Fundamental Theory of Productivity: Less is More
The art
and science of productivity improves your results and your life. One of the
basic theories of productivity can be summed up as “less is more.” Let’s
explore the various ways you can grow your productivity through less. After
all, we cannot increase the hours in the day but we can increase our focus and
our creativity.
1. When
you write down fewer priorities, you’ll achieve more
One of my
favorite insights from Tim Ferriss’s book The 4-Hour
Workweek is about the impact of setting fewer priorities. As
Ferriss writes:
“Don’t
ever arrive at the office or in front of your computer without a clear list of
priorities… I don’t recommend using Outlook or computerized to-do lists,
because it is possible to add an infinite number of items… There should never
be more than two mission-critical items to complete each day. Never.”
I have
found this recommendation valuable and absolutely worth implementing. Besides,
writing a to-do list with one hundred items due on a single day will simply
discourage you.
2. When
you limit yourself to 7-10 annual goals, you will be more likely to achieve
your goals
Entrepreneur
and author Micheal Hyatt advocates
setting approximately seven to ten annual goals that cover your entire life
(career, health, intellectual, financial and so forth). Setting challenging
goals is a vital to living a life you are proud of, rather than
simply checking off tasks. In my experience, 7-10 goals is the “Goldilocks
zone” for major annual goals.
3. When
you avoid work emails at home, you will be happier and more productive
A study published
in the Academy of Management Journal found that professionals often become
angry when they receive emails and text messages from their company after usual
working hours. When you think about it, that makes a lot of sense. After all,
there is often little you can do to solve a work problem in the evening when
you are away from your files and ability to seek input from others. If you keep
answering work email and obsessing over problems, you will find it more
difficult to relax and rest.
4. When
you insist on meetings with written agendas, you will waste less time.
Following
a written agenda is a key habit for effective
meetings. Even better, insisting that all meetings
have agendas will reduce the number of meetings you attend. You may face a
difficult adjustment at first. You will gain back hours of productive time each
month. If you receive resistance to a written agenda, simply tell the person
“Before attending meetings, I always seek to prepare so that I can make the
most of the time.”
5. When
you avoid email and social media first thing in the morning, you will be more
productive
As Henry
Ward Beecher said, “The first hour is the rudder of the day.” It matters how
you start the day. Many successful people follow a defined morning
routine and take the time to exercise or read a book. Starting
the day with email puts you into a reactive frame of mind. That approach means
you are neglecting your goals and priorities.
6. When
you limit work hours, your focus will improve
In the
public accounting industry, there is a “busy season” at the start of the year
as thousands of professionals work on audits. The deadline pressure of the
season means a great deal of stress. Unfortunately, some people in the sector
become neglect the rest of their lives. Even worse, when you assume you will be
in the office for twelve hours, you think nothing of wasting an hour or two in
the morning.
7. When
you take naps, you will manage your stress levels
Carving
out twenty to thirty minutes during a busy work day is one way to improve your
productivity. Vincent
Walsh, professor of human brain research at
University College London, commented that naps improve creativity. Simply
continuing to grind away on a tough work problem is not always the right
strategy. Of course, not every company has an enlightened policy on afternoon
naps so use your judgement.
8. When you
take all of your vacation days, you will be happier and more productive.
Did you
know that New Zealand law requires staff have 30 vacation days per year?
That high commitment to vacation is doing nothing to hurt New Zealand’s economy
according to a recent OECD findings reported in USA
Today. Taking time away from the office allows you
to expand your interests, build new experiences and get much needed rest.
9. When
you reduce email notifications, you will focus more
Notifications
– beeps, buzzing devices and sounds – were once a fun idea. However, the time
has come to reduce notifications to improve your productivity. If your work or
focus is broken to check email every few minutes, it will take you time to
refocus on your work. That’s why you should take the time to disable
notifications (e.g. disable
email notifications on the iPhone and Android phones) or reduce the frequency (e.g. check email every hour
instead of every 5 minutes).
10. When
you block your calendar, you will receive fewer distractions
In many
large organizations, it is a common practice to have a shared calendar. This
type of system makes it easy to schedule meetings because the meeting organizer
can find a time when everyone needed for the meeting is free. Unfortunately,
some people start to view their daily office calendar in a reactive way: a
place to store meeting requests. Instead, make sure you block (i.e. schedule “a
meeting with yourself”) at least 2 hours per day to permit you to focus on your
high priority activities.
For
example, the Manager
Tools podcast recommends
avoiding meetings on Monday mornings.
11. When
you reduce television consumption, you have more time to apply yourself to
satisfying activities.
According
to research firm Nielsen, the average American watches over 3 hours of television
per day. What if you reduced your intake by one hour? That would give you
time to apply yourself to other activities. For example, you could finally
start learning how
to code, attend a night class one day a week or
simply get to bed earlier. This idea is especially valuable if you tend to
watch television (or video) for hours on end, regardless of the program.
12. When
you cut back on watching the news, you will be happier and less anxious.
Psychology
Today magazine recently reported that viewing TV news and
current affairs programs can make people more anxious. Over the past 20 years,
there has been an increase in sensational negative news coverage. According to
the research: “Not only are negatively balanced news broadcasts likely to make
you sadder and more anxious, they are also likely to exacerbate your own
personal worries and anxieties.”
13. When
you avoid making major decisions when tired, you will make fewer mistakes.
Your
energy level impacts your ability to make good decisions. For example, it is
often difficult to keep your temper under control after a stressful day at the
office. In fact, economists have
reported that you are more likely to make impulse purchases (e.g. junk food)
when you are tired.
Armed with
this information, you can decide to “sleep on it” whenever you are prompted to
make a significant decision late in the day.
14. When
you go to bed earlier, you will be better rested and effective
If you are
used to going through your days feeling tired and worn out, simply going to bed
an hour earlier will improve your productivity. Getting more rest will improve
your ability to stay focused and help you make better decisions, including on
the road. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that over
200,000 American car crashes are caused by sleepy
drivers.
15. When
you eliminate clutter in your workspace, you will waste less time
Clutter is
a common problem for many of us. When your workspace is filled with clutter –
old magazines, receipts for expense claims, piles of old Post-It notes – your
productivity suffers. Specifically, you will spend time multiple times per day
looking for important materials. According to the
Daily Mail, searching for lost items takes up at least
10 minutes per day (that’s equivalent to spending over $1100 per year looking
for items if your annual salary is $70,000).
16. When
you reduce unproductive commuting time, you can achieve more
Commuting
to and from the office takes up a great deal of time that could be put to
productive use. The average
American spends 50 minutes per day commuting, an activity that
many consider tiresome or frustrating. Fortunately, you can transform commuting
time into education time! If you drive a car to work, listen to podcasts or buy
a subscription to Audible (a service
that has 100,000 audio books). In addition, you can also look into commuting by
train or subway, you can read, study or even get a head start on your work.
17. When
you streamline your morning routine, you will become a morning master
Your
approach to your morning makes a significant impact on your productivity. If
you are disorganized and sleep in, a mad scramble to make out the door in time
will be your daily reality. Instead, you can follow the morning
ritual of successful people who get up
early so they can read, exercise and take care of other important activities.
To
streamline your morning, look for recurring tasks that you can optimize. For
example, consider placing your keys and cell phone in the exact same place each
night so you can easily locate them as you depart. During the winter, place all
your cold weather clothes (hat, gloves, boots etc) so you they can dry out and
be ready for another day.
18. When
you set a timer on your work, your foucs will improve
In most
professional work environments, individuals have a high degree of autonomy in
how they organize their days. Generally, this freedom is a blessing. It is also
easy to fall into bad habits – reading articles on the Web, watching silly
videos or simply day dreaming. Instead, set a timer for 25 minutes to improve
productivity. Once you master the routine of working
according to a schedule, you can gradually increase the duration of your focus
periods.
19. When
you reduce the icons on your computer desktop, you will be more productive
Your
computer desktop is not an effective filing system. For the best results, I
recommend a maximum of one column of icons for your most frequently used
applications. I suggest including your main productivity applications (e.g.
Microsoft Word and Excel) and web browsers (e.g. Firefox and Chrome). The rest
of your desktop will then be free and clear.
Once you
have your computer desktop tidy, look for an inspiring wallpaper image that
will put you in a good mood. Explore these seven
websites for wallpaper images to get
your imagination started.
20. When
you moderate your alcohol consumption, your health will improve
On cruise
ships and other vacation destinations, complimentary beer, wine and other
drinks are served to guests. While enjoyable, downing too much alcohol hurts
your productivity. Heavy drinking causes health problems which takes time away
from other pursuits. Not sure if your drinking habits are excessive? Make an
appointment with your doctor to ask his or her advice.
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