Not Urgent, Not Important.
- A great tool for prioritizing! Keep in mind, it’s the Not Urgent, But Important’ category that often gets overlooked.
- And lastly, but not least there is the two minute rule.
- From Getting Things Done by David Allen.
- If it takes two minutes or less, do it now!
- When our brain has a task that it knows needs to be done, it loops and keeps coming back to that task. Causing distraction.
- If you can answer an email quickly, do it! Let that loop be closed.
- What strategies have you used?
Download/Listen to this Episode
(You can also subscribe to the podcast and listen to this episode on iTunes + Stitcher – just search ‘Create & Thrive’.)
