To Become Super-Productive, Stop Chasing Productivity
par Danny Forest
1. Introduction
1.1. There’s a lie about productivity that keeps circulating.
1.1.1. The more stuff you do in your allotted 24 hours, the more successful you become.
1.1.2. And if you could only find a way to do more, you’d get better results.
1.2. Before you worry about how much you’re doing, you need to focus on what you’re doing.
1.3. Do more work, but focus on fewer tasks.
1.4. Results will come when you stop chasing productivity and adopt a reductionist mindset.
1.5. Identify and eliminate extraneous goals, tasks, and mental effort
1.6. Focus on the core activities that produce the results that matter most
2. Reduce Your Goals
2.1. Most people set too many goals. They spread themselves too thin and accomplish nothing.
2.2. Stop focusing on outcomes and focus on inputs — things you could control.
2.3. Ask yourself: What’s the most essential action you can take each day? Make it your singular goal.
3. Reduce “Getting Ready” Activities
3.1. People spend too much time getting ready to do their “real” work.
3.2. But getting ready is nothing more than a subconscious attempt to put off work that pains you.
3.3. Beware of its close cousins: warm-up activities, pre-work rituals, and prep-work. You don't need them
4. Reduce Decisions
4.1. Don't underestimate the time and mental energy that go towards decision making.
4.2. Decision fatigue drains your mental energy and impairs your performance.
4.3. By reducing the number of choices you make, you’ll conserve time and energy, allowing you to focus on your one thing.
4.4. Before you go to bed:
4.4.1. Write down in detail what you will work on the next day.
4.4.2. State the time you will begin.
4.4.3. Set a milestone (time limit or number-based).