A few years ago, I was sitting in a classroom in London with fellow coaching trainees and one of our instructors walked into the room. It was early in the day, and our teacher kicked off our training on goalsetting that day by asking the following question. “How do you eat an elephant?” After some brief discussions in the room, he shared the answer: “One bite at a time.” In this third and final segment of our blog series on productivity, I’m so excited to offer you three simple strategies aimed directly at helping you to increase your focus and elevate your productivity. Now for something to chew on. Caution, there may be some bonus material in here too. It’s time to overdeliver!

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The first important element is to find a system that works for you. If you’re old school, that might mean logging your daily tasks in a planner. Others prefer a written “To do” list. Perhaps, you utilize a digital calendar or an App that helps you organize and schedule your tasks on a weekly or daily basis. The important thing to remember is that in order to “work the plan”, we must first take the time to “plan the work.” Specifically, I like to plan my weekly tasks/goals for the week on Sundays for the upcoming week. For daily tasks, I take 4-5 minutes in the evening and plan out my items to be included on my agenda for the following day.

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The second tip I highly recommend is to do important work first. It is vital that we get into the tasks that require a lot of cognitive energy and emotional firepower earlier in the day. I realize that not everybody is wired this way, but there are an abundance of studies on human performance and productivity that support the following idea. The later we schedule or postpone “higher energy” tasks, the less likely we are to complete them on that day. Remember the idea from the last blog where I shared that willpower is an exhaustible resource. When we schedule the tougher tasks towards the end of the day, we are often asking ourselves to perform at a higher level when our willpower tank is getting dangerously close to E. This can also increase our tendency to procrastinate and continually push more difficult and “unpleasant” items onto the next days’ agenda. Being unproductive is not always a case of running out of time, but so often a case of running out of energy.

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Next, find a way to pace yourself, and incorporate short breaks throughout your work-day. Many time management experts promote the Pomodoro technique. This particular time management strategy was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980’s. Here is how it works. Cirillo recommends that you break your work down into 25-30 minute intervals…also known as pomodoros. Breaks typically last 5 minutes in length. The system also supports the idea of giving yourself a longer 15-30 minute break after you’ve completed four consecutive pomodoro sessions.  What makes this method so effective is that it helps eliminate multi-tasking and/or the urge to check your phone, Facebook, etc… while you are working. During the pre-determined span, you stay committed and focused on the work, and then you can attend to other stimuli during your short break. If you are working on a bigger project, you might consider combining 3-5 pomodoro sessions or whatever time frame you deem fit to devote to that particular task. Consider giving the Pomodoro method a try. It can have a profound impact on the way you structure your work.

Bonus Time!

Ok, so now it is bonus time! Here is a nugget that is a bit out of the ordinary. As you read about this tip, consider the idea that productivity isn’t just about knowing what to do. It also relates to knowing what to stop. My final thought for you is this. Take the opportunity this week and create a “To Don’t List.” Items to consider for your own personal To Don’t list are things that might give you some value in the short term, but they won’t necessarily help you reach the finish line or help you attain your long term goals. For example, spending time with people who have conflicting values, watching hour long news programs that you can read about in a 5-10 minute summary later on, or reading blogs (hey wait a minute!) that are only loosely related to your areas of interest…can sap valuable time and focus away from you. Let me share a quick story with you that helps crystallize this bonus point. In the 2000 Sydney Olympic games, the British 8-man rowing team defeated several teams including the archrival Australians, and claimed the gold medal in the contest. It was the Brits first gold in the event since 1912. In order to claim a victory that had been so elusive for so many years, the British team adopted a slogan. They recognized the need to impact their mindset and habits over the course of the years they would spend preparing for the 2000 Olympic games. Their chosen slogan was “Will it make the boat go faster?” As the team prepared, they would ask themselves this question every time they thought about working out, going to the movies, what they ate, should they go to the pub, etc… If the activity didn’t line up with their long- term goal of making the boat go faster and winning the gold in Sydney, then they simply avoided the action in that moment or stopped doing it altogether. For this historic gold medal team, their “To Don’t List” impacted their results just as much as their “To Do List.”

I hope you got some value out of this 3-part series, and you are primed and ready to be less busy and more productive moving forward. As for me, it’s time to stop writing for the day. My pomodoro bell has just sounded and it’s time for a break!