Three More Mind-Hacks To Increase Productivity

Photo by Mike Kline

How would you like to get the same work done in half the time? Wouldn’t that essentially double the amount of time you have in a day?

In my previous post, I talked about how multi-tasking is a murderer of efficacy. If you haven’t read that post, click on that link, finish reading it and come back here.

Why?

Because if you multitask, the following mind-hacks wouldn’t work for you anyway.

Finish reading that post?

Ok great. If you’ve tried focusing on working one task at a time, you’d find that you can increase your productivity by about 100%. That means you can produce double your output at the same amount of time.

But what if I tell you that you can further double your productivity? I’ve tried these mind-hacks out myself and although I haven’t mastered them (not by a long shot), I’m already seeing a 70% increase in productivity. Of course, that’s not a hard scientific number. It’s a result of my personal calculation.

How did I do it? Here’s how.

Get rid of distractions and interruptions

Did you know that you take about 20 minutes to recover from a distraction to go back to the “momentum” you were in before the distraction? If you do your calculation, you could immediately see just how much time is wasted in recovering.

So here’s what I want you to do when you work.

I want you to turn off your instant messenger. Turn off you cellphone. Turn off your email client. Plug out your phone and  lock yourself in a room. That is when you have the luxury to do it your way. (I don’t work in an office so I can’t give you any advice there)

In that room, I want you to clear out everything not related to work and hang a “do-not-disturb” sign outside. This is to put you in a “war-mindset” when you enter the room. It’s like when you enter a court room, you immediately get serious and when you enter a movie theater, you immediately feel excited - a concept called “anchoring”.

Once the room is nice and clean, I want you to clear out your table. Again, nothing not related to work should be found on top of it. Not even a clock. Not even a picture of your family.

Nothing not related to work should be found on top of it. Not even a clock. Not even a picture of your family.

When I was a bachelor, my apartment was almost inhabitable. I was never the cleaning type. But when you enter my war room, it’s like a whole other world. And just by stepping into that room places me in a different mindset.

And of course, no sleeping in that room.

When you fire up your browser, don’t open more than 2 tabs. 2 or more programs is ok so as long as it’s necessary.

Done that? Great. You’ve gotten rid of physical distractions. Now let’s move on to mental distractions.

Mental Friction

Mental friction is anything that is distracting you from your work. It’s like a magnet that pulls your thoughts to it. Here’s an example:

You quarreled with your spouse and now you feel bad about it. So instead of working, you’re wondering what he/she must be thinking right now. How mad he/she must be. How he/she must be bitching about you to his/her friends. How he/she must be contemplating whether to leave you or not.

You get the idea.

Address that friction. I know we all have our baggage. There’s no need to address them all, just those immediate ones. The ones that distracts you.

Pick up the phone and call the person. Talk and resolve the problem. If it can’t be resolved just yet, learn to put a tab on it. I know it’s easier said than done but you have to start somehow!

The Monkey Mind

Zen Buddhism has a concept called “the monkey mind”. It’s used to describe a thought that sets off a whirlwind of other thoughts.

Rarely do we think about something that don’t lead another. For example, when you think about a lady, you also think about talking to her, then you think about going on a date with her, then you think about how much fun the two of you are having and so on.

You know where that ends but you get the idea.

The monkey mind is a huge time waster, especially when you’re working. Curbing the monkey mind is not an easy task. Zen monks and other yoga gurus spent their lifetime practicing calming their mind through meditation.

When you realize you’ve just set free your inner monkey, consciously pull your thoughts back. You might not be able to perfectly keep it in a cage but it’s better than nothing.

Now it’s your turn

Do you have any tips and tricks on increasing productivity you want to share? I would like to hear them.

P.S. Do you know what is the circadian rhythm? I’m sure you do. It’s the cycle at which time we sleep and wake up. But did you know there’s a much smaller rhythm during the day? And that is we get tired every 90 to 120 minutes. It’s called the ultradian rhythm. So when you focus at work, do it for 90 to 120 minutes and then take a 10 - 15 minutes break. Don’t use a clock, use an alarm and put it in your drawers. Not allowing your body to rest would actually decrease productivity than increases it.

P.P.S. I hope you already realize that the point of increasing productivity is to have time to enjoy your life. Some people increases productivity only take up more work and making more money. You’ll just end up equally stressed and unsatisfied!