Would you like to be more productive? Of course, you want to be more productive! But we want to find a better way to be more productive — and that’s called Purposeful Productivity, and likely why you’re currently reading this article. — Sure. You can devour the countless books and hacks out there that promise you’ll be more productive — we all do — and these are pretty helpful and motivational. However, even the best productivity advice won’t matter if you don’t know your purpose. As Rachel Hollis ideally put it, “…

When you study the lives of people who are the best in the world at what they do, you’ll notice one consistent theme: Recovery. In an interview, Mike Mancias, performance coach for basketball icon LeBron James, told Tim Ferriss, “Recovery never stops.” That’s the key to LeBron’s success. It’s the…

Your first three hours will make or break you. — The traditional 9–5 workday is poorly structured for high productivity. Perhaps when most work was physical labor, but not in the knowledge working world we now live in. Although this may be obvious based on people’s mediocre performance, addiction to stimulants, lack of engagement, and the fact that most people…

The Science of Self-Control — By Belle Beth Cooper One of the key parts of our culture at Buffer is a focus on self-improvement. We each pick an area to improve on each week and share our daily progress and challenges, making it a social, supportive way to adjust, create or change our habits. There’s…

A day always has 24 hours. Time is the only resource that is exactly the same for everyone on this planet. That’s why effective time management is such a precious skill. Knowing how to organize your productivity and work gives you an edge over everyone else. You become a wizard…

(…and how to avoid them to keep a “productivity mindset”) Productivity has many enemies: too many meetings, external triggers like interruptions from coworkers, and multitasking the wrong way, to name a few. But more often than not, it’s mental traps that trip us up. “Mental traps are habitual modes of…

And what to do instead. — This is likely not the first article you’ve read on the topic of productivity. There is a plethora of articles out there offering advice on how to be productive and giving answers to questions you never even thought to ask. Yet, all too often, we find ourselves stuck with the…

A self-tested, beginner’s guide to time management — According to the English Cambridge Dictionary, procrastination means “To keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or dull.” Ah! I have lost count of how many times I have been guilty of this act. I should be crowned as the ‘Queen of Procrastination’. To add…

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage.” — Start Before You Are ‘Ready’ The number one trap that can cost you years of your life is waiting until you feel ‘ready’ to start with a big goal or project. Whether it’s starting a business, writing a book, or making a big career change, you’ll likely never feel 100% ready. Time will never be…

When I first started using Strava (Android / iOS), my weekly running mileage skyrocketed. Nothing had changed other than my perception of how much running was “enough.” Lots of people in my feed were clocking 40 to 60 miles a week, and suddenly my 20-mile weekly average seemed negligible. The…

And 9 things that actually will. — Originally published on the official Doist blog “I’m just so busy.” How many times have you heard a friend or coworker say this? Perhaps in a tone of exhaustion, but with a detectable hint of proud self-martyrdom? How many times have you said it yourself? In today’s fast-paced world, we…

Configure Your iPhone to Work for You, Not Against You — The iPhone could be an incredible tool, but most people use their phone as a life-shortening distraction device. However, if you take the time to follow the steps in this article you will be more productive, more focused, and — I’m not joking at all — live longer. Practically every…

Do you need to set up a productive workspace at home? — Setting up your workspace at home can be a daunting task. Finding the right environment for productivity can be challenging, with so many options and distractions. Fortunately, a few simple tips will help you get started. In this article, we’ll provide 10 tips for setting up your workspace at home…

Here’s how to get more out of your day without overtaxing your brain. — Everyone knows that multitasking destroys productivity, right? Haven’t we all seen studies and read articles telling us that it’s impossible to do two things at once? In some ways, that’s true. The evidence is pretty clear that humans are awful at performing two complex tasks simultaneously. Generally speaking, we commit…

We’ve all wasted time. But sometimes, we waste a bit too much time. The other day I watched a Skip & Shannon video on YouTube (a sports show mostly about the NBA and NFL), and then, I watched another video about the NBA. …

3 tips for achieving big, difficult things long term — from those who have done it — Motorbike horns honked around me. A green laser flashed every few seconds into the corner of my eye. Hot garbage and tourist armpit sweat hovered at the perimeter of my nostrils. Vietnam can be an attack on the senses. But the thing keeping my attention the most wasn’t the bikes…

My workdays used to go something like this: “Sit down in front of my computer with a vague idea of what I wanted to get done. Check email. Get distracted by all of the new messages in my inbox. …

A good life starts with a string of good days. — When I look back on the last few years of my life, I find that the periods of the most intense personal growth and productivity were concentrated into short 3–6 month bursts. It’s really tough to string together more than several months of extreme productivity without burning out or needing…

Become friends with chaos — The reason we make plans is straightforward: We want a specific outcome in our lives. As we mature and experience more, we’re able to see patterns that teach us how to anticipate something. We become better planners as we grow. But the world is full of surprises, and most of…

The importance of being on time cannot be overstated. Many people, however, have difficulty being punctual. In fact, 20% of the population struggles to be punctual, according to research. The negative effects of being late are numerous. Among them are: Lateness signals a lack of self-control to others. …