3 Techniques to Boost Productivity

One of the things most people aspire to is to be productive the whole day.

The combination of the 3 techniques below to work best for me.

Technique #1: Apply the 80/20 Principle to prioritize work

I start my day using the 80/20 principle.

The 80/20 Principle states that 80% of the outputs/results comes from 20% of the inputs/efforts.

Here are example of the 80/20 Principle in our daily lives:

• In business, 20% of the products account for 80% of the profits; 20% of the customers account for 80% of the sales.
• Think about your morning routine, 20% of the clothes in your cupboard you wear 80% of the time, and 20% of the kitchen utensils are used 80% of the time.
• 20% of your mobile phone apps are used 80% of the time

The 80/20 Principle allows you to achieve much more with less effort, time and resources, simply by focussing on the important 20%.

The 80/20 Principle can be found anywhere in life.

How do I apply the 80/20 principle to my daily routine?

I look at my to-do list, and decide which 20% of the tasks will give me 80% of the value. If I had 10 tasks, then I would prioritize the two or three biggest tasks, that if done successfully, it would add tremendous value to me.

By doing this I know that by completing 20% of the tasks it would give me 80% of the value and satisfaction.

Technique #2: Focus for 10 minute intervals

I focus for 10 minutes on a tasks without distractions.

Distractions such as email notifications, mobile phone distractions, coffee breaks, can drastically decrease your productivity.

How do I focus for 10 minutes?

• Before I start an activity I press the 10 minute timer on my watch.
• I ignore all distractions and for the next 10 minutes focus only on the task at hand.
• After 10 minutes I take a stretch, or stand up, or do something else, then I will set the timer again for 10 minutes and start the process again.

Since using the focus technique my productivity exponentially improved. You get to much more quality minutes of focussed work throughout the day.

Nowadays I achieve so much more by only focussing for 10 minutes on a task.

Technique #3: Use the 2-minute rule by simplifying big task into smaller tasks

I use the 2-minute rule every day to split up tasks into smaller manageable pieces, so small that the first sub-task must be completed in 2 minutes.

Mind maps are a great tool to split up tasks and visually see your work.

The 2-minute rule is just a method to get you going. Once you’ve started with the task then momentum starts building and you complete the tasks.

Examples:

• Want to read a book? Start by reading one page a day.
• Want to become a writer? Start by writing only 10 minutes a day.
• Study for an exam? Just open the notes.
• Clean your room? Start by cleaning one draw.

How to split up tasks?

Here’s an example if you have a powerpoint presentation to do:

1. Open Powerpoint
2. Save the Powerpoint document
3. Write the headings for each slide
4. Start only with the Agenda / Objective page

This only takes 2 minutes, but at least you started with the presentation and started with the thought processes.

From here it is your choice if you want to continue, or start with the next 2-minute task.

Conclusion

I’ve discussed 3 techniques that helped me tremendously to boost my productivity.

Technique #1: Apply the 80/20 Principle to prioritize work

Technique #2: Focus for 10 minute intervals

Technique #3: Use the 2-minute rule to simplify big tasks

I hope you found this helpful and may your productivity will improve.