Our 4 Productivity Hacks
At Todo Cloud we are always looking to push the letter on productivity. Below are 4 Productivity Hacks 4 You, that we have found help improve our day-to-day. Let us know what you think and if there are any that you have recently implemented that we should add to the list!
Hack 1 – The two for one
Multitasking is a myth.
Two ‘thinking tasks’ just cannot be done at once.
Our brains cannot do it.
Many sources validate this including McGill University Psychology Professor, Daniel Levitin. What some call multitasking is actually rapid focus shifting that depletes the brain of chemicals we need to concentrate. It simply doesn’t improve productivity, in fact, it does the opposite.
But this is not the whole story you see. There are thinking tasks you can do while working on non-thinking ones. Consider these examples:
- Treadmill walking while reading or catching up with your emails.
- Folding laundry or getting dressed for the day while listening to podcasts or audiobooks.
- Making hands-free phone calls while driving or cycling to work.
These activities can be done simultaneously helping you to get the most out of your day, while also not sacrificing your focus.
Hack 2 – Value your time in dollars & cents
What is your time worth on an hourly basis? Figure it out for yourself and then make trade-off decisions based on whether your time value of money. You get to choose. Is activity A or B worthy of my time? What am I sacrificing in order to do it? Thinking this way allows you to in some way purchase as well as give away your time.
Job marketplaces like TaskRabbit, AirTasker, or Upwork have flattened the world according to Thomas Friedman (great book summary if you don’t have time). Removing competitive barriers and increasing access to skilled labor grants us access to opportunities like never before. We do caution however that you can go too far with this principle and make others feel unworthy of your time. At the end of the day though it is YOUR time, so do with it what you want most.
To manage your time, we always suggest thinking about Todo Cloud to help out!
Hack 3 – Just say no. Really, do it.
To get stuff done that matters, say no to things that don’t.
James Clear, a productivity author, spells out the details in his article Saying No. Say no to meetings unless you know your exact role in that meeting. Get the meeting agenda and ask to join just for your part. Request to get off email threads that are just informational.
Hard to do, yes.
But, liberating? You bet!
Note that if you use such a tactic, spend the time, in the beginning, to explain yourself so that people don’t take offense.
Hack 4 – Feeling stuck? Go for a walk.
Great thinkers have long gone to nature to unplug and discover great insight. Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix has studied great thinkers and doers and their relationship with nature and her conclusions are fairly conclusive: more time outside can increase your productivity.
How? The sounds of nature quiet the mind; if you picture your mind during peak stress it looks like jammed traffic in rush hour. The sounds of nature can get your brain moving again opening it up again to inspiration and insight.
William’s studies show that merely gazing at green landscapes reduces anxiety and replaces stress with calmness.
So next time you cannot focus, take a walk in the nearest park or neighborhood with greenery. By the time you get back to your task, you’ll likely feel energized and less stressed, ready to conquer that to-do list with clarity and purpose.
If you liked these 4 Productivity Hacks, join The Productivity Hackers group for more actionable hacks!
