Why you're not productive
I used to struggle with productivity.
That launched me into a rabbit hole to obsess about this stuff.
I tried out all kinds of techniques and apps - from the Pomodoro technique to apps like Forest.
Some helped me - some not.
But there are 6 things that certainly have changed my life.
And today, I'd like to share those 6 things with you.
If you're not doing all these 6 things, it could be the reason why you're not productive enough yet.
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But before we start, I have 2 openings from my 1-1 Social Media Coaching Program. I'll have time to call with 2 people next week.
If interested, apply here.
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1) You don't have a small to-do list
You might have heard you should have a to-do list. But, you might have a very long one.
And that - might limit your productivity.
Why?
Because 1, it might overwhelm you. And this can get you into a loop of procrastinating.
(This is called habit loops.)
It could go something like this:
You check what you should do -> You notice there's a lot to do -> You get anxious -> You go to social media to distract yourself -> You check what you should do again.
And this cycle repeats.
Sound familiar? It might. And well... for me it does. That's what I used to do. Especially, when I had a lot of hard tasks to do.
But - this can be eliminated by having 2 to-do lists.
1 with everything you need to remember.
Another one with the 2-3 most important tasks for today, in order.
This way, you'll not waste time figuring out what to do - and in what order.
Having a smaller to-do list as well, will make you more productive.
2) You haven't scheduled the task
If you just write the stuff down on your to-do list, is it going to get done?
If there are a lot of consequences for you if you don't, it probably will.
But what if it is a task for the long term? Such as going to the gym - or starting to make your 1st product?
What I've found with myself - and others - is that if you don't schedule something, it'll probably not get done.
You could use a calendar. Many "successful" people use a calendar because this makes them both:
1) Remember what they need to do - but also
2) They have scheduled it - so it'll get done.
If you don't want to use a calendar, that's fine. But do know when you want to do something. Otherwise, everything will become more difficult.
Such as, when it comes to filming social media content, I know Tuesday mornings are the time for this.
It's blocked out of my calendar. I won't take meetings then or do other stuff. It's for filming.
Schedule things - and watch yourself get more stuff done.
3) You let everyone distract you
This might be controversial amongst some of you, but I believe focus mode - or airplane mode - on the phone, are underestimated.
When I want to work, I work.
I have a focus mode on. No calls (apart from a few emergency contacts) can get through me.
I don't believe in being available to everyone all the time.
I respect my own time. I don't want people to be able to "steal" my time at any moment of the day.
When I have my work done, and time to call, then I'm back available.
The same thing with notifications.
I don't have any on for anything (apart from for Auroras.)
No notifications from social media. Not messages. Nothing.
This is out of respect for myself. I don't want to get distracted.
Especially, when most of the time, it's these larger companies that want your attention. So that they can make more money.
I'd recommend having notifications off. If not all, then at least some. And especially, when you're focusing on something.
To simplify, these are things you could do:
1) Put on a focus mode on your mobile (and or computer)
2) Go to Airplane mode (to really go off-rogue)
3) Put notifications off
This is what has helped me a ton, and I believe it'll help you too.
4) You distract yourself
Even if you don't let others distract you, it might be you who distracts yourself.
You might check social media - when you shouldn't.
You might check the news - when you shouldn't.
You might check your email - when you shouldn't.
You should not distract yourself.
Focus on the task at hand. Work on that. And once you've finished, you can do the other stuff.
Why is this important?
It comes down to the flow state named by Mihály Csikszentmihályi in 1970.
In short, it is a state where you're the most productive.
Many agree it takes around 15 minutes of non-distracted work to get into this state.
Have you ever felt time just flies by?
Chances are you were in a flow state.
A flow state occurs when a challenge meets with skill.
Such as this Newsletter writing. I am in a flow state now. This is both fun (because I have the skill to do this) - and it's also a bit challenging.
The same could be if you edit your photographs. It could be fun - but challenging - to get the exact look you want. And suddenly you notice time has flown by.
Or this could occur when you're shooting outdoors. You name it.
You want to embrace this knowledge.
Work at least 25 minutes in a row. (To take advantage of flow state.) And work up to 90 minutes.
(Which is the maximum a human can focus on something biologically. After that, latest, take a break.)
It takes time to be able to work 90 minutes focused.
If you haven't trained your focus yet, it's ok to start lower, like the 25 minutes.
You can train your focus with these as an example:
1) Meditate
2) Not giving in to the temptation to get distracted
3) Taking care of your health overall (sleep, nutrition & health)
Bonus tip: Use grayscale mode on your phone.
This takes colour away from your phone screen.
I bet you'll be shocked how much less fun it's to be on the phone.
And this will result in you distracting yourself less.
And when you want colours, just turn it off.
On iPhone, you can turn it on by:
Settings -> Accessability -> Display & Text Size -> Colour Filters -> Select Grayscale.
On Android, it should be something similar, such as:
Settings -> Acessability -> Color and motion -> Color correction -> Select Grayscale.
5) You haven't made it more fun, yet
When you have fun, it's much easier to be productive.
Do you have a hard time watching Netflix? Or to play video games?
Ask yourself: "How would this look if it were fun?" - and make it more fun.
This is the productivity hack that has helped me the most.
In many cases, I play music. That makes the boring stuff more enjoyable for me.
Make stuff more fun.
6) You don't take breaks
1 of the many points I wrote about in the Top Lessons from 3 Years in Business, was that it's intelligent to take breaks.
I used to think it was weak. And I tried to just keep working - and not pay attention to how much I was working.
Understand your brain has limited resources.
A human brain can focus deeply on a subject for a maximum 4-5 hours a day.
For many of us, it currently is 2-3 hours. (Before developing your focus muscle further.)
If you take no breaks, you'll run out of resources.
You might be able to keep going, but you could perhaps go faster by taking a break.
Then your brain can recover - and you can focus better when you work.
And then, you won't need to take as much time to work on something. You'll be faster.
The great geniuses of the past took breaks too. And many have dedicated their success to breaks.
Charles Darwin and Leonardo Da Vinci being some who took advantage of breaks.
If you want to dive deeper into breaks, I suggest reading Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.
Summary: Do this
1) Prioritize your tasks
2) Have a small to-do list
3) Schedule tasks
4) Don't let others distract you
5) Don't distract yourself
6) Use grayscale mode
7) Make it more fun
8) Take breaks.
These things changed my productivity, and I am confident, it'll change yours too.
I hope you found this helpful, my friend.
If you enjoyed this, feel free to forward it to a friend.
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Alright! Till next Saturday, my friends.
Hugo
P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 other ways I can help you:
#1: Have you seen my YouTube channel? I've put stuff out there too. I bet you'd find it valuable. Check out my latest videos and come give me a like and subscribe. :)
#2 Have you already joined my Lightroom Presets waitlist? If not, join here.
#3: I have a lot of free resources out there. Read the past Letters here.
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