I’ve tried every productivity trick in the book.
And out of all of them, these three are the most underrated but most profoundly useful that I’ve ever found…
1. Sleep 9 Hours a Night
Most people underestimate the importance of sleep.
They think to themselves… “Well, I only need 6 hours of sleep a night to be a functioning human being so I guess I’ll just stick to that.”
But here’s the thing…
The more sleep you get (up to a certain point) the MORE productive, happy, and healthy you will be.
I used to sleep only 6 hours a night and my productivity was AWFUL.
Today, I sleep at least 8 hours a night, typically closer to 9.25.
And
guess what? Even though I “lose” 3 hours of productive time, my days
are infinitely more productive, I get far more accomplished, and - best
of all - I feel fantastic.
Sleep needs are
personal, so, if you have the ability to do so, I recommend taking 2
weeks where you go to bed only when you’re tired and wake up whenever
your body tells you to.
Track your sleep
with something like the Oura ring or Sleep cycle and then average out
the number of hours you slept during those two weeks.
That is your new target sleep time each night.
I
know many of you will fight this tip with tooth and nail, but I
promise, if you give it a try for yourself, you’ll find that sleep
really is one of the most underrated keys to productivity.
2. Hire Other People
It’s
funny to me how many productivity “gurus” will spend hours talking
about the Pomodoro method, Pareto’s law, and other tips and tricks to
help YOU become more productive without ever mentioning the fact that
YOU don’t need to do 50% of the tasks with which you are charged every
day.
I used to try and do everything myself.
And no matter how many productivity tricks I employed, I always came up short.
Today, I’ve realized that outsourcing is the ULTIMATE key to productivity.
Just think about it…
If
you hire an assistant for $1,200 a month and he/she saves you 20 hours
of time each week, you’ve cut your workload in HALF while still
accomplishing the same objectives.
I grew up hearing the statement, “Never pay for something you can do yourself” and it’s total crap.
You can and should pay someone else to do the things that you don’t want to do or that aren’t the highest priority for you.
I have an assistant, an Editor, a Chief Sales Officer, a team of coaches, a personal chef, and a housekeeper.
And
guess what? Even though I’m “losing” money by hiring these people, my
business has grown faster than it ever could have with me running
everything and, better still, I have more free time to enjoy the things I
truly care about.
Outsource tasks as quickly as you can.
3. Lift Weights
Again,
it’s funny to me how often people will espouse the benefits of this
trick and that hack without ever mentioning some of the MOST impactful
things you can do to increase your productivity.
Lifting weights it, by far, one of the most underrated strategies for massive productivity out there.
When
I’m regularly in the gym, training and lifting heavy stuff, I feel
better, I have more energy, I’m more focused, I’m happier, and I’m
infinitely more productive.
When I skip the gym, I’m lethargic, tired, anxious, and generally scattered all day long.
You don’t have to kill yourself to reap the rewards of this tip.
A simple 30-minute resistance training session is more than enough to get the job done.
Lift heavy stuff, put it down, and conquer the rest of your life.
It’s that simple.