How to get more done and work less

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In 4, 5 hours, you can do much more than in a full day at the office. Today we publish six interesting tips from Elena Prokopets, a traveling writer and author, about cultural finds.

Yesterday I crossed two borders, completed three ongoing projects with clients, closed a deal with great prospects, and in the evening I dined at home with my soul mate.

I work 25 hours a week, sleep eight hours a day, have no schedule, and still manage to do a lot more things than when I was glued to my office desk for more than 60+ hours a week.

I am far from being superhuman. Everything described above is just an illustrative example.

You see, being independent of the place and working for myself for over a year, I learned some valuable lessons in efficiency and managing my own time.

Below is a list of life hacks that may seem very simple. However, once you really try them out, you will notice that your tasks take up less and less time.

1. Take advantage of the Zeigarnik effect

The brain has an intrusive built-in function to constantly remind you of things that you left unfinished, thus nudging you to complete the task. This is the Zeigarnik effect, and it will help you complete the tasks you have already started.

It doesn't matter if you like the problem to be solved or not, take at least one tiny step towards it.

Faced with a creative crisis and can't write? Open a blank file and start typing whatever you like. Need to start planning your wedding? Start by looking for a bridal bouquet. Do you need to develop a marketing strategy for the company by tomorrow? Record a couple of ideas on video to get you started.

In 99% of cases, you will work on a task to the bitter end.

2. Use tools for project management (not just for work cases)

Our brains don't like challenging tasks. When faced with some abstract task, say, "come up with a monthly marketing campaign," he immediately becomes discouraged and prefers to do the easy things he does.

This is why it is imperative to divide every big business into a few simple, tiny, achievable steps.

This is where project management tools come into play. You don't want to miss any important steps, right?

There are a myriad of both free and paid personal project management apps. I like the visual approach to management the most.

What is especially great about this application is that you can structure information the way it comes to your mind - in the form of relationships, rather than linear. This means that instead of drawing a linear step-by-step plan, you can create a detailed picture of the project with several flows of actions that occur simultaneously or one after the other. (Read more about mind mapping and tools for it here).

In other words, you draw a visual map that allows you to get a glimpse of the entire project, plus it helps you take small steps that lead to your goal.

Here is an example of such a project:

Why this visual approach works great for me (and maybe works for you too):

1. You always know what step should be next, so you don't even leave yourself a chance to procrastinate.
2. You have a big, clear picture of your goals at a glance.
3. Planning an entire project is as easy as drawing it on paper (which I have done before), and using the plan is much more convenient.
4. If you work in a team, it will always be clear what has already been done and what is being done now. This means that there will be fewer mistakes and missed deadlines.

Other popular tools that I enjoy using include,, Trello, and.

3. Change your habits

Today it is easy to find information on how to keep up with all your business, but how many of you put these tips into practice? I was in this boat too.

We all have habits and change them greatly. However, one clever solution to this problem can be found in Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit. The author calls it the cycle of habit. In short, a habit has three components: stimulus (the trigger that precedes habitual behavior), habitual behavior (actual repetition of an action), and reward (the external and internal reward you receive for performing the habitual action).

Now the bad news is that there is no way you can influence the stimuli. The good news is that you can change the behavior you have.

There are many unproductive things that I have done and do, but I have always felt guilty about the fact that the first thing in the morning I start posting to social networks and media. The annoyance of sharing new posts on your blog is okay. But I know that I can quickly get caught up in mindless surfing the Web for a few hours and it will make my day a mess.

The solution is to schedule what needs to be done on networks and media the night before. Set a time for yourself when to do it, and do it every day.

This approach is applicable to any irritants that lead to negative behavior.

Every time you perform a new habitual action, make sure you reward yourself for it. Create a ritual for yourself that will help you anticipate your negative behaviors, such as recklessly surfing the web, spending money, or eating sweets, and reward yourself with something nice every time you can avoid it.

Repeat for 21 days until the new habit sticks.

4. Use the 90 minute rule

About 50 years ago, neuroscientist Nathaniel Kleitman discovered that our body goes from peak to peak every 90 minutes throughout the day. This phenomenon is also known as ultradian rhythm. Simply put, we can only be productive for 90 minutes.

What happens after 90 minutes? We start looking for additional fuel in the form of caffeine, sweet bars, or our own stress hormones: adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol. At this moment, we lose focus, we cease to think clearly and see the whole picture.

My yesterday went like this: I got to the airport and worked in a coffee shop 90 minutes before boarding (there was no Wi-Fi), watched a movie during the flight and returned to work on the train from Switzerland to France. When I got home, I quickly checked my inbox, had dinner and worked for another 90 minutes.

As a result, in just 4.5 hours I did most of the work that I would have spent an 8-hour day on before.

5. Prioritize to the last

One Pentagon executive brilliantly summed up the gist of this advice:

First, I make a list of priorities: first, second, third, and so on. And then I cross out everything below the third.

This is the golden rule for any daily to-do list. Move all tasks after the third to the next day.

Can't determine which tasks are more important?

1. Consider if there is a dependency between tasks. Is it possible to take step A without taking step B? If not, then task B is more important. Choose those tasks that affect your future success.
2. Use a decision matrix.

Everything in the upper right corner should be marked with the "Do it now" label. Problems with high impact, which are difficult to accomplish, need to be mixed with others, less complex. Tasks with little impact that are easy to do are worth delegating.

6. Arrange an "airport day"

For me, a super-productive place of work is airports and airplanes. In fact, I prefer connecting flights more often than direct flights (they are, among other things, cheaper by at least $ 100), and I try to complete as many tasks as possible on the days when I am on the road, and not when I work from home.

Now let me explain.

You have a strictly limited time (before departure or before boarding) and limited free Wi-Fi. This means you can sprint 90 minutes to stay productive.

You have nothing to be distracted by when you are on the plane: your phone is turned off, and there is only pure, efficient work to be done in a limited time. I often try to recreate a similar atmosphere at home: I turn off the Internet and do my work for 90 minutes without being distracted by anything else.

Let's summarize. Here's a plan to get more done and work less:

1. Take the first step in your business and let the Zeigarnik effect help you complete it.
2. Use project management tools to be clear about what needs to be done and stay focused.
3. Track your irritants and convert them into positive habits.
4. Use the 90 minute rule.
5. Prioritize and work on the most important tasks.
6. Eliminate anything that distracts you. For example, give yourself an "airport day".