Have you ever had a day when you get virtually nothing done? You pump yourself up to be super productive, get a whole list of things “to do” together a day before, but no matter how big your motivation is, you come up with nothing at the end of the day?
There is a way for you to stop having those kinds of days AT ALL! Let’s Start From The Basics.
We-human beings, have a very interesting quality. Our body gets “Energy Breaks” every 1.5-2 hours (depends on the body). It means that you can be the most productive only between those “energy breaks”. Therefore, you should do as follows:
Break your work into 1-2 hour blocks, where you know you can get absolutely 100% out of your efforts. Of course, instinctively, a question emerges:
-”What do I do after 1 hour of productive work, Igor?”
You Rejuvenate, My Friends! Proper rejuvenation is underestimated if you ask me. Between your 1-1.5 hour work blocks, it is very important that you completely detach from your work and let your mind rest. Let it focus on whatever it wants! Rest for 30 minutes and go back to work with a rested, clear and productive mind.
Now, Let Us Get a Closer Look at Your Work Blocks:
As I mentioned above, the company, product and the compensation plan DO NOT matter! It is what you do, what you choose to focus on- matters!
Well, let us just assume that you chose to split your work in to 1-hour blocks with 30 minutes of detachment in between. This is how you should divide your time in order to get as productive as possible.
Your Work Time Must Be Divided in to 4 “Pillars”:
1. Customer Pillar. Leads and Traffic. You should spend 40 % of your time driving traffic and generating leads for your business.
2. Conversion Pillar. Driving traffic with no conversion will not do your business any good, my friends. 20% of your work time should be spent working on your capture pages, sales letters, conversions and testing your conversion rates.
3. Product Pillar. 10% of your work time be spent on your Product, Services and Information concerning those 2.
4. Management Pillar. There are 3 types of management you should focus on:
1. Time Management
2. People’s Management
3. Business Management
4. For some of you- Anger Management =) Just Kidding!
Watch this video where I talk about how you can achieve More by working Less:
Before I Go Any Further, Let Me Just Point Out One Thing About Time Management!
Time Management is not about managing time but rather about managing actions! This is a very crucial thing for you to understand, you can Never manage time! Never! Time is always working against us. There is no way around it. You cannot manage time, but instead you can manage the things you choose to spend your time doing. Try to plan your day ahead, make a priority list of things to do, accomplish the important first and the rest second! This is really up to you, no need for me to go any further on the subject than that!
With Work Time Covered…
Here’s a list of things you will need to avoid in order to accomplish your work effciently
1. Multitasking. This is the mother of all distractions in the modern world and especially in the information age. The most basic examples are: checking email, answering the phone, SMS and many many more. Eliminate multitasking ASAP. Focus on one task at a time and you will not have to multitask anymore, ever!
2. Distractions and Interruptions. You will have to eliminate those 2 for the following reason: It takes 20 minutes after the distraction occurred to get your focus back to the point it was before the interruption.
3. Friction. Inefficiency that is caused by something that is not working properly. Frustration and things like it, which bother you and distract you from your work. I personally never sit down to do my work whenever I am frustrated or annoyed. Never! I suggest you do the same.
4. Monkey Mind. This one is really my favorite, because it is so common among Every Single One of Us! A thought that causes a chain reaction of similar thoughts or emotions. I know that you know what I am talking about! One second you are writing an article and the next you catch yourself thinking about a 67′ Dodge Charger SRT. Happens to the best of us =). Never the less, ELIMINATE!
Well, I think it is enough for today, I hope you enjoyed, I know I did!
P.S: Credit for this material goes to a whole bunch of people. I will try to list them all, if I forget someone, I sincerely apologize:
Jonathan Budd
Eben Pagan(David De Angelo)
Bob Proctor
Tim Ferris
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Hi Igor,
Nice column and thanks for having me. Productivity has a lot do do, as well, with getting enough sleep etc. I know that when I stay up till 4am (or so…
) in the morning, the next day, I’m worthless. So my point is that we have to figure out what works best for us in the long run.
Something that has helped me is a product that I started to promote and have wound up using as a tool to sort of live by. It’s first perceived as a diet but infact it is more of a lifestyle change in how you live your life. If you get a chance, chec it out (http://www.DietoftheDecade.com. It made a definate difference in my ability to be more productive and enjoy just a bit more free time.
Best to you and thanks for allowing me to join your FB network.
Best,
BobLee
Work less, achieve more is the name of the game. Productivity is predicated by intense focus and clarity. How do you achieve focus and clarity?
I use a vision board to focus my mind on my desired outcomes. Its important to visualize the desired outcome first, before you put a plan in place. This will assist you in creating a plan to accomplish the goal.
I’d highly suggest downloading the free chapter from John Assaraf’s new book The Complete Vision Board Kit… it really is like a key to productivity… download it for free here… http://www.TheVisionBoardKit.com