Summary

The article outlines three fundamental strategies to enhance personal productivity: focusing on one task at a time, taking regular breaks, and prioritizing sleep.

Abstract

The article emphasizes that productivity is not about the quantity of advice one follows but the quality of implementation. It suggests that by improving concentration, taking frequent breaks, and ensuring adequate sleep, individuals can significantly boost their productivity. The author shares personal experiences, such as the struggle with concentration and the realization of the importance of sleep, to illustrate the effectiveness of these strategies. The article also references historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and scientific research to support the claim that short, focused work sessions followed by breaks can lead to increased performance and creativity.

Opinions

The author believes that multitasking is detrimental to productivity and advocates for single-tasking to improve focus and results.
Regular breaks, including the use of the Pomodoro Technique, are seen as essential for maintaining high levels of productivity without burning out.
Sleep is considered the cornerstone of productivity, with the author stressing that undervaluing rest can lead to poor performance.
The author suggests that engaging in activities like walking during breaks can enhance creativity and information processing.
Personal anecdotes, such as improved academic performance, are used to underscore the tangible benefits of these productivity strategies.
The article encourages readers to integrate these practices into their lifestyle for long-term productivity improvements.

Productivity

3 Simple Yet Effective Ways To Boost Productivity

Simple life hacks to get more done.

It is practically impossible to follow every advice there is on productivity. The good news is there’s no need to either.

Reading every other article on productivity won’t magically cause your productivity to sky rocket. Reading a few and implementing them would make the actual difference.

If we just follow the basics of human body right, we can strive to be far more productive than we already are by making these 3 simple yet effective changes.

Sharpen the axe

If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six of them sharpening my axe.

— Abraham Lincoln

It took me half of my undergrad to understand the significance of this quote.

I always had weak concentration. My mind would wander everywhere other than the task at hand.

I would read for hours on end with no results to show for it.

Ironically, even when I knew I lacked focus, I audaciously ignored it and instead decided to beat my lack of focus by working more hours.

Needless to say, it didn’t work. This is no long term solution. I soon grew frustrated with the lack of results.I was nowhere near productive to the number of hours I was putting in.

That’s when I decided to work on improving my brain power instead.

Here’s what I did:

I started to to focus on doing only one thing at a time. No multitasking. It’s the biggest productivity killer.

I practised the memory exercise of remembering the day’s events before going to sleep. I believe it made a huge difference.

My scores in college went up too.

So take it from me. Don’t undermine the importance of concentration. It can make all the difference.

Take frequent breaks

Research has found: “Taking a break can be very beneficial for you and your work. Micro-breaks, lunchtime breaks and longer breaks, have all been shown to have a positive relationship with well being and productivity. By taking regular breaks you can boost your performance.”

Archimedes had his Eureka moment during his bath. Einstein had major breakthrough on his acclaimed Theory of Relativity during a break.

Short chunks of high Intensity focus leads to most productivity. We negate the risk of burning out and are able to perform at optimum level.

What comes after is as important. Taking a break.

Frequent breaks help consolidate the information processed.

Walking is a great way to take a break. Even a stroll of the entire house refreshes the mind.

I look to fully utilise my breaks. I allow my mind to wander off unrestricted. It’s the time when I get most creative ideas.

How to implement:

Use the Pomodoro Technique. It can be explained as:

“The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.”

This technique works really well for productivity. Give it a try and see the changes.

Prioritise sleep

“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” — Thomas Dekker

Sleep is the number one step towards enhanced productivity.You can’t put off sleep and aim to be productive. Just can’t happen.

I always undermined sleep. I used to frequently miss out on it to do get more done!

Needless to say my productivity was abysmal. I wasn’t getting results for the amount of hours put in.

It took me a while to finally understand the role of sleep on productivity.

When I started prioritising sleep over other things including work, my productivity went up. Right up.

I was more content after the day with the quality of work done.

How to implement:

If you’re someone who undermines sleep , it’ll be a great mental shift to be able to prioritise sleep.

Start slow.

Try adding 1 or 2 hours more to your sleep than you already do. Just for a week. And notice how that works for you.

To be honest, I too was sceptical at first. The thought of adding more hours to sleep meant taking away those hours away from work.

But having reaped the benefits of sleep, I can vouch for the significance of it.

Takeaway

After following above steps repeatedly, I began seeing noticeable difference in my productivity. I was able to focus more and as a result could remember more of what I read.

In a nutshell,

Work on sharpening the axe before you get to the chopping.
Give sleep it’s due value.
Take frequent mindful breaks.

Following these steps have helped me immensely. It may do the same for you if you are sure to make them a part of your lifestyle.