The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey

To prevent the internet from wasting your time, disconnect from it when working on a high-impact or ugly task. Simply imagining a better, more productive version of yourself down the line has been shown to be enough to motivate you to act in ways that are helpful for your future self Send a letter to your future self (with ).The more you see your “future self” (you, only in the future) as a stranger, the more likely you are to give your future self the same workload that you would give a stranger, and put things off to tomorrow.

Here are 7 simple ways to just get started

List the costs of putting something off.

Give yourself a choice between working on the task that you’re tempted to procrastinate on or another task that’s high return For example: change your location, set a timer, do more research, or make a detailed plan How to regain control and work on your most aversive tasks: The more of these attributes a task has, and the more intense these attributes are, the less attractive a task will be to you, and the more likely you’ll procrastinate on it.

Lacking in intrinsic rewards (i.e., it’s not fun or engaging).

Keep a time log to be aware of how you’re already spending your time, so you can make adjustments. Work on your highest-impact tasks during your Biological Prime Time (BPT)-when you are able to bring the most energy and focus to them. The Rule of 3: at the beginning of each day, before you start working, decide what three things you want to accomplish by the end of the day.

Finally, ask yourself: “If you could do only two more items on that list all day, what second and third tasks let you accomplish the most in the same amount of time?”.

Now, ask yourself: “If you could just do one item on that list all day, every day, what item would you do that would allow you to accomplish the most with the same amount of time?”.

Make a list of everything you’re responsible for in your work.

How to identify your highest-impact tasks (based on “ Eat That Frog“): Productivity isn’t about doing more things-it’s about doing the right things. The 80-20 rule: a very small number of tasks lead to the majority of what you accomplish Ask yourself: Would I regret doing more or less of this?

Fast-forward to when you’re on your deathbed.

Fill in this blank with each change you want to make: “I deeply care about this because.

Why do you want to become more productive?.

What deep-rooted values are associated with your productivity goals?.

It’s important to deeply care about why you want to become more productive: And when we don’t cultivate our energy levels, we’re tired, or “burned out.” Laying the Groundwork When we can’t manage our attention well, we’re distracted. When we waste time, we’re procrastinating.

The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey