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Contrary to most of my friends, I’ve spent my early twenties working day and night.
I was finishing my business studies while doing a full-time internship, became a certified trainer for adult education and communication, was hosting workshops for a non-profit organization, and have been writing online on the side.
I didn’t end up being so busy on purpose, but because I didn’t know how else to move forward in my life.
And frankly, working long hours was what I needed to find out what I wanted to do with my life.
Plus, it helped me gain professional experience fast, meet incredible people, and, most importantly: find out what I didn’t want to do.
The journey wasn’t smooth, but it helped me build a 6-figure online business while working no more than 25 hours per week and traveling for several months per year.
Dozens of mistakes that kept me stuck in my own hamster wheel for years eventually helped me realize that doing more isn’t going to solve my problems.
Or, as Tim Ferriss writes:
“Doing less is not being lazy. Don’t give in to a culture that values personal sacrifice over personal productivity.”
It’s funny how most people find it easy to ignore their human needs when their schedule is too busy.
Things like sleep, movement, a healthy diet, drinking enough water, getting vitamin D, or taking care of their relationships.
I’m the best (or worst) example myself: I’ve been going to the gym since I was 15. I don’t enjoy working out. I just know I feel (and look) better when I move regularly, so I do it.
Yet, as soon as I felt too busy, I skipped my workouts because I thought I’d use those extra hours productively.
Which, of course, I didn’t.
My lack of discipline only had a negative effect because less movement usually equals more tension and inflammation in your body, less focus, more fatigue, more anxiety, and less productivity overall.
In fact, research proves that even a 5-minute walk in between work sessions can have a significant impact on our wellbeing and productivity.
The key to being more productive in the long run is to take care of yourself.
If you feel at your worst because you’re dehydrated, sleep-deprived, lonely, and full of fast food, it’s no surprise you’re struggling to be focused and productive.
These are the basic rules I stick to, even if I don’t want to:
➔ Sleeping well is a superpower.
Toxic hustle culture might make you think that “you don’t need much sleep.” But you do.
Sleep deprivation can lead to weakened immunity, high blood pressure, chronic health problems, weight gain, and a higher chance of injury.
And yet, so many people try to pull an all-nighter when life gets busy.
What you should do instead is get a good night’s sleep so you can do the same work in less time the next day.
➔ Add movement to your schedule and treat it like any important appointment.
No matter if it’s a quick walk, a few minutes of deep stretching, your favorite outdoor activity, or dancing to your favorite songs. Just get moving.
➔ Drink more water. Dehydration affects your memory, attention, mood, and ability to focus.
And yet, most adult Americans are dehydrated.
If you’re struggling to stay hydrated and always forget about drinking more, get yourself a huge bottle and always keep it ready to hand.
➔ Prioritize your relationships by consciously scheduling quality time with your loved ones (and those you’d like to know better).
As humans, we are social beings. We need others to feel and work at our best. Yet, when we feel busy, we often ignore our relationships due to our packed schedules.
The truth, however, is that we need social interaction to thrive.
That’s why I consciously schedule weekly date nights with my fiancé and reach out to friends I haven’t seen in a while to ensure we meet up soon.
I do this on Sundays as part of my weekly reset.
The 40-hour workweek is a scam.
If you’re a knowledge worker, the odds are high that you’re only productive for a fraction of your work time.
That’s because most office workers are forced to work for a specified period instead of being judged by the results they create.
And the truth is more working hours usually lead to less effective outcomes because we need breaks and changes to thrive.
This has been known since the 1980s, yet, we’ve failed to use this knowledge to our advantage.
If you want to get more done while working less, you need to stop chasing your limits and instead allow yourself to have more slack in your weekly schedule.
Our desire to do more and multitask usually leads to more mistakes and less efficiency anyway.
Stop trying to be a productivity machine and start listening to your body.
If you listen carefully, your body will tell you ahead of time when you’ve been pushing your boundaries a little too much. All you need to do is pay attention to its signals and act accordingly.
Create a shutdown ritual for the end of your workday to detach from work and slow down before going to bed.
Use your weekend to recharge your batteries and disconnect from work by spending more time being surrounded by people you love and nature.
Take short, mindful breaks during your workday to avoid overwhelm and fatigue. Do short meditations, drink a cup of tea or coffee in silence, stretch your body, or go for a short walk.
And most importantly, be careful about what you do during your working hours.
Whenever you have the option of saying no to a project or meeting, think twice. Keep in mind that every yes comes with the consequence of saying no to something else.
“The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say “no” to almost everything.”
— Warren Buffett
The harsh truth about productivity is that your good intentions are worthless if you can’t stick to them.
Instead of increasing your expectations, let go of unrealistic standards and the pressure to constantly perform at your best.
You’re a human being, not a productivity machine, and you have natural limitations on what you can achieve in a given day.
Luckily, you can do a lot if you set yourself up for success by sticking to the rules discussed above.
Yet, the odds are high that you won’t do all these things correctly right away. You know what to do, but doing it is much harder than reading an article on the internet.
The good news is that you don’t have to chase perfection.
Take the advice that makes the most sense for you right now and use it as often as possible.
If you can do most of these things most of the time, you might be experiencing a different reality a year from now.
