3 Productivity Hacks that work for me
Friends, simple tips today which have increased my ability to do work substantially. Take what you like from them, I have gained them from friends, others I have adopted based on my working style.
The 50 min 10 min rule:
There is evidence to suggest that the maximum amount of time an average person can consistently concentrate for is between 40–50 min. I used to hate classes in university that were longer than an hour because I couldn’t absorb the content after that first hour. In the workplace, the same holds true as well.
During my workday, after every 50 min, I take a break to do something else. I take a walk, chat with a colleague and nowadays during the days of Covid-19, pump out a few press-ups and crunches. Our bodies were built for regular movement and a sedentary 9–5 schedule is not good for our bodies or our brains.
The 1–3–5 rule:
I would like to credit a friend, Qasim Aslam, who shared this productivity tip with me. Have you ever found yourself with a list of 3 big to-do’s in a day and then at the end of the day you realize you haven’t addressed any one of those three because you procrastinated the day away
The 1–3–5 rule has solved that problem for me. So every day before I start, I make a checklist of
5 tasks such that each would take 5 min
This includes tasks such as send a short email, make a phone call, quick check-in with a colleague
3 tasks such that each would take about 30 min
This includes tasks like longer emails, a sit-down meeting or an interview.
1 task that would take between 2–4 hours
This is the kind of task that requires your concentration and consistent effort. I often schedule this task as the first thing in the working day for me since this is the time where I feel the most alert. This includes things like writing proposals, thinking through strategic decisions for our company & other writing work
Play Classical Music in the Background:
I have found music, especially classical music to have a tremendous effect in raising productivity, especially when doing work that requires a high degree of concentration. I use it to drown out the inconsistent background noise that is part and parcel of working in an office.
I play some qawwali or some Beethoven as my go to music
Hope these tips are helpful
Cheers!
