Top Five Productivity Hacks of All Time
Productivity hacks that can change your life.
1. 5 Second Rule
Let’s begin with the 5 Second Rule. It was presented by Mel Robbins in her book of the same name. In Robbins’ own words :
If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it.
This is how it works:
i- Start counting backward from 5 to 1(5,4,3,2,1).
ii- As soon as you hit 1, push yourself to take action.
Actually, this method is kind of a brain hack in which you trick your mind into starting a task. Counting backward till 1 has a psychological effect and it forces our mind to take action.
2. 2 Minute Rule
On the second spot, we have the 2 Minute Rule. It was introduced by David Allen in his famous book Getting Things Done.
It states that:
If an action will take less than two minutes, it should be done at the moment it’s defined.
In simple words, if a pending task takes less than two minutes to complete, you should start it now. It may appear that this rule only works with smaller tasks. However, you can also apply the 2 Minute Rule to bigger tasks as well. Just divide bigger tasks into small actionable steps. In this way, you will be able to overcome the initial friction. Moreover, you will also be able to keep the momentum by breaking down bigger tasks into 2-minute tasks.
Some examples of the 2 Minute Rule in action:
i- Text a loved one
ii- Reply to an email
iii- Clean your desk
iv- Book an appointment
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Eisenhower Matrix was coined by Dwight D. Eisenhower who was the 34th President of the United States. This is a graphical method where you divide all of your tasks into four quadrants.
First Quadrant: Do it
Tasks that are urgent and important
Second Quadrant: Schedule it
Tasks that are important but not urgent
Third Quadrant: Delegate it
Tasks that are urgent but not important
Fourth Quadrant: Delete it
Tasks that are neither urgent nor important
4. Time Blocking
In this method, you divide your tasks into blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to completing a specific task or groups of tasks. In this technique prioritizing is of utmost importance.
For example:
From 9:00–9:30, you will check and reply to emails
Then comes 10 minutes break.
Then from 9:40 to 10:00, you will write your college essay
So on and so forth.
Author Cal Newport is probably the strongest advocate of Time Blocking. In his famous book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, he states:
A 40 hour time-blocked work week, I estimate, produces the same amount of output as a 60+ hour work week pursued without structure.
5. Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro Technique is a popular yet simple method to remain focused on the tasks at hand.
This is how it works:
Pick a task you want to complete.
Set a timer for 25 minutes
Start working on that task. Keep working until the timer rings.
Take a 5–10 minute break.
Set the timer again and so on.
These days, there are many mobile and desktop apps available that are specifically designed for Pomodoro Technique.
Conclusion:
Not every method works for everybody. Make sure to pick one that suits your needs. I know I missed a few methods. They will come in the next article.
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