There will never be enough time in the day to get everything done. I know the feeling of getting through an entire day just to find your to-do list is longer than when you began. And with the fast paced working environment of today, distractions are everywhere. So as a result you work longer hours to try to keep up. But what if I told you there was another way to be more productive?
What if I told you that the key to being more productive when you’re working is by focusing on what you do when you’re not working. And maybe the answer to getting more work done is to actually work less. In this article I’m going to talk about how working effectively is more important than working more. I’m going to explain the things you can do to be more productive, and show you how it’s not all about what you’re doing when you are sitting at your desk.
The Law of Productivity
Let’s talk about productivity generally. In Cal Newports book Deep Work, he lays out his law of productivity. He states that:
High Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)
Cal Newport – Deep Work
What this highlights is that there is more to output than the time spent – that second part (intensity of focus) is equally important as the time you spend working, and you have more control over this variable. I want you to think of this intensity of focus, or productivity, as a percentage. When you are working at 100% productivity, you are being as effective as you can be. You are focused, and thinking clearly, and able to perform high quality work efficiently. As you drop in percentage, you are more susceptible to distractions, your thinking is foggy, and you aren’t as sharp as you can be.
You can get a lot of work done in a short period of time when you are working at 100%. Similarly, if you are working at 50% productivity, it can take you a long time to get anything done. There are ways to increase your overall productive capability, but for now let’s talk about how to maximize the productivity levels you are already capable of.
Be More Productive by Focusing on Not Working
Imagine this – you have been working 12 hour days for the last three days and you are absolutely exhausted. You’ve been too tired to cook a good meal after work so you reach for something easy and unhealthy. You haven’t had time to exercise, and the stress has been hampering your sleep. When you sit down at your desk, you are not working at a high productivity level. You may be at 60% of what you are capable of.
Now contrast that to this situation. You’ve been working no more than 8 hour days. You have been exercising regularly, you’ve had the time to make and eat high quality food, and you have been prioritizing your sleep. When you sit down to work your mind and body are working effectively. Let’s imagine you are at 95% of your overall productive capability.
Let’s compare these two situations:
- 12 hour day at 60% producitivity = 7.2 productive hours of work.
- 8 hour day at 95% productivity = 7.6 productive hours of work.
You may actually be getting less work done despite working for an additional 4 hours due to the drop in productivity. Now, I want you to shift your thinking away from how many hours you are working. Think instead about how productive you are in the hours that you are working. I also want you to think about the things you can be doing outside of work to ensure you’re working at a high level of productivity.
Non-Work Activities to be More Productive
I would argue that what you do outside of your working hours is as important, if not more important, than what you do when you are working. Here’s four key facets to consider:
- Sleep – Think about how ineffective you can be when you’re tired. Your thinking is foggy, you’re easily distracted, and your motivation is low. Getting good, consistent sleep is key for proper brain function, leading you to be more productive.
- Exercise – Exercise benefits your productivity through improved concentration, sharper memory, faster learning, and more. Incorporating exercise into your normal routine has huge benefits, both physical and mental. Skipping the gym to work an extra hour may provide short term output, but in the long run staying in good shape can have huge positive impact on your productivity.
- Nutrition – The food we eat is the fuel our body and brain uses to function. Imagine filling your car with the wrong type of fuel. It may run, but not smoothly or efficiently. By fueling our body with low quality food, we’re not able to function near as well as we can. Your diet can have huge effect on your productivity, so it’s important to eat well.
- Stress – Long work hours can increase stress, which has wide effects on your health and productivity. By working shorter, more effective hours, you can reduce stress while maintaining work output. Building healthy habits will also help with stress management.
Though it may seem that sacrificing these activities can increase output by allowing you to work more, you may be putting yourself into a lower level of productivity. Building healthy habits will increase your productivity, and reduce your stress. These changes will compound your success over time. This allows you to lead a more meaningful life and more success of wealth over your career.
Less Work = More Work
What I really want you to take away from this article is that the answer to getting more work done is not always to work longer. It is important to pursue activities outside of work that will boost your productivity (and your happiness and health in the process). Taking care of you mind and body is key for peak performance, and stressing yourself out by working long hours may have the opposite effect of what you desire. Though sometimes long hours are unavoidable, in the long run you’re better off building a healthy lifestyle that prevents those long days in the first place.
Wondering how to get started with a healthier lifestyle? See my article on tackling hard things.
Also, check out my articles on mindset to build your overall productive capability.