Every now and then, we fall into ruts. Energy sluggish, attention scattered, efficiency low. When I find myself operating at sub-peak performance, I know it’s time to indulge in one of my favorite nerdy pastimes - reading up on productivity hacks.
This is particularly important to me as the CEO of a cause engagement solution company. Although providing employees with an easy-to-use technology platform to give back to their favorite causes is a proven way to inspire high performance and increase retention rates, it amounts to nothing if employees and their leaders do not have the time and energy to put their best foot forward when volunteering and organizing giving campaigns.
So I’ve been reviewing what the best minds on productivity have to say about maintaining excellence and balance in your work and life. Already, the rush of inspiration has me feeling refreshed and energized.
Though it might seem obvious, here’s what everyone seems to agree on: the top three things you can do to increase your productivity are to exercise, eat well and get enough sleep. Many productivity hacktivists would add that exercising in the morning is best of all, as it lifts your mood and energy throughout the day.
: the top three things you can do to increase your productivity are to exercise, eat well and get enough sleep. Many productivity hacktivists would add that exercising in the morning is best of all, as it lifts your mood and energy throughout the day.
Limiting exposure to blue light (phone, computer) before bed helps you sleep better, and drinking enough water helps with all three of these top hacks. Incorporating meditation into your day is another popular way to facilitate the top three hacks (and everything else in your life).
A hack I see a lot of people discussing is setting aside “an airplane day,” where you turn the phone and internet to airplane mode, and allow your brain to focus without interruptions. Turning off alerts and notifications every day to avoid constant noise is another common pearl of wisdom, as is saying no to commitments that deplete your time and energy.
Reading/ watching the news is a time sink that’s best avoided or severely limited (a tough task for the news junkies amongst us, but I see the point.) Same goes for mindlessly surfing the net, using your smartphone and watching TV. And don’t start your day checking email - it’s a dangerous pile of quicksand that can swallow up your whole morning before you know it.
Many productivity hacks revolve around setting deadlines for yourself, even hour to hour. Fight procrastinations by breaking up tasks into small steps that are manageable to tackle, then assign deadlines for every step.
Beyond this foundation of hacks that many experts agree on, however, there are so many different notions of how to tame the wild beast of productivity. You could read for days on this - which would, of course, destroy your productivity. Chris Bailey spent a year reading, studying experimenting and writing about what the leading minds had to say about productivity, which he captured in “A Life of Productivity.” Check out his full list of 100 top tips, but here are some of the ones that stood out for me:
Schedule less time for important tasks. This seems counterintuitive, but it isn’t in practice. When you limit how much time you give yourself to work on important tasks, you force yourself to expend more energy over less time so you can get the tasks done faster.
Keep a time diary. When you track exactly how you spend your time, you can see how much time you’re wasting, which helps you reclaim lost time, and reflect on how to better spend your time in the first place.
Remember that “perfect is the enemy of good.” Your house will never be exactly 100% clean—something will always be out of place. Particularly with low-leverage activities, know when to stop.
Start a maintenance day. Group all of your “maintenance tasks” (laundry, groceries, cleaning, watering plants, etc.) together on one day of the week so you have more time to focus on higher-level tasks the rest of the week.
Work no more than 35 hours a week. Studies show that to be the most productive and creative, you should work 35 hours a week. Working longer hours can make you more productive, but only in the short run.
Keep all of your emails five sentences or less, and make a note of it in your signature. Using this hack I’ve blown through my inbox like crazy, and most people don’t mind when you keep your emails short and to the point.
Work on tasks that are important, but not urgent. Every day, do at least one task that is important but not urgent, so you can make sure you advance on your goals and not just put out fires all day.
Live by the two-minute rule. The two-minute rule (from David Allen’s Getting Things Done system) says that when a task will take you less than two minutes, just do it—don’t add it to your to-do list or capture it for later.
Work on Pomodoro time. The “Pomodoro Technique” is a time-management technique where you work on just one activity for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break. It’s incredibly effective.
I also love discovering productivity apps designed to filter the clutter from your life. Here are a few recommended by Bailey:
The Email Game (if you use Gmail), a free web app that hooks into your Gmail account and gamifies answering your email. Goal: reducing your inbox clutter.
Unroll.me (if you have use Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook.com), an app that condenses all of your subscription emails into one daily email.
RescueTime (Mac, PC, Android; free), an app that tracks how you spend (read: waste) your time on the computer.
f.lux F.lux red-shifts your computer’s screen colors after the sun sets in your location, which lets your body release more melatonin and sleep better.
Coffitivity (web, Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac). The ambient hum of a coffee shop has been proven to boost your productivity and creativity. Coffitivity simulates that same vibe on your computer.
I also like these productivity apps:
Pocket, a do-it-later service that reduces time wasted in visiting distracting but interesting websites.
Sanebox reduces email clutter by moving unimportant emails (as determined by an algorithm) into a separate folder and then summarizing them for you.
And the weirdest hack I’ve ever heard: Look at pictures of cute baby animals, which has been shown to boost your cognitive and motor performance because it narrows the breadth of your attentional focus.
Whatever it takes!
Also read:
Charity Scams Put the “Disaster” in Disaster Relief
Impact Investing and Equity Pledges for Good: The New Landscape of Corporate Philanthropy
Spotlight On Hunger Action Month: How 6 Startups Teamed Up to Break a Food Bank Record