On 21 October 2022, Ali Abdaal, a doctor turned YouTuber and Podcaster, did an experiment. He tweeted a thread with 15 productivity hacks. It became his highest-performing tweet of all time.
1 million impressions and 23,648 engagements in two days.
The surprising thing was he didn’t write that thread himself.
He got an Artificial Intelligence tool to generate it.
If you read the thread, you can’t pick up whether a human or a bot wrote it.
I took the 15 hacks and assessed my own habits against them. Here is what I found.
1. Set A Daily Highlight
Each morning, ask yourself, “what is the most important thing I want to do today?” and then make sure you do that thing. When you do this every day (or even most days) for a whole year, you make an incredible amount of progress.
I can swear by this advice. Around mid-year last year, I started identifying one primary task for the day and making sure I do it. I call it my Daily Focus Task (DFT). It has removed the overwhelm from my day. I no longer feel stressed if I don’t go through my whole To-do list for the day. As long as I have done my Daily Focus Task, I can feel good about myself.
2. Have an hourglass on your desk
This is a simple reminder to make the most of your time. I [Al Abdaal] uses a sand timer, but you could also use an hourglass app on your phone or computer.
This, too, is my strategy. I used to use the timer on my Windows computer that comes with the clock. But I moved to Mac earlier this year, and Mac doesn’t have a built-in timer. So I have started using the timer on my mobile phone. There is one trouble though. I can’t see the clock ticking on the corner of my computer which used to bring me back to task whenever I got distracted. I will have to find an app that I could install on my Mac.
3. Set a “No-Internet Day” once a week
This has been a game-changer for me. On Wednesdays, I [Ali Abdaal] don’t allow myself to go on the Internet till 5 pm. This means no social media, no email, no news, no nothing.
I have not tried this one. Normally I can go without social media in the morning, for a few hours, especially when I am working on a book or an article. But having all day as a “No-Internet Day,” sounds great. I got to give it a go.
4. Make a “To-Don’t” list
This is a list of things you shouldn’t do, no matter what. For me, this list includes things like checking my email first thing in the morning, working on the weekends, and checking social media frequently throughout the day.
Okay, from time to time I have vowed not to do certain things such as “not to pick up my phone first thing in the morning,” but I have never made a proper “To-Don’t” list. I am on it now. As soon as I finish writing this article, I am going to create my Not-To-Do List and pin it where I can see it at all times.
5. Use Pomodoro Technique
This is a time management technique that involves working for 25 minutes and then taking a5 minute break. I’ve [Ali Abdaal] found that this helps me stay focused and avoid burnout.
This is something I use invariably, or rather, a version of it. I work in 15 minutes snippets. Whenever I am time-pressed, I set a timer for 15 minutes and write an article or clean-up in inbox, or do research. If get in the flow state, I keep hitting the repeat button on the timer and work for 30 to 45 minutes before getting up and taking a break. This speeds me up and my output is usually much higher, working in short snippets than setting aside an hour or two to write an article.
6. Batch Similar Tasks Together
This means doing all of your similar tasks at the same time. For example, I like to batch all of my writing tasks together. So if I have to write a blog post, record a video, and write an email, I’ll do all of those things one after the other.
I too batch similar tasks together. I call it my “chaos management” time. Each day, I set aside two to three hours when answer emails, leave comments on LinkedIn posts, responds to comments reader left on my posts, etc. Before going on extended holidays, I have written four to eight weeks’ worth or articles and newsletters which was brilliant. I want to do that but haven’t been able to build a system for it yet. Something to work on and perfect next year.
7. Get in a Flow State
This is when you’re so focused on a task that you lose track of time. When you’re in a flow state, you’re usually in “the zone” and you’re extremely productive.
I have frequently been in the “flow state” and believe me, it is such a surreal experience. Sometimes I don’t even realize that I have been working for hours at a stretch and don’t even feel it. The quick way to get into flow state is working in fifteen-minutes snippets.
8. Take breaks regularly
It’s important to take breaks throughout the day, even if you’re in a flow state. I like to take a 5–10 minute break every hour or so. During my break, I’ll usually walk around, get a drink of water, or do something else to relax.
I take break automatically. Working from home means there is always something to do — dishes needs to be done, vegeies need to be chopped, a cupboard needs tidying. These mundane tasks are a great way to sort out thoughts and give my eyes rest from staring the screen. I used to go out for a walk to mark the end of the working day. But many times someone will drop in or I start cooking and miss the walk. Now I have started going for walks in the afternoon. I like this new time because I get to soak the sun and I am not rushed. Halfway, I sit on a bench in the park and meditate.
9. Have a set schedule
I’ve found that it’s helpful to have a set schedule for my day. I know that I’ll work from 9 am-5 pm Monday through Friday and I know that I’ll take a break at 12 pm for lunch. Having a set schedule helps me stay on track and avoid getting sidetracked.
I have a schedule, but not as tight as Ali’s. And I like it that way. I work for 3–4 hours before lunch and 3–4 hours between lunch and dinner. This schedule gives me flexibility to fit other things in my day so my days are not all work, work, work.
10. Get rid of distractions
This is a big one. If you want to be productive, you need to get rid of anything that’s going to distract you. For me, this means putting my phone on silent, turning off all notifications, and working in a quiet environment.
I am pretty good with phone and social media. I have turned off all social media notifications. My phone hardly rings during the day and if it does, I am not afraid to tell the person on the other end that this is my working hours and I will return their call in the evening. My major source of distraction is the housework. Another thing where I waste a lot of time is finding things on my computer. I am working on implementing a better system to manage digital clutter and it is helping.
11. Set goals
Having goals is important because it gives you something to strive for. I like to set both long-term and short-term goals. For example, my long-term goal might be to write a book and my short-term goal might be to write 1000 words per day.
I am a hard core goal setter. I have to say no more.
12. Use a task-manger
I use a task manager to keep track of all the things I need to do. This helps me stay organized and makes sure that I am doing the most important tasks. I use the app Todoist, but there are a ton of other great options out there.
I use Author’s Planner and Bullet Journal to create and keep track of my daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists. It is a journal I created for myself. It is available both in hardback and softcover from Amazon. If you are interested, you can get it here. Recently I have been exploring Notion, to create a digital version of it.
13. Follow the 80/20 rule
The 80/20 rule is the principle that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. This means that you should focus on the things that are giving you the most results.
I am not a master of identifying the 20% that gives me the best results. It is perhaps because I have not identified all the activities I do and the results they bring me. This is an area of improvement for me.
14. Delegate and outsource
Delegate and outsource the things that you don’t need to do yourself. For example, I outsource my bookkeeping/ accounting. The frees up my time so that I can focus on the things that I’m good at and that I enjoy.
I hate to admit but I do zero delegation and outsourcing. Four years into writing and authorpreneurship and I am doing 95% of the things myself. Now and then, I buy services that I can’t do myself. Delegation and outsourcing require investment and mindset shift. I need to work on both.
15. Take time for yourself
This is probably the most important tip of all. You can’t be productive if you’re not taking care of yourself. Take time for things like exercise, relaxation and hobbies. This will help you avoid burnout and will make you more productive.
I fully agree with this tip. I am an avid traveller. Pandemic kept me housebound for two years. But this year I made up for it. I have already been on two extended holidays (6 weeks and 8 weeks) and one short one ( 1 week) and have planned more. I keep enrolling in courses that interest me and have several hobbies. My problem is how to restrain myself so that I don’t put too much on my plate.
It has been a wonderful exercise to determine where I stand with these productivity hacks and where I need to concentrate to bring some improvements.
I suggest you do that same. Reading about the productivity tips is not enough, you got to implement them too. And from time to time, you got to evaluate where you stand.