Be More Productive Using these Simple Techniques

It is surprising how I have produced an insane amount of content in the first quarter of a year than any other time period. The journey took a lot of twists and turns from having no clue what to write about, hitting with writer’s block, going out of ideas, and suffering from blank page syndrome to generating a shitload of content.

To overcome this challenge I used tons of analogies and frameworks. Sometimes I succeeded in overcoming writer’s block and other times simply put an article in draft mode so that i could come back later when i had enough of information to write about.

I have came across many books and articles that claim about how to raise productivity during your work. All these articles revolve around cliche techniques such as setting clear goals and having clear objectives that are often used multiple times. No way I am saying these techniques do not boost productivity. These all sound like some chatgptish stuff.

In this article, I am going to lay out some of the best techniques that have been discussed quite less and produce an insane amount of outcomes.

Achieving flow with Yerkes Dodson law

When it comes to being more productive, it’s better to effortlessly produce content and it’s possible only when you are in a full-flow state. Here is how to be more productive with Yerkes Dodson law.

The two scientists made a shocking revelation in the field of neuroscience when they declared that the right amount of stress is the gateway to the motivation needed to perform certain tasks.

Their main contention is that the optimal level of stress sparks the fire inside of you to perform certain task which results in more performance.

If we say in simple terms then stress is directly proportional to motivation. The more stress you have, there will be more motivation.

but here’s the catch, it only works to certain point. After that if stress exceeds a certain threshold then it may hamper your performance.

so you need an optimal level of stress in order to achieve flow. Too much stress can degrade the performance.

Prioritize Tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix

Have you ever been confused regarding which tasks to give more priority and which to delay to a later time?

if yes, then my friend you need to organize your tasks using Eisenhower matrix.

Eisenhower matrix helps us to prioritize tasks based on four principles.

1. Urgent and important (tasks you will do immediately).
2. Important, but not urgent (tasks you will schedule to do later).
3. Urgent, but not important (tasks you will delegate to someone else).
4. Neither urgent nor important (tasks that you will eliminate).

Manage your time with the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It’s designed to improve productivity by breaking work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Here’s how it typically works:

1. Choose a Task: Select a task you want to work on.
2. Set the Timer: Set a timer for 25 minutes (this interval is called a “Pomodoro”).
3. Work on the Task: Focus solely on the chosen task until the timer rings. Avoid distractions and interruptions as much as possible.
4. Take a Short Break: When the timer goes off, take a short break, usually around 5 minutes. Use this time to rest, stretch, or do something relaxing.
5. Repeat: After completing four Pomodoros, take a longer break, typically 15–30 minutes, before starting another round of Pomodoros.

The Pomodoro Technique aims to enhance focus and productivity by breaking work into manageable chunks and incorporating regular breaks to prevent burnout. It’s a popular method among students, professionals, and anyone looking to improve their time management skills.

start focusing on things that matter

Throughout my whole life, I have succumbed to desires and distractions. I still remember my early days when I was not a zen practitioner, tons of distractions had made their way into my life and I was unable to zero these out from my mind.

From the time I have introduced myself to meditation. I become more self-aware and know how to numb my negative thoughts and not let them fester. Nowadays I am feeling lighter and know how to block out distractions.

I now better know how to focus on the things that matter. My thinking ingrained with negative self-talk has come to an end. I no longer induce negativity. I am now more of a focused person.

I can now switch my mindset from the things that drain energy out of me to being a more productive self. My pep talk now resonates with more like-minded people. It electrifies the shit out of many people.

Following the 90 percent rule

The early days of my recruiting career were quite tough.

Initially, when I started my career as a recruiter, I had a hard time selecting a student from a pool of applicants. Earlier days were quite struggling as I had no idea how to do the selection criteria.

I still remember the first time I selected students for the project completely based on my gut feeling.

but I can’t go far with my gut feeling.

so, I switched to this 90 percent rule that I have read in the book Essentialism.

I set this range of numbers on a scale of 10 to 100. I set a cut-off. Anything below 80 will be completely rejected and anything above that will be shortlisted.

The same rule I started applying in all areas of life. In a matter of time, I started becoming more productive.

This ultra-selective approach changed my perspective toward the things I do in my daily life.