We all have the same 24-hours in a day but why do some accomplish more than others?
Those people aren’t special. They’ve just learned habits over time that let them get more things done in the day.
I’m going to give you 5 really easy 60-second habits that save me hours every week, allowing me to focus on stuff that matters, which is making more money.
1. The Two-Minute Rule
Anything on your to-do list for the day that you think will take you less than 2 minutes to complete, get it done and out of the way.
It’s these small, easy accomplishments at the start of the day that will give your brain rewarding dopamine hits, setting you up for the more challenging tasks ahead.
The tasks don’t have to be work-related. It can be as simple as making your bed, taking your vitamin tablet, or doing pushups first thing.
2. Eat The Frog
I want you to take a step back first thing in the morning, and visualize your day.
Grab a piece of paper, and start writing out what it is that you need to accomplish by the end of the day.
The mistake most people make when writing out their to-do lists is incorrect structure.
You need to ‘eat the frog’, in other words, make sure the most challenging or off-putting tasks are at the start of your list. These tasks are usually the ones that are most important, but they either make you nervous, or are mundane and you’ll put them off until the next day, and then the next.
Once you’ve completed these tasks, you’ll feel happier knowing the rest of your day is relatively straightforward.
3. Use a Timer
Before you start working down your to-do list, set a timer for 25 minutes for solid and focused work without getting side-tracked. In those 25 minutes, you’re going to be stupidly productive. Don’t answer any notifications, ignore any emails (unless it’s a part of the task), don’t check your phone, and don’t speak to anyone. Give your complete and utter attention to the task at hand.
Once the 25 minutes are up, set yourself a 5-minute timer for a break to stretch, grab a drink, eat a light snack, or whatever you want.
Work through your day within these 25-minute intervals. I was shocked when I realized how much I actually managed to get done, and it’s been truly life-changing.
If there’s 1 thing from my article that you stick to, let it be this.
4. Remove All Distractions
The main reason I don’t get stuff done is because I get distracted. Once my focus has drifted, it takes me about 10 minutes to re-focus and the task takes hours or is moved to the next day.
My attention span is ridiculous. I know children who can block out distractions better than I can.
Now, I’ve started putting my phone in another room or turning it off completely while I’m getting my jobs done. Otherwise, If I see my phone light up in the corner of my eye, I’ll pick it up.
In some cases, my task involves my phone so I have to try really hard to stay disciplined. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it.
The other distraction that used to annihilate my productivity was noise. Recently, I’ve started putting in earphones and listening to piano music or occasionally Aeroplane cabin sounds (essentially white noise).
Pick your sounds in your off-time, as it’s easy to waste hours looking for music whilst you’re supposed to be getting stuff done!
5. Wake Up Early
Honestly, this is one of the most difficult things to do, which is why I left it to the end. Most people would have read this at the start and closed the article.
It takes a few seconds to get out of bed but most of us will spend an hour or so scrolling through our phones or debating whether we’ve had enough sleep.
Waking up early is an obvious thing to do but it has such a massive impact on your day. There’s nothing better than waking up early knowing there are plenty of hours for you to get things done. It gives you more hours at the end to enjoy and relax too.
That extra hour you spend in bed, every day for a year, is costing you 15 days.
The first couple of weeks of waking up early are going to be difficult. After a while though, you’re body’s internal clock will adjust to the new routine, and the benefits you reap from waking early will be priceless.
Final Thought
No one said being productive was easy. That’s the difference between people who make it and those who don’t, and success doesn’t come easy. The 2 most important things rich people say are key determinants of financial success are consistency and perseverance. Being productive leads to both of those things.