Becoming a productivity pro doesn’t mean you need to be on the clock 24/7. Implementing simple time management hacks and productivity rules can help you maximize the time you have, ensuring you get the most important tasks on that to do list done. We’re covering 5 productivity rules that’ll help you stay efficient, focused, and motivated, so you can get sh*t done. Let’s do this!
5 simple productivity rules you need to live by
Productivity Rule #1: Do the most difficult task of the day in the morning
You know when you have that one task on your to do list that you’re totally dreading? The one that you end up procrastinating on, only to get pushed at the bottom list day after day until you have no choice but to frantically complete it at the last minute?
Start your day by doing the most dreaded task on your to do list first thing in the morning. Coined by Mark Twain, the concept here is “eating the frog”.
By eating the frog, we do the most difficult task of the day as soon as we’re up. This helps us build momentum, makes our day that much more productive, and pushes us to “do” rather than procrastinate for the remainder of the day.
Productivity Rule #2: Use the one-minute rule
If anything can be completed in under one minute, do it right away. Don’t put it on your to-do list, don’t tell yourself you’ll do it later, from the famous words of Nike, just do it.
Tasks that can be completed in under one minute end up freeing up a lot of our time when they’re done right away. Think of that one dish in the sink. Washing it, would likely take about 1 minute, causing no disruption to your day. But by leaving that one dish in the sink, you’ll eventually accumulate more dirty dishes, and next thing you know it’ll take a half hour just to wash those dishes.
A few other examples of one-minute tasks are:
- booking an appointment
- RSVPing to a party or wedding
- putting your dirty clothes in the hamper (instead of the floor)
- wiping down the kitchen counter
- responding to an email
When these types of tasks are completed right away, it’s one less thing for you to do or worry about in the future.
Productivity Rule #3: Time-block your calendar
Time-blocking is an all-time classic productivity hack that will no doubt help you get more done. One of the best ways to effectively manage your time, time-blocking allows you to designate certain hours of your day to a specific task you need to get done.
Here’s how to do it:
- Start by making a list of the top 3-5 items you need to do today
- Use a time-blocker sheet (you can download our free time-blocking sheet here!) to section off chunks of time for each of those tasks
- For example, my to do’s for the day are:
- Go to the gym
- Work on my website
- Do groceries
- Meal prep
- Dinner with friends
- I may time block my day to look like this:
- 8am-10am: work on my website
- 10am-12pm: gym
- 12pm-1pm: lunch
- 1pm-2pm: groceries
- 2pm-4pm: meal prep
- 4pm-6pm: more website work
- 6pm-8pm: dinner with friends
It’s really easy to lose track of time in our day when we don’t account for it. Time-blocking will help you stay productive and get way more done.
Productivity Rule #4: Use the Pomodoro Technique
Level up your productivity game by using the Pomodoro Technique.
Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980’s, the concept here is that one Pomodoro (which is Italian for “tomato”), should equal 25 minutes of deep focused work.
Start by setting a timer for 25 minutes. In these 25 minutes, make sure you are completely focused on the task at hand with no distractions.
Once the timer goes off, set another timer for 5 minutes. Use these 5 minutes as a complete break. Get up and stretch, move around, just disconnect from the work at hand for the complete 5 minutes.
This cycle would be considered one Pomodoro.
Repeat this cycle 4 times. 25 minutes on, 5 minutes break.
Once you’ve completed 4 Pomodoros (2 hours), give yourself a longer break for about 15 to 20 minutes.
This will help you reset and refocus before getting back into work. Relax, re-energize, then rinse and repeat.
Productivity Rule #5: Don’t overplan
If you’re guilty of creating the most elaborate plans but seldom act on it – this one’s for you!
If you fail to plan you plan to fail, BUT at some point you need to stop planning and start doing.
It’s important to create structure and have a vision for the things we aspire to do. For example, crafting a workout plan to figure out what days you’re working out your arms, what days you’re doing legs, what days you’re doing cardio, and so on, can be beneficial, as you’ve now got a plan for the gym.
That being said, if you create that plan and keep changing it, never allowing yourself to get to the gym in the first place, you’re not making any progression.
Steer away from over-planning and perfection. Allow yourself to execute and iterate to get better day by day, giving you grace to learn in the process.
Read more: 5 Habits that Are Making You Unproductive
