What is your number 1 productivity tip?

[RazorCut]

I used to be a night owl in the days of my Counterstrike addiction. I’d say to myself ‘hey what’s that noise’ and realise it was the dawn chorus outside and think hell its 4:30am, time for bed.

Now whether you believe it or not you are not born a morning person or night owl. It’s all habit. I owned a pizzeria at the time so wouldn't come home till late and was so wired I'd stay up late and that had become my ingrained habit long since I moved on from B&M to online businesses.

However, in the last 7 months I have been studying hard particularly around habit formation and self-improvement as I identified these as my main weaknesses. I made a vow to improve my productivity by switching my routine. Now I make a conscious effort to go to bed at 10pm and get up at 5am. This was a killer for me to start with. I mean a real killer. At 5am I didn't even know what planet I was on. However I have persevered. I have learned that if you can do something every day for 3 weeks you should have retrained your neural pathways into creating a new habit. I always air on the side of caution and will not break the cycle for at least 30 days. This means still getting up at 5am on weekends when I could easily lie in. That is another tough barrier to break through.

Anyway this has had a huge impact on my productivity. I get up, hit the shower, dress and have breakfast and am at the PC with a coffee and a pint of water just after 5:30. (Another habit I've cultivated is to have good hydration so I make sure I have at least 2 pints before 10am).

That early start gives me well over 2 hours to work in the solitude of a quiet house until I head for the office at around 7:45.

Now I have just started adding 15 minutes of quiet meditation time first thing in the morning so the alarm has been brought forward to 4:45.

By getting up early I guarantee to move forward towards my goals every single day regardless of how the rest of the day pans out, (you know those days that just goes south really quickly and nothing gets achieved? I get far too many of them lately).

So anyway that is my #1 tip. What about you? What have you found to make the most difference in your entrepreneurial life?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Vigilante]

Sam Walton had a saying… he said:

"anything that I spend any time on that doesn't directly benefit the customer is a waste of my time."

 

[RazorCut]

"anything that I spend any time on that doesn't directly benefit the customer is a waste of my time."

Yes its all too easy to get sidetracked into doing worthless work. 80/20 rules everytime.

 

[Andy Black]

I think my number one productivity tip would be to do nothing sometimes.... to actually decide NOT to do something.

When I was a database administrator I used to have on my CV that I tuned a bit of code that previously ran in 2 hours down to 9 seconds. Interviewers were impressed with the technical skills to do that. I would get hired though by saying that I had wasted my time because I hadn't found out first what the code was doing, because if I had, then I would had recommended not running it in the first place, and thus reducing time taken to 0 seconds.

So that's my tip. Do you really need to add all those features or create that product to launch and find out if someone wants to buy? I struggle with this all the time though.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Mattie]

Create or Co-create. Anything else is wasting my time. I have a different approach because from the start when I began writing, my spiritual mentor took my focus off how many people followed me, or numbers, or social recognition. Her objective was to get me to create and do without validation, approval, or having people like me. Those followers came naturally, and they come to me versus looking for them.

So it is strange to me to learn what everyone's doing in here, because I do, and see results by relating and connecting with people where they are in the moment. She was always teaching me not to pay attention to time. Stay in this moment, and now. So yes schedule's are nice and organization that I have to adapt to now. There's important lessons from both sides.

 

[Boo Blizzi]

Time boxing.

Get a timer and set it to 33:33 and don't work on anything else EXCEPT the one task you need to get done until that timer rings.

Most of the time, you will find yourself in the groove and keep working past the alarm.

A major distraction for most of us is turning on the computer and checking emails, FB, twitter, etc before we began work.

The way I get most of my work done is by taking a writing pad with me when I go to the bathroom. I jot down everything I need to do step-by-step so when I get back to my computer... my work is like copying and pasting or executing from the list for dummies. (which we sometimes need)

 

[Aidan]

I'm all about the 5am wake-up call. I can relate to that. I've just spent so much time gaming in the past that I've decided to do nothing but learn and apply entrepreneurial values with my free time. Also, Family, Occasionally friends, and maybe a girl here and there (nothing serious though).

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Jakeeck]

Time boxing.

Get a timer and set it to 33:33 and don't work on anything else EXCEPT the one task you need to get done until that timer rings.

Most of the time, you will find yourself in the groove and keep working past the alarm.

A major distraction for most of us is turning on the computer and checking emails, FB, twitter, etc before we began work.

The way I get most of my work done is by taking a writing pad with me when I go to the bathroom. I jot down everything I need to do step-by-step so when I get back to my computer... my work is like copying and pasting or executing from the list for dummies. (which we sometimes need)

This is a big problem for me. I've deactivated Facebook, which keeps me off of there, but I'm always checking forums when I should be working. I've gotta start writing out a list because sometimes I get so scatter-brained and lose my train of thought, and that's when I hop on the forum "for a couple minutes" which turns into more than a couple minutes obviously.

 

[Joe Cassandra]

Use the App Any.Do. Right 3-4 things YOU WILL do the next day, you'll get into the habit of crossing them off and they stay in the notification box on your phone so you'll always be reminded.

Thus, they weigh on your subconscious all day until you finish them.

Just found the app a couple weeks ago, works every time. I find the days I don't use it, I'm more unproductive.

 

[H. Palmer]

List your personal goals and review your progress every day.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Boo Blizzi]

This is a big problem for me. I've deactivated Facebook, which keeps me off of there, but I'm always checking forums when I should be working. I've gotta start writing out a list because sometimes I get so scatter-brained and lose my train of thought, and that's when I hop on the forum "for a couple minutes" which turns into more than a couple minutes obviously.

Yeah dude. Working from home alone is a constant struggle. It requires supreme concentration and motivation.

The best motivation I have ever found is money. If I get a project going and it starts showing promise... I will work on it every waking moment I can.

But when I am between projects... I am a freaking mess.

A few years ago I tried going to a co-working space but that didn't help much. I just sat there looking around or surfing. Occasionally, I'll go to the library and I can get stuff done.

To get out of the cycle, I just have to kick my own a$$... but still sometimes I miss.

 

[davedev]

Wake up. Do 30 pushups. Immediately knock out task #1 that you wrote down on your Todo list before you went to sleep.

 

[JamesSJ]

First tip - email management

Based on something from Tim Ferriss.

I set up a vacation reply on all my email accounts (it's on 24 hours a day/7 days a week) that says something like

Thank you for your email!

Due to my current workload I am only checking email at 11am and 4pm (GMT).

If your email is related to X (vendor support, business opportunities etc) please email xx on x@x.com (My V.A)
If you need anything immediately please call or message me on Skype so that I can address this important matter with you.

Thank you and have a great day!

I really do only check my email twice a day. Previously when an email came in I would address it instantly and so was constantly treading water. With this approach I only check twice - can delegate what ever I necessary, reply to anything urgent and add anything to my todo list for tomorrow at those times...

I also just found a plugin for gmail called streak - https://www.streak.com/email-snooze-in-gmail

It let's you 'snooze' an email into the future... so if I see something I want to read or reply to but don't have time i'll have it removed from my inbox and sent at a future time or day.

Zero inbox - Big one for me - my inbox has zero in it or at least under 20 mails. Everything is archived and I extensively use Google's labels and rules to ensure email is not just one big giant list. There is nothing worse than seeing an inbox with 15,364 emails in it... move them or use a rule to delete all the junk. With archive they are all still there - your inbox can become a short and concise 'to do' for the day if it only has 4 or 5 emails in it...

Which leads me to my second productivity tip - To Do List.

I have a list of todo's
Every night I work out a list of 5 - 10 things to achieve tomorrow.
That give me a structure for the following day.

Third - Exercise, eat well and drink water

I try and get up around 6.30 every day - i'll run or head to the boxing gym (on days I skip this exercise I feel less motivated to get through work!) for a couple of hours. Days I do this once i've eaten and showered I can power through my work.

Fourth - delegation.
Bootstrapping is fine. However there comes a point when trying to muddle through something is deflating and counter productive. Hire someone on elance etc to get the small , tedious stuff or the work you can't do yourself done so you can work on the bigger picture.

Fifth - time off, down time
I'm guilty of spending every waking on hour on my business. If i'm not on my laptop, i'm on my phone. If i'm not on my phone i'm writing notes in a book or thinking about some strategy or experiment... I need to stop this.

My goal is to set designated times off work - even just a Sunday off or stop working at 7pm and do something - watch a film , Xbox or something... you need to switch off. I do like a bit of martial arts (Muay Thai) - there's nothing like full contact sparring to take your mind of broken HTML or complaining customers

Bonus - Stop worrying and putting stress and pressure on yourself.

Will this affect you in a week?
Will this affect you in a year?
What about ten years?

If the answer is no to those - then really it's not a big deal.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Boo Blizzi]

Someone is bound to chime in with using the GTD (getting things done) method by David Allen. His argument is you cant really be psychologically productive until you get stuff out of your head and into a container where you know its safe and you can always reach it. If you dont, then stuff will keep popping up at times when you dont need it and causing you to worry about it.

I tried setting it up a version in Evernote, but I never followed it to the letter. It involves creating a series of buckets (or notebooks in the case of Evernote) and processing information to determine if it is an actionable task.

If the thought can be acted upon, then you assign it to the appropriate bucket and act on it accordingly . This is not exactly as the book teaches, but the buckets would be labeled something like:

• Inbox (this is where you collect everything. all ideas, phone calls, emails... everything!)
• Trash (anything you dont need to keep)
• Do it now (this is where you move anything that can be completed in one action)
• Do next (this is where you move high priority tasks that require more than 1 action and will have a major impact on your goal for the day)
• Do someday (this is for stuff you want to get around to eventually)
• Reference/Project Material (this is where you store all the resources for your key activities)
• Waiting (this is for stuff you cant complete until you get more input from someone or somewhere else)

There is also supposed to be a calendar for you to schedule things, but I use a different app for that. Evernote just added that feature tho... so maybe I will switch my workflow.

 

[RogueInnovation]

My tip?

Sit.


If you can handle sitting for a few days, lol, then you can just get up and do work.
No computer or phone though.

I think the reason it works so well is because you are in a state of constant awareness and delayed gratification.


I think its cool cuz, just switchin off bs, turns ON your biz guy.
And I like sitting.


An emergency tip is: (and this is a fav)
Wake up 6 hours earlier than everyone else.
You get 6 hours to think ahead, go into the day ahead of everyone by about half a day.
(not everyday obviously, but for more active tasks like important calls, visits, logistics, and other headaches)

A general tip:
Just scetch tasks every now and then, it allows a flow of reiteration on all your plans, which is better for keeping things naturally productive and at their peak.


A personal tip:
Take time to consider and respect people, nothing wastes more time than ignorance.

 

[RazorCut]

Create or Co-create. Anything else is wasting my time. I have a different approach because from the start when I began writing, my spiritual mentor took my focus off how many people followed me, or numbers, or social recognition. Her objective was to get me to create and do without validation, approval, or having people like me. Those followers came naturally, and they come to me versus looking for them.

That's powerful stuff. The faith of Build and they will come.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[RazorCut]

Get a timer and set it to 33:33 and don't work on anything else EXCEPT the one task you need to get done until that timer rings.

I bought one and was using it quite successfully but I have recently had so many pulls in so many directions it has been near impossible to get time to work on anything to completion. Thankfully my life will be much more streamlined and simplified in a few weeks time when I close out two of my businesses. Can't come soon enough. I'll then resurrect the timer once more.

 

[RazorCut]

Use the App Any.Do.

Thanks for the tip Joe. I'll give it a try.

 

[RazorCut]

Immediately knock out task #1 that you wrote down on your Todo list before you went to sleep.

Yeah, Eat That Frog!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[RazorCut]

I also just found a plugin for gmail called streak - https://www.streak.com/email-snooze-in-gmail

Thanks for the tip. Sounds a bit like Boomerang. That also lets you schedule when your emails are sent and pops back to you if they aren't opened in a specific amount of time. http://www.boomeranggmail.com Great resource.

 

[Andy Black]

Thanks for the tip. Sounds a bit like Boomerang. That also lets you schedule when your emails are sent and pops back to you if they aren't opened in a specific amount of time. http://www.boomeranggmail.com Great resource.

Wow, that www.boomeranggmail.com looks awesome. Just installed it... I think it's going to be really handy. Thanks @RazorCut

 

[Neeraj]

Hi,

Great post! Well, I'm now convinced I should never trust myself for doing anything that is based on the future (even something about 2 - 3 hours ahead). When the idea of procrastinating hits me, I firmly believe I'm not going to do that task and thus work backwards to finishing that task first. Its reverse psychology.

Its extremely hard to do something that you aren't really compelled to do right now, but one must push.

So, next time, when you think you think you'll do something a while later, take it for granted that you won't and work on that first!

All the best, guys!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Angus]

1) find the short period of time when you're the most productive
2) give your 100% on these hours
3) chill when you're done
4) ????
5) profit

 

[RogueInnovation]

1) find the short period of time when you're the most productive
2) give your 100% on these hours
3) chill when you're done
4) ????
5) profit

Bahaha!

For perspective most peoples is;
1) ????
2) Ask why there is no profit
3) Go buy shit
4) Ask for handout
5) Chill when done

So you are waaaaaaay ahead XD

 

[Formless]

Do less. Do effective things. Do them repeatedly.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[consty]

1. Wake up early.
2. Make a To Do lists with the most important things to do for the day and bang them out before I do anything else.

 

[ddall]

Someone is bound to chime in with using the GTD (getting things done) method by David Allen. His argument is you can really be psychologically productive until you get stuff out of your head an into a container where you know its safe and you can always reach it. If you dont, then stuff will keep popping up at times when you dont need it and causing you to worry about it.

I tried setting it up a version in Evernote, but I nevered followed it to the letter. It involves creating a series of buckets (or notebooks in the case of Evernote) and processing information to determine if it is an actionable task.

If the thought can be acted upon, then you assign it to the appropriate bucket and act on it accordingly . This is not exactly as the book teaches, but the buckets would be labeled something like:

• Inbox (this is where you collect everything. all ideas, phone calls, emails... everything!)
• Trash (anything you dont need to keep)
• Do it now (this is where you move anything that can be completed in one action)
• Do next (this is where you move high priority tasks that require more than 1 action and will have a major impact on your goal for the day)
• Do someday (this is for stuff you want to get around to eventually)
• Reference/Project Material (this is where you store all the resources for your key activites)
• Waiting (this is for stuff you cant complete until you get more input from someone or somewhere else)

There is also supposed to be a calendar for you to schedule things, but I use a different app for that. Evernote just added that feature tho... so maybe I will switch my workflow.

Try Trello.com, so easy and so simple. Evernote was too much for me, but Trello is great.

 

[pickeringmt]

I'm all about the ToDo list - I just shared my latest version HERE
I am thrilled with it

Also, get up EARLY. Make a routine for the morning, mid-day, and night - nothing crazy, just a short list of recurring tasks to knock out daily.

Force yourself to take one day a week to slow down and relax. It will make the work you do better and also cut down on burn out

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[RogueInnovation]

I'm all about the ToDo list - I just shared my latest version HERE
I am thrilled with it

Your to do list is great
I follow a similar method internally, might hand this off to people I get to work for me etc.
Nice work bro.

 

[JasonR]

You know, I do have to admit something.

I have a hard time waking up in the morning. I'll go to bed at 12-2am and wake up anywhere between 8-9 am.

I've been trying to change this, as I'd like to spring up at 7 am and get going.

I've managed to do this before, but in the last 8 months I haven't been able to get on this routine.

One problem is, I don't have to be up for any particular reason (no more job) - where as if I had a job or an appointment I can wake up for that.

Something I need to change...