How to practice the #1 Productivity Hack You Need

"Time is money", we have been hearing and saying it all our lives. But, is time only about money? The oft-repeated "I don't have time", holds the power to potentially destroy relationships, decrease productivity and reduce the quality of life.

That said, it is also a fact that the To-Do lists are only getting longer. We are all racing against time - racing against the hectic demands of work and life, and the distractions of the modern world. At the same time, we get to learn about so many productivity hacks too. But unfortunately many of that fail to give us the benefits we are expecting. More often that not, it is because many of us do not practice the #1 hack. In this article I am sharing that hack and how you can practice it. You will be able to read more about this hack (I use the word Secret Code in the book) and other hacks for becoming your next level version in my book Unlock Your Hidden Potential, published by Penguin Random House.

Let's move on to the #1 productivity hack that will exponentially improve your productivity, effectiveness, quality of life and overall life satisfaction, while being kind to yourself. And, once you incorporate this hack into your life, you will also witness all other productivity hacks magically start working for you.

1. Don't fool yourself, identify your actual work

The hack that we are talking about is identifying your actual work.

Are you doing your actual work? This question may sound silly and the tendency may be to say "Yes". But,

1. How many hours do you spend attending unproductive meetings?
2. How many hours do you spend doing inconsequential tasks?
3. How many hours do you spend sending, receiving and replying to e-mails that do not add any value to your work or passion?
4. And, because of all this how many times do you end up saying "I don't have time" to yourself and to others, for things that do add value to your life?

As a consequence of spending time on a combination of the above, many people end up suffering from burn out, underperformance, mental health issues and overall unhappiness.

What if you know what and what not to focus on? What if you know when to focus on what you need to focus on? Won't that provide you with enough time to focus on all aspects of life and reward yourself with peace of mind and overall satisfaction with life?

One significant important to note here is,

it is not that people want to spend their time unproductively.

In fact, most people either don't think about identifying their actual work or are unable to identify it.

And, this is where the 4D Decision Framework is going to help you identify your actual work and focus on it. This is based on the 4D's of time management as outlined in the book The Power of Focus.

2. Use the 4D Decision Framework to Identify Your Actual Work and Work Smart

We often get a lot of advices to work smart. But how exactly do we work smart? The four D's of the 4D Decision Framework - Delete, Delegate, Defer, Do - are exactly what you need to plan and streamline your smart working habits. It helps you with streamlining your tasks in four different stages.

2.1. Delete

At this stage, you determine how important or critical a task in your list is. Ask the below questions to yourself for that. The answers to these questions holds the secret to whether this is a task you want to do or delete from your task list.

• Is this task adding any value to my life?
• Is this work going to benefit me short-term or long-term?
• Does this task help me achieve one of my life purposes or goals?

If you are unable to find at least one "Yes", it is not your actual work and consider deleting that task from your list and, freeing up your time and mental space.

Usually the frivolous digital distractions fall into this category. Train your mind to say "No" to activities that are detrimental to your long-term growth and success.

That said, you need time for yourself to sleep, relax, connect with other people and have fun. These activities should never be confused with "frivolous" or "distractions".

2.2. Delegate

Now that you have identified the tasks that really matter to you, it is time to see who is going to do it. If something is part of your actual work, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to perform it all by yourself.

Nadia is a leader in her field and was struggling to balance all facets of her life. She believed that the modern day life in Singapore doesn't spare any time for anybody to have that balance. When we discussed about delegation, her first response was, "I'm not able to delegate any more work to anybody else." But as she started considering each task carefully she realised that there were opportunities for her to delegate her tasks to others. She identified areas that she can share with her peers and subordinates. She identified areas where she needs to mentor/train her team so that she can enable them to fulfil those tasks. With that she will also get the opportunity to help her team develop more skills and take more ownership.

Nadia also made a plan to involve her husband in matters related to her home and children so that they can share their responsibilities equally and step up for each other when the situation calls for it.

Some of the questions you might want to ask yourself to find opportunities for delegation are

• "Is it important that I should do this task by myself?"
• "How can I delegate this task to another person?"
• "How can I break down these tasks and delegate some of those subtasks to someone else?"
• "How can I upskill someone to take over these tasks?"
• "How can I mentor, coach or discuss with someone else so that they will be confident enough to carry on with these tasks?"

The carefully thought out answers to these questions will clearly give you an idea about whether you can delegate it and who you can delegate it to.

Delete and Delegate are great strategies to streamline the never-ending To-Do lists and make it achievable.

2.3. Defer

Prioritising our tasks is a major component of productive work. And that depends on the importance of the task, the time it requires and the follow on tasks.

Schedule your tasks in such a way that you are not doing everything at the same time. Deferring certain tasks to a later time sometimes is essential to ensure that your time is well spent to reap the best benefits from all tasks on hand. Deferring is not procrastination. So, you need to make an informed choice here. The following questions will help you to identify the tasks you can defer.

• What are the critical tasks on my list? How time sensitive are they?
• What are the tasks that are part of my long-term goals or continuous development?
• What do I need to complete before I start/continue working on this task?

2.4. Do

If you were not able to slot any of your tasks in the above three stages, that means you need to do those tasks in a prioritised manner. These are the tasks that need your immediate and focused attention.

Multitasking destroys focus and productivity. So, as much as possible, approach the tasks on the "Do" list with the single minded focus on finishing each task. As you focus and cross off the items one by one on your task list, gradually you will experience your mind lightening up, getting organised and having quality To-Do lists and freeing up time and focus for achieving more.

Make a commitment to not procrastinate the items on your Do list. For example, if you have planned to send to emails, make sure that you stick to the plan instead of procrastinating or playing for time.

Time Management has a lot to do with the overall success and satisfaction from life. And 4D Decision Framework is a great tool for you to prioritise and organise your tasks that lead to such a life. And the additional plus point of it is that you will grow to treat yourself with kindness and acknowledge your limitations, while boosting your leadership skills.

Which of these strategies do you practice consciously at your work? What are your experiences, challenges and observations regarding it? Please share it in the comment section below.

This article is based on the research on several Secret Codes from my new book Unlock Your Hidden Potential: The key to unlock your success. Please like, comment and share this article with your colleagues and network, and spread the word.

In this book, you can read more more about personal growth and career advancement, and how you can apply the Three Gates framework in your life. Click here to get your copy. Give it as a gift to someone who is aspiring to get to the next level in their life and career.

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