34 Simple Ways to Boost your Productivity in 30 Days or Less

34 Simple Ways to Boost your Productivity in 30 Days or Less Door Danny Forest

1. 1. Shut down communications outside scheduled time

1.1. Schedule a block of time when you will answer all your non-time-sensitive messages.

2. 2. Place all current activities in Eisenhower Matrix

2.1. Get familiar with the Eisenhower Matrix to get some perspective on how your time is spent and how it should be spent.

3. 3. Play audio and video at 2x speed

3.1. It takes some getting used to, but once you can listen to anything at 2x speed, you save so much time.

4. 4. Put your computer mouse/trackpad at maximum speed

4.1. You can save hours every week just by learning that.

5. 5. Know all keyboard shortcuts for any software you use

5.1. Minimize the amount of time you spend going back and forth between your mouse and keyboard.

6. 6. Schedule distraction time

7. 7. Do your productive activities when no one is around

7.1. Distractions are probably the greatest killer of productivity.

8. 8. Do things at best known times

8.1. Different types of people have different best times to do different types of activities. Know yours.

9. 9. Plan your week ahead of time

9.1. Be aware of how you can best spend your time during the week.

10. 10. Break everything down in chunks of at most 15–25 minutes

10.1. Whenever you have a task that seems too daunting to do, break it down it more manageable size

11. 11. Save your small wins in a “success” journal

11.1. The act of recognizing it makes you feel rewarded

11.2. When you’re not feeling great, you can always refer back to good things that happened to you to cheer you up.

12. 12. Have monthly goals

12.1. Think of a month as you would a new year resolution.

13. 13. Start your productive day by working on one or two easy tasks first

13.1. No one is really motivated to work on a super hard task to start with.

13.2. Completing small tasks builds your energy up for future tasks.

14. 14. Work on your hardest task next

14.1. If you fail to do anything else that day, at least you’ll have done the hardest thing!

15. 15. Put the right music at the right volume

15.1. Experiment with what music at what volume puts you in flow state.

16. 16. Learn to power nap

16.1. Power napping is when you nap for 10–20 minutes. More than 20 minutes disrupts your rhythm.

17. 17. Consistency is always key

17.1. It’s always better to do, even if just a little. Inaction breeds more inaction.

18. 18. Be accountable

18.1. Find a partner. Make your goals public.

19. 19. Take tons of notes on all your learnings

19.1. Even just the act of taking notes will make you remember.

20. 20. Answer this question: “Why do you do what you do?”

20.1. Once you can clearly answer the question, your goals and actions start to align.

21. 21. Journal your heart out

21.1. This will bring clarity in your life.

22. 22. Understand and use the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)

22.1. Do 20% of the work that yields 80% of the result.

23. 23. Build yourself a strong morning and evening routine

23.1. Mornings set up your mood for the day. Evenings affect your quality of sleep and thoughts given to your subconscious.

24. 24. Track how your time is spent

24.1. For a week, analyze every minute of your day and realize where time is wasted. Use tools like RescueTime on the computer.

25. 25. Walk fast

25.1. Walking fast is both good for your health and brings you to your destination faster.

25.2. Once you’re used to it, it’s just as meditative and enjoyable as slow walking.

26. 26. Listen to podcasts or audio books while walking/commuting

26.1. Use commuting time for passive learning. Don’t forget to learn to listen at 2x!

27. 27. Learn to say “no”

27.1. Here’s a list to help you.

28. 28. Use mornings and evenings for personal growth

28.1. Most people are at their most creative after waking up. Use that time to learn new skills.

28.2. Your brain works on things you feed it while sleeping. Feed it with thing you want to remember most before going to sleep.

29. 29. Meditate for context-switching

29.1. Learn to meditate and do it between different activities.

30. 30. Do a quick workout routine shortly after waking up

31. 31. Put your phone in airplane mode from 9am to 9pm

31.1. Don’t be reactive, be proactive. Make this 12 hour period your own. Customize times to your preference.

32. 32. Done is better than perfect

32.1. It’s better to have something ready and get feedback before pushing through “blindlessly”.

33. 33. Read uplifting content before going to bed

33.1. You'll wake up energized the next day.

34. 34. Experiment to find your best sleep schedule

34.1. Our cycles are of 90 minutes. Don't wake up in the middle of a cycle