We are all faced with more information, diversions, and demands on our time than ever before in today’s fast-paced world, making it challenging to remain organized, focused, and productive. However, anyone can boost their productivity and complete more tasks in a shorter amount of time with the appropriate techniques and equipment.
In this episode of The LifeHack Show, we spoke with Graham Allcott, author of the New York Times best-seller Productivity Ninja and CEO of Think Productive, one of the top global learning and consulting companies for personal productivity. In the conversation, Graham went over the most effective methods for boosting individual productivity and developing into a “productivity expert.”
- Don’t Manage Your Attention Using Willpower
There is a limited supply of willpower. Make a system to keep you organized rather than relying on it to keep you focused.
However, this differs from person to person. Most people have two to three hours in the morning when they are most alert and capable of producing good work. By generating outstanding work and pushing oneself to be productive, it is imperative to defend these proactive attention hours.
Graham suggests creating a list of easy and basic activities to perform during these times, which he refers to as the Mindless list. On the other side, there are times of the day when energy and attention levels are lower. This list can be used to fill time when one’s attention span is short and includes duties like scheduling emails, doing internet research, and shopping.
Be really severe with those two to three hours of proactive attention, on the one hand, and make sure you’re defending those who are actually utilizing them properly. However, if you don’t have much energy or focus at those times, give yourself the gift of a mindless list so you can simply say, “I’m fine to only be doing this and that’s okay.” (Graham Allcott)
- Strategic Hiding
Thinking well is a crucial and undervalued aspect of employment. The best ideas frequently come from headspace rather than desk time, so we should unabashedly give that time a top priority. We need to make room for great thought, and that’s what Tactical Hiding does.
It alludes to the behavior of separating oneself from your typical setting so that you can focus on crucial tasks free from interruptions. You might choose to go to a coffee shop, find a quiet area in the office, or even reserve a private meeting space. The idea is to create a space in your body and mind where you can work uninterrupted by notifications, interruptions, or other distractions.
Tactical Hiding enables you to concentrate more intently and reach a state of “flow,” which is characterized by total immersion in your job and high levels of productivity. Instead of only replying to the most recent email or request that comes your way, it also enables you to prioritize your most critical duties.
- Know your weapons
Being “weapon savvy” refers to the significance of choosing the appropriate tools and technologies to assist your productivity. You can use a to-do list app, a calendar system, note-taking software, or a project management platform, among other tools, to stay organized and focused. Not all tools are made equal, so it’s important to choose ones that match your unique needs and tastes. Graham believes that experimenting with several tools to determine which ones work best for you is the greatest approach to becoming weapon savvy. In order to make sure that they continue to match your evolving needs, he also advises that you regularly assess and upgrade your tools and processes.
- Be flexible
Agility is the capacity to respond swiftly and successfully to shifting demands, conditions, and priorities. It is crucial to be adaptive, sensitive, and able to pivot when necessary in the quickly changing world of today. Setting aside regular time for thought, evaluation, and planning is one of the most crucial components of being agile. This could be performing a more strategic assessment of your goals and priorities once every three months or once a year, or it could involve evaluating your to-do list and calendar on a daily or weekly basis. By routinely examining and evaluating your work, you can spot areas where you need to be more adaptable or alter your strategy.
Final Reflections
“masters are people with good tools, nice talents, a little Zen, a little mindfulness, a little agility, all these good things. However, there are no hidden superpowers. There are no quick fixes. There is no simple method to make magic. A ninja, in my opinion, is a really remarkable thing because it seems like a lot of work goes into making you appear to have superpowers when in reality, you don’t—you just put in the effort to get there. (Graham Allcott)
By using these productivity ninja techniques, you may increase your attention, organization, and adaptability. These techniques will help you accomplish more in less time, lessen stress, and prevent burnout whether you’re a busy professional or an entrepreneur.
