The best productivity hack Do fewer things, better

The best productivity hack Do fewer things, betterThe best productivity hack Do fewer things, betterDont count the days. Make the days count. - Muhammad AliSometimes, believing in yourself is not enough - self-empowerment can hinder rather than improve your productivity.Have you ever seen a truck stuckverzierung under a bridge? It feels both hilarious and absurd. Why hasnt the driver prevented it?We all fall into that trap - we believe that willpower will help us achieve the impossible. However, our time has limited capacity, just like a bridge. When we try to do too many things, we cant make it through.Thats why we have productivity all wrong. The idea that we can (and should) do everything is deceiving - we get stuck like a truck under a bridge.Unload your truckStart by doing whats necessary then do whats possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible. - Francis of AssisiBeing productive is not about doing mora, but enjoying the journey. Being overloaded doesnt help, whats the point of getting stuck?The first step is to clear your path - remove the truck from under the bridge.Time is not something that we have we make time. Rather than trying to raise the bridges height, you have to unload your truck. Acknowledging that you cannot add more hours to your day is critical - you have to do fewer things instead.Unfortunately, we use being busy as a badge of honor - we feel more important when we are overloaded. We end juggling as many balls as possible without realizing if they are worth our time.Being busy causes us to act mindlessly. We are running from one task to another without reflecting on why we are doing what we are doing. Busyness makes us live on autopilot.Time is not neutral - be intentional about what you choose to do.When you say yes to everything, you are saying no to what really matters. Thats the biggest issue with being busy we end doing the wrong things.What if I tell you to focus on doing fewer things?Unload your truck. The secret of being productive lies in choosing what to do - and doing it right - instead of doing more and more.Simplify your productivity mindsetIf you spend too much time thinking about a thing, youll never get it done. - Bruce LeeSometimes, whats supposed to make us more productive, adds additional load to our schedules. The do more and do everything approach to productivity is not working - its a stressful trap.Focusing on doing fewer things, but better, is the opposite - its a liberating experience. You remove more than tasks - you reduce the guilt and stress load too.When we are busy, we dont leave time to think, reflect, or enjoy. We are running from one task to another without being present. Your mind needs space. Silence helps us reflect. Emptiness attracts creativity. Distance brings perspective.Simplifying your productivity mindset requires following these three principles.1. Identify whats essentialWe are an action-driven society - we admire busy people even if they dont ac hieve anything. That you can do more doesnt mean that you have to do everything. Being mindful about what you do (and dont) is critical to eliminate unnecessary tasks.What drives your life? What really matters to you?When you remove whats non-essential, you make time for what matters.2. Prioritize quality over quantityThe urge to check things off our lists forces us to do stuff without thinking. We dont have time to do things right, but theres always time to do them twice. Lets recover the value of quality.How do you measure your own productivity?Focusing on quality is ensuring you dont waste your limited time in doing the same thing twice.3. Focus on outcomesApproaching our work by tasks is a distraction - endless to-do lists fuel more stress. Shift your attention from doing to the impact you want to create - moving the needle matters more than how busy you are.Can you turn your to-do list into an achievement list?Connecting your work with the outcome will increase your motivatio n. Its not the same going grocery shopping (a task) than preparing a meal to treat your friends (a rewarding experience).Productivity is not about doing everything, but doing what matters. Be mindful. Do fewer things, but better.Keep your load manageableYou cant let people set your agenda in life. - Warren BuffetEstablish clear priorities - what do you want to achieve? Productivity is not about doing more, but about making what matters happen.Prioritization is vital to recover control of your life - define your preferences or someone will do it for you.This productivity exercise will make your load manageable.1. Understand what mattersIf you dont have clear priorities, someone will define them for you.Reflect on the impact you want to achieve in your personal and professional life. Focus on projects rather than on tasks. Start small - build a habit first rather than on trying to change the world overnight. Keep it simple.2. Prioritize your loadMake a list of all the key things/p rojects you want (or have) to accomplish. Capture each on a gelber zettel or small piece of paper. Rank them using a 15 scale 1 being Irrelevant and 5 Most Critical.Review the initial ranking. Play around a couple of times until you feel happy. Remember you are aiming for fewer. Most people fail to focus because they believe everything is a priority. Challenge yourself.Prioritization is more than merely ranking activities from more to least important. Its about clarifying what matters and what doesnt.Unload your truck - eliminate the non-essentials.3. Strategize your journeyThat someone asks your something doesnt mean you have to do it. Learn to say no. However, that doesnt mean that you will always win - prioritization is a constant negotiation with yourself and othersEliminate unnecessary projects (Categories 12) - check out this exercise I use to coach teams get rid of unnecessary workload.Delegate projects that are not critical (Category 3)Simplify critical projects (Category 4)Allocate most of your energy and time to essential projects (Category 5)4. Monitor your loadPractice reviewing your priorities on a regular basis. Identify whats working and whats not. Every bridge has a different height - adjust your load to your tolerance and availability.Find the sweet spot - be flexible but dont change priorities all the time.5. Avoid getting stuck (tips)Learn to say no more often. Saying no is not being rude - your choices define how you live, as I wrote here.Think twice before you say yes. Most people accept requests or meeting invitations without checking their calendars first.Avoid overloading your schedule. Leave empty spaces for taking care of meaningful work.gruppierung your me-time. This doesnt mean being selfish, but saving time for what matters to you. I mark my exercise, lunch, learning, writing, and meditation time on my calendar. No one can steal the time you block first.Create pauses in between tasks. I always protect time in-between meetings . I need to reflect after one, prepare for the next, or maybe I need a (bio/coffee/reflection) break.Eliminate the noise. Get rid of any app you dont use. Turn off notifications when you are doing work that requires deep focus. If you are in a meeting, put away your phone and other distractions.Learn to have your mind where your body is. Be in the here and now. If you pay attention, you wont need to do something twice.Be mindful of your energy level. Im more focused and energetic early in the day and after 4 PM - thats when I write, design new workshops or services. During my low-energy hours, I do research and take care of less-demanding tasks like emailing, marketing, and administrative stuff.- - - Saying yes to what matters requires eliminating the unessential. Be ready for push-backs from both yourself and others.Shift your productivity approach from doing everything to doing fewer things, better. Being busy is not a badge of honor. Unload your truck before you get stuck.Achi eving what you want is more rewarding than being busy. Enjoy your journey.Upgrade your teams mindsetDownload my ebook Stretch Your kollektiv how to thrive in a changing worldget your free copy.Receive my weekly Insights for ChangemakersSign Up NowThisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.