As in all of my work, I try to solve people’s problems (those that I actually can solve).
Three main problems that many of my readers have articulated over the years are:
(1) they feel overwhelmed, unproductive, and aren’t able to manage their time well.
(2) they want to write a book, but don’t know how.
(3) they want to be creative, but they’re having trouble coming up with ideas and solutions.
All of the above problems, especially how you manage your time, relates to the spiritual walk.
In my new PROLIFIC audio program (with includes a complete written transcript), I’ve unveiled all of my productivity hacks, creativity secrets, and book-writing methods. I also discuss how I’ve increased my energy levels and dropped 17 lbs. Photos of my work station and all the tools I use are also included.
The reason why I created PROLIFIC is because scores of people have asked me how I’ve managed to produce so much content (books, courses, podcasts, blog posts, etc.) in such a short space of time. Well, it’s not by accident. (And I actually do sleep 8 hours a night!)
I get so much done because I employ certain methods, strategies, tools, and techniques that allow me to be remarkably productive and increase my creativity.
AND I’M NOT A DISCIPLINED PERSON BY NATURE.
In this update, I want to give you 3 productivity hacks that I use that you can apply right away. There are tons more in the PROLIFIC program, which is on an early bird discount right now.
But here are 3 productivity hacks.
1. Conduct an activity audit.
This is based on the same principle as a financial audit, where you look at every dollar that comes in and capture where every dollar goes to identify areas of wasted expense.
However, I recommend that you audit your time for an entire week. Right down everything you do from morning until evening. Capture every hour.
It may seem tedious, but it’s important because it helps you identify time-usage patterns as well as all activities that aren’t producing results or advancing you toward your overarching goals. After that week, you’ll discover things you’re doing that you should eliminate.
Establishing this baseline is the necessary first step toward knowing where and what to cut out of your schedule.
For me, this exercise has resulted in eliminating many different projects and pursuits that have freed me up to engage other opportunities that are more tightly aligned with my goals. It’s a great exercise for being more productive.
2. Practice “tight but loose” prioritization.
I rely on a daily task list that I prepare the afternoon or night before. My list contains between 5-10 personal AND business tasks intermingled together to help strike a “dynamic life balance” that’s necessary for peak productivity.
While the tasks vary in importance, I tackle the most urgent ones first to help stem the human tendency to procrastinate. But I take a “tight but loose” approach when accomplishing all my other listed activities, which means I don’t constrain tasks by time but rather by motivation.
So I’ll chunk large projects into manageable activity blocks that are not based on time at all. I’ll work on that activity until I’m not motivated by it anymore, then I’ll move on to another activity.
This strategy ensures that I’m only applying my best ability to every activity rather than half-hearted efforts. I’m convinced that overly regimented schedules kill creativity and productivity. In the PROLIFIC program, I share the exact tool I use for my daily tasks and how I use it.
3. Know where everything is.
One of the key areas of lost productivity occurs when individuals waste time searching for important information or files.
According to a McKinsey report from 2013, employees spend 1.8 hours every day — 9.3 hours per week — searching and gathering information. Put another way, we spend more than 20 percent of our time not contributing real value while looking for stuff.
To eliminate needless searching for important files and project paperwork in cabinets and piles, I have created a system that ensures that I know where everything is. And it’s within arms-reach in my workstation.
I also rely on time-saving technology hacks, such as software that deciphers personalized shorthand as well as dictation software that transcribes my speech-to-text at a rate that’s 2-to-3 times faster than I can type.
I go into much more detail in my PROLIFIC program, which will help anyone improve their productivity as well as spark their creative output. I also unveil my writing methods and secrets.
So if you want to up your productivity and creativity game, and get my most important strategies, go to PROLIFIC: A Deep Dive Into Creativity & Productivity for details.
A brother,
fv