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Productivity Hacks
Productivity Hacks
PRODUCTIVITY HACKS
You can start implementing them tomorrow
Abstract
Simple . Doable. Action Oriented. Works for everyone.
Sandeep Gondhalekar
Inspired from an article from Typetalk Blog by G. Gorgina
Contents
1. Cancel pointless meetings. ....................................................................................................................... 2
2. Stop refreshing your inbox. ....................................................................................................................... 2
3. Don’t worry about Inbox Zero .................................................................................................................. 2
4. Quit multitasking ....................................................................................................................................... 2
5. Use templates ........................................................................................................................................... 2
6. Move on when you’re stuck ...................................................................................................................... 2
7. Embrace delegation .................................................................................................................................. 3
8. Put your phone down ............................................................................................................................... 3
9. Unsubscribe, unfollow, and declutter ....................................................................................................... 3
10. Swallow a frog ......................................................................................................................................... 3
11. Embrace automation .............................................................................................................................. 3
12. Take care of yourself ............................................................................................................................... 4
1. Cancel pointless meetings.
Most meetings are unnecessary, too long, and unproductive. Learn to plan your meetings so they’re
efficient, focused, and actually have a point; you’ll save yourself (and everyone else) time and money.
Remember: you should only have a meeting if it’s the quickest and cheapest way to accomplish something.
The rest of the time, an email, virtual collaboration, or a phone call will do.
2. Stop refreshing your inbox.
We’re addicted to our email. In the 1930s, a professor of psychology at Harvard University discovered that
rats are more motivated by random rewards than fixed ones. Similarly, we never know when we’ll get a
message that’s interesting (our reward)—but the faintest possibility of it keeps us clicking the refresh
button. It’s an addiction, and it wastes time. It takes around 23 minutes to recover from a distraction. So
if you’re working, close your email tab, turn off notifications, and designate specific intervals throughout
the day where you’re allowed to look at it. If you’re using a chat app, put your status to ‘do not disturb’,
and switch off notifications. Now you can work distraction‐free.
3. Don’t worry about Inbox Zero
Another inbox time‐waster is ‘Inbox Zero’ — a popular time management strategy that advocates keeping
your inbox empty at all times. But it’s pointless because firstly, it’s unrealistic, and secondly, getting hung
up on it causes distraction — the very thing it aims to minimize.
4. Quit multitasking
Ever try to pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time? Stick with me. Aside from looking silly,
this little trick neatly demonstrates how difficult it is for our brain to deal with two separate commands
at once. Multitasking is bad for your brain because it’s only designed to do one thing at once. When you
make it do more, the quality of each task suffers. In fact, studies have shown frequent multitasking lowers
your job satisfaction and creativity. It’s terrible for productivity and needs to be stopped.
5. Use templates
Have a regular email you need to send? Create a template and save it in drafts. Creating a diagram or
draft? Invest in a diagramming tool and make use of its templates. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel
every time.
6. Move on when you’re stuck
Whether you’re writing an article or planning a schedule, when we hit a wall we often head back to the
beginning and start again. The issue here is that instead of uncovering something new, you’re much more
likely to end up back at the same dead end. Instead, break the task into chunks and try a different section.
You’ll get more done and the answer you’ve been looking for may suddenly arrive while you’re focusing
on something else.
7. Embrace delegation
Completing every task yourself may feel like the easiest thing to do, but it could leave you feeling
overwhelmed and exhausted. Where possible, delegate tasks to others on your team. Make sure you
properly train your subordinates so they can complete the work efficiently — and invest in project
management software to help you keep track of everyone’s progress automatically.
8. Put your phone down
Social media and other apps are time vacuums, and they’re designed to keep you hooked. Every time your
brain’s exposed to some novel information, it releases a little hit of dopamine, which makes you feel good.
So you keep scrolling on the hunt for more. But of course social media feeds are endless, and it’s very easy
to end up falling down an information black hole. The wasted time wouldn’t be so bad if we felt better
after it, but sadly, that’s not true. Social media is trivial and, some studies suggest, bad for your mental
health in large quantities. Leave your phone downstairs when you go to bed. Turn off intrusive
notifications. And lock it in a drawer when you’re at work. You’ll feel better for it.
9. Unsubscribe, unfollow, and declutter
The reality is, you’re still going to scroll through your phone from time to time. So at least make it as
clutter‐free as possible. If your inbox is filling up with promotions and newsletters you don’t read,
unsubscribe. If a social media account isn’t providing value or is making you feel anxious or inadequate,
unfollow, mute, or block. It’ll feel a little like ripping off a bandaid, but once you’ve done it, you’ll feel
calmer and it’ll clear your feed of useless or toxic information. Repeat the process weekly or monthly.
10. Swallow a frog
Mark Twain famously said that if the first thing you do in the morning is to eat a live frog, you can go
through the rest of the day knowing the worst is behind you. So with that in mind, work out what your
biggest and least appealing job is — and get it done first. The rest of your to‐do list will fly by.
11. Embrace automation
Putting some time aside to research, install. and roll out a new app or process at work may seem
counterintuitive, but the time you save faffing around with awkward MS Word formatting, updating Excel
spreadsheets (or learning to use them in the first place), sending and receiving countless email updates,
hunting around for different versions on the server, and… you get the point. Now, imagine if you could
automate all those things. Project management software is great for tracking multiple projects
automatically. Every tool is different, but ideally, you’ll want to pick a version that’s cloud‐based, and one
that sends out notifications in real‐time to make it easier for everyone to stay on track. That means no
more email updates, and no more dealing with people messing up your spreadsheet color scheme.
12. Take care of yourself
Looking after yourself is important if you want to function at full capacity. Once a day (or once a week —
minimum) assess how you’re feeling physically and mentally. Write it down if you need to. Work towards
eliminating sources of negative emotions — whether that’s deleting demanding apps, taking a break from
social media, leaving work on time so you can go to the gym, hanging out with friends, or speaking to a
therapist. Pay attention to how you’re feeling and honor it. The better you feel, the more productive you’ll
be.