8 Ways to be More Productive
Recently I’ve been consciously thinking about how to be more productive — i.e., get things done efficiently without wasting time.
Studies have shown that during the workday, the amount of time the average office worker actually work is actually surprisingly small. Reading the news, replying emails socializing, being distracted on your devices, unproductive meetings — the list of distractions or excuses for procrastination goes on.
I started to think about this topic more seriously when I found myself making a habit of consistently working after dinner, or putting off work during the weekdays and telling myself “I’ll just do this over the weekend”. I really shouldn’t be doing that, if I can help it.
Almost every session I have with my work coach, I tell him “I wish I was more productive”. I tell him, “somedays, I know what I have to do, but I just don’t want to do it”.
Have you ever felt so tired mentally that you just don’t want to do anything? It’s perfectly normal if it happens once in a while, but if it happens too frequently, we have a problem.
That’s why I’m going to write about 8 things I could do or continue to do to be more productive.
1. Pomodoro
Pomodoro is a technique where you focus for 25 minutes and rest for 5 minutes, then repeat.
I’ve heard of this technique many time, but I’ve never consistently applied it until recently.
We are all at-times daunted by work that is challenging, complicated, or tedious. Sometimes, you just don’t even want to start it. The Pomodoro technique helps simplify the situation, because you only need to do the work for 25 minutes. Just 25 minutes. One Modern Family episode is about 25 minutes, and that seems to fly by fast.
I think that’s the beauty of the Pomodoro. Anybody can do anything for 25 minutes, because it’s just 25 minutes.
The wonderful thing is that it adds up, and 2–3 iterations mean 1–1.5 hours of solid, undistracted work. A lot can be done during the time. And time passes by fast.
2. “Time is going to pass anyway”
Sometimes I tell myself, “just fucking do it, time is going to pass anyway”.
What’s the point of wasting time at work, when time is going to pass anyway. You can either walk away from the office with a productive day, or an afternoon where nothing was done?
Why not get that piece of deliverable done, so you can have the relaxing evening you wanted. Why not go for a run, instead of lying around and mindlessly scrolling on your phone. Time is going to pass anyway.
You’ve got nothing better to do.
3. Exercise
I truly find that regular exercise helps with my productivity. Really, there’s no downside to exercising. You never regret going for a work out.
We need our physical body to get through our days and lives. I think it’s a matter of principal to keep it in good shape, so we can keep the machinery running and face whatever life throws.
I also do find that I feel more positive after exercising. After all, it is scientifically proven that the positive chemical, endorphins, are released after working out. Or it could be taking pride in a small personal win after mustering the willingness to get off my butt.
4. Clean your desk
Sometimes I like to clean my desk if want to take a break from whatever I am doing. I do think it’s a small action that can yield greater results.
Decluttering my work station is a quick way to refresh my mental state. Turning chaos into order, even in the smallest sense, is a good representation for how you want your life to be.
5. Plan your day, so you can have the day you want
If your day was perfect, what would it look like? Of course, let’s be realistic — we’re not talking about having dinner with Timothée Chalamet or anything. What would your tomorrow look like, if it went just as you wished, given our realities?
If I envisioned how my perfect day would turn out the night before, I might just do it. I might just set an early alarm to go for that morning run.
To be productive and to be happy, you got to know what it looks like first. Without aiming for something, you’re adrift.
6. Be patient
I do think productivity is about patience. Sometimes, the results of our work take a long time to show.
Many times, results are a lagging indicator of our habits. This applies to many facets of our lives.
A presentation is a culmination of many hours of tedious work — you just have to put in the time. A runner’s body is a result of months, years, of regular routines and discipline. The results, although often delayed, will get closer as you put in the work. The work will not be wasted.
If you’re consistent and patient, time is your friend. Time is a multiplier of your efforts (sometimes, even in an exponential way). And, per tip #2, the time will pass anyway.
7. Take time to work on the second quadrant
If you’ve read Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, you know what I am talking about.
The second quadrant refers to the matrix below (originally called the Eisenhower Matrix). The second quadrant is called the “important but not urgent quadrant”. Compared to the rest of the quadrants, this one is the easiest to procrastinate on.
If you analyze the matrix, you can’t really procrastinate on the left side, because they’re all urgent. You ARE going to meet that deadline; you ARE going to respond to that email. And quadrant four is just fun — we all need to unplug and turn off our brains sometimes.
The second quadrant is usually the one that is overlooked. First of all, by definition, there is no urgency. Secondly, important things (like keeping a healthy body, learning a new skill, networking, etc.) are generally cumbersome to work on. They’re not exactly the most pleasurable things to do. They require deep work and focus.
Covey argues that after one finishes the work in quadrant one, effective people focus on quadrant two. They know that quadrant two is where the long-term development happens. And those who consistently spend time on quadrant two are the ones who achieve their goals.
I think next time we make a to-do list we should keep this thought in mind.
8. Practice gratitude and positivity
A couple of days ago, I finished a book called The Happiness Advantage. The author argues that instead of thinking success leads to happiness, we need to flip it the other way — happiness leads to success.
Studies find that we are more productive and effective if we train our brains to see the positives and opportunities in our work and everyday lives (versus seeing the negatives all the time). The mental construction of our daily activities, more than the activities themselves, defines our reality.
It takes some practice to recognize the positive things in our jobs and careers. It’s so easy to be frustrated by the day-to-day.
The more you practice gratitude and positivity, the more your eyes are trained to see them throughout your days, which will make you happier — a virtuous cycle.
For example, instead of saying “I have to go to work”, you should think “I get to go to work”. Instead of saying, “this project/task is tedious and time-consuming”, perhaps we can think about what we can learn from this and make it better. Alternatively, just focus on doing such a good job on the task that you use it as a reason for your promotion.
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Opinions expressed are my own and are not affiliated with my employer.
