7 Work Rules to Propel You into the Top 1% in 2024
And the backstory of how I derived these from a tumultuous 2023
2023 was a roller coaster year for me. It had more highs and lows than any other year that I recollect.
On the personal front, our family grew, and my wife and I welcomed our 2nd son in March this year. I’ve not felt anything that matches the feeling of holding your newborn in your arms. It is special beyond what a human can explain.
At work, my responsibilities grew, and I encountered challenges I hadn’t faced before. My role evolved, which meant I had to rapidly adapt to the new reality. This adaptation was anything but smooth. However, it changed me as a person and helped me grow.
This personal and professional growth came at a cost.
The additional parenting and work responsibilities ate into the time I had earmarked for my personal growth and development. While I was aware and somewhat prepared for this, I was still ill-prepared to handle its overall impact.
I regressed on many growth metrics and habits that took years to build. I also missed many of the goals I had set for myself at the beginning of the year.
Of all the losses I endured, the biggest was my ability to focus and concentrate.
My attention took a big hit, and I struggled to finish things. Over the years, I had spent time and effort building my attention muscle. However, that muscle had worn out completely by the time November rolled in. My screen time went through the roof, and along with it, my list of unfinished/half-done projects.
I was aware of this declining focus all along and even tried to arrest it a couple of times, but I never really pushed myself or held myself accountable.
It all changed as December rolled in, and I looked at my plan from the beginning of the year. My guilt made me ignore that plan throughout the year, but I managed to push that feeling and dug deeper into some of my core issues.
I realized that there were some important negative work habits that I had built that got me here, and I started working on those again.
My goal in 2024 is to get rid of these negative, focus-depleting habits and replace them with positive, healthy ones.
These 7 are my new work rules to get things done in 2024.
#1 No multitasking while on a video call
This is probably the toughest one on the list. Multitasking on a video call has become second nature to us. I don’t have the data on this, but I am sure multitasking happens in 8 out of 10 virtual calls (if not more).
That was definitely the case for me. This multitasking ranged from simple replies to IMs or emails to working on an executive summary for a critical proposal! Every time I opened the conference window, I would have five other tabs open alongside. My brain was rarely 100% on the call.
Not only is this multitasking disrespectful to the speaker on the call, but it also reduces your effectiveness overall. You are probably missing some crucial points on the meeting (which will eventually lead to more work), and that other task you’re trying to accomplish isn’t getting your full attention either.
So here’s rule# 1: Do not multitask while on a virtual call/meeting. If something urgent needs your attention, excuse yourself from the meeting and focus on that task instead.
Current compliance rate — 50%
Compliance goal by the end of 2024–80%
#2 One tab at a time
The ability to open multiple tabs is supposed to enhance our productivity and help us get more done. In reality, however, it ends up having the opposite effect. I won’t get into the details of how multitasking and task switching affect our focus, but if you’re interested, Cal Newport’s ‘Deep Work’ is one of the best resources on this topic.
We don’t realize it, but the more active tabs you have in your window, the more likely you will switch between them. That was certainly the case for me. The moment I got bored with the task at hand, my brain would crave that dopamine hit, and those other tabs provided that. Once I switched tabs, it would take me anywhere from 2–30 minutes to return to the tab at hand.
So here’s rule #2: One tab at a time. Just keep your active tab open in a window. If you absolutely need an additional tab for reference, open it in a new window so your current visual area has just one focus element.
Current compliance rate — 60%
Compliance goal by the end of 2024–90%
#3 If a task takes <2 mins, do it right away
This one is taken directly from the ‘Getting Things Done’ framework. If applied correctly, this can be quite powerful.
I realized I spent a ton of time in my inbox just staring at my emails or adding them to my to-do list. Similarly, I just kept taking every task as a to-do list item. As a result, my to-do list expanded beyond my physical and mental capacity to address it.
After applying this framework, I add fewer things to my ‘to do’ and get ~50% of things addressed in the first go. More importantly, it changed my mindset from a ‘do it later’ framework to a ‘get it done now’ framework. My goal in 2024 is to continue to build on this and implement it holistically (rather than just a task mitigation strategy).
So here’s rule #3: If a task takes less than 2 mins to do, just do it right away (respond to that email, call your colleague, finalize that draft). Over time, you’ll get faster at recognizing these tasks and executing them.
Current compliance rate — 70%
Compliance goal by the end of 2024–100%
#4 Reduce the number of emails you send
Newton’s 3rd law of motion applies directly to your emails. The more emails you send, the more you receive.
If you keep responding to this barrage of emails, you’ll not get meaningful work done. That was certainly the case with me.
The only way to receive fewer emails is by reducing the number of emails you send. You can achieve this by
a) Breaking the email chain by picking up the phone and talking to people
b) Not responding to emails that don’t need your response (you’ll find a ton of these)
c) Not caring about ‘Inbox Zero’. Refer to the point above.
d) Taking time to respond. You don’t need to respond to every email right away. Batch process emails (more on that below) and respond to them when appropriate. Your response velocity also determines the number of emails you receive.
Emails are modern-day slot machines, and the better we get at dealing with them, the better it is for our brains and our productivity.
So here’s rule #4: Reduce the emails you send daily. Pick up the phone, Use task management tools (e.g., Asana/Notion/Trello), and schedule check-ins instead.
Current compliance rate — 50%
Compliance goal by the end of 2024–70%
#5 Restrict your to-do list to 2 items
I’ve picked up this one directly from Tim Ferris.
My to-do list at work ran into pages and became a stream of never-ending misery; from what I know, I’m definitely not an exception.
Tim Ferris talks about focusing on two mission-critical tasks that you absolutely must get done before you leave the office (or wrap up work if you work remotely). Forget every other item on your to-do list.
I’ve been following this strategy for a month now, and it’s been highly effective. Every evening, I write down two things I want to complete at work. It a) forces you to prioritize and b) Greatly improves the chances that you’ll get these high-priority items out of your way.
It’s not that I don’t have other tasks. It’s just that I maintain those separately in a task sheet and check those off only if time permits and after I’ve completed my 2 high-priority tasks.
Here’s rule #5 — Restrict your to-do list to 2 items daily. You must make every attempt to get those two out of your way before you wrap up work.
Current compliance rate — 50%
Compliance goal by the end of 2024–70%
#6 Batch process everything
This takes manufacturing’s best process and applies it to knowledge work.
Batch process everything.
Block time on your calendar for email responses, IM responses, approving the leaves of your team members, reading articles shared by your colleagues, and even filing your expenses.
Batch processing helps you avoid task switching, which is one of the biggest productivity drains there is. It also helps you take control of your day. When you respond to things as they come, you end up playing a reactive game and feeling completely unproductive at the end of the day.
I’ve spent days just staring at my inbox, responding to emails, and waiting for new ones to appear.
Here’s rule #6 — Group similar tasks together and batch process them in one go instead of executing them as they pop up. Once done, do not work on those till the next calendar block.
Current compliance rate — 40%
Compliance goal by the end of 2024–80%
#7 Move away from screens
We are surrounded by screens all around us. There’s a screen on your desk, in your living room, in your pocket, and even on your wrist.
These screens have changed the way we live today and helped us connect.
However, they’ve also stunted our creativity to achieve standardization and scalability. Think about the last time you created a presentation. How did you begin the process? If you’re like most of us, chances are high that you started in PowerPoint (or Keynote). When you use software as a creative tool rather than a medium, you create a sub-optimal solution.
Some of the best presentations, product designs, user journeys, strategy documents, etc., begin on a piece of paper outside the screen.
Take a break from your screens from time to time and initiate your creative pursuits on a blank canvas. You’ll see your quality of thinking and, eventually, output go up almost immediately.
Start by doing this for your next presentation. Jot down your ideas and create your storyboard on a piece of paper before taking it to the presentation software.
Not only does your quality improve, but you also get rid of all the distractions that come along with your screens. The result is a better output in less time.
Since I started doing this, I’ve noticed a marked difference in my thinking and even the ideas that get distilled in the final output.
Here’s the final rule, Rule #7 — Move away from screens whenever possible. Pick up a piece of paper or even a whiteboard to initiate your creative pursuit (presentation, report, proposal, etc.).
Current compliance rate — 50%
Compliance goal by the end of 2024–90%