🌼5 Simple Daily Habits That Have Saved Me Thousands of Hours
That nobody talks about
In hindsight, most things are obvious.
When I reflect back on my last 3 years writing on the internet alongside my full-time job, one thing remains true. I’ve had to make time to write. It means optimising other areas of my life to free up capacity.
And there are a few simple habits I can thank. Here are the ones that work.
Learn MoreRead also:Â 5 psychological reasons you don’t feel confident
1. Mindless and mindful work
Sitting in front of the screen and demanding that the words come out is a bad way to approach the day. I did this for a good while before I realised writing was in charge and not me.
Instead, a better way to approach things is to mix things up. 1 hour of focused effort with 20 minutes of mindless work. It works like this:
1 hour of writing, 20 minutes of housework
1 hour of business stuff, 20 minutes of playing with my dogs
1 hour of business automation, 20 minutes of tidying the house
It’s great for 2 reasons. First, it gives you the mental space to detach from what you’re doing. Research has shown that when you are relaxed, you’re more likely to be creative.
But also because a truckload of housework gets done in the meantime.
2. Recurring planning
There are some things you do day in and day out. Like eating lunch, evening TV, and the morning writing sesh.
If it’s repeated, it can be automated. Here’s how? First, you need to figure out where the time is escaping; here are a few examples:
I spent ages trying to figure out what to have for lunch.
I would waste a lifetime trying to work out what to watch.
It would take me 30 minutes to wrestle with what I would write.
This would happen as if on cue. It meant that there was a solution waiting in the wings. Here’s how I solved and tackled recurring problems in my life:
I decided to have the same lunch most weekdays, something that I liked.
Agreed ahead of time on what I was going to watch on the TV.
Built systems to know what I was going to write about.
Simple, and it saves me at least an hour a day.
3. Solving problems immediately
Small, unattended problems become big problems in 6 months.
If you can learn to solve your small problems immediately, it’s like putting a jetpack on your progress. Things get super simple when you solve things quickly.
Understanding where your time leaks are and plugging them
Acting on the feedback, you’re getting for your business
Testing your ideas quickly
Really it’s about pace.
I’m starting to become obsessed with this idea. I’m calling decision cost.
It’s the time spent deciding, which means you could have taken action and found out the answers to your questions. Assumption scanning. It’s time you waste trying to work out what you never will be able to do without testing.
Skip that bit. Get doing.
4. Sustainable
Long gone are the days when I write a to-do list as long as my arm.
I used to do that, and things ended pretty miserably. You don’t want to write a never-ending list, you want to write one that’s sustainable. Here’s why you shouldn’t write a never-ending to-do list:
You won’t get through the list
2. You’ll feel bad about your efforts
Instead, it’s to use your psychology against you.
If the task feels achievable, you are more likely to be motivated to achieve it. If I write a zillion things on my to-do list, I know I’ll get through 2 points and give up.
If I only have 3 things, I’ll race through to get them done.
5. Carrying feelings
The one thing that used to destroy my productivity was carrying feelings from the day before.
Maybe I had a bad day. I’d sit, worrying about how unproductive yesterday was. I’d worry. I’d show up differently. I was sunken and distracted. Over the years, I’ve learned to shake off bad feelings.
I know I can’t change yesterday. And I know that if I continue to hold onto these feelings whilst trying to tackle what I need to do today, I’ll miss the opportunity to be great.
Read also: How to solve any problems in your life
So instead, I let them rest.
I hear the feelings. Like background noise. I accept them. But I try to let them wash over me. I’ve got more important things to be thinking of.
Every Monday, I break down timeless insights to build and grow in the creator economy. Actionable ideas, systems, and frameworks that will save you hundreds of hours so you can build part-time. Read by 5.8k+ creators.
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.
Contributed by Eve Arnold
For more information and updates join our WhatsApp group HERE
Like our page on Facebook HERE
Join our Telegram group HERE
-Advertisement-
We do everything possible to supply quality information for readers day in, day out and we are committed to keep doing this.
Your kind donation will help our continuous research efforts.