5 Productivity Hacks: No Fluff, Just Stuff
Hack 1: Time Blocking
The Gist: Dedicate chunks of time to specific tasks.
Time blocking isn’t new, but it’s gold. Ever find your calendar looks free, but your day vanishes? That’s because time, like water, fills available space. Block off hours for coding, hours for meetings, and don’t forget hours for thinking.
Hack 2: The Two-Minute Rule
The Gist: Do it now if it takes less than two minutes.
This gem is from David Allen’s “Getting Things Done.” Got a quick email to shoot off or a document to skim? Two minutes or less? Don’t stall—knock it out.
Hack 3: The Eisenhower Matrix
The Gist: Classify tasks by urgency and importance.
Divide tasks into four categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither. Tackle them in that order. Why is it on your list if something’s neither urgent nor important?
Hack 4: Email Sprints
The Gist: Cluster your email-checking.
Don’t be an email addict. Check it two or three times a day in focused sprints. Anything requiring more thought gets its time block.
Hack 5: The 90/20 Rule
The Gist: Work 90 minutes, break for 20.
Your brain operates in cycles called ultradian rhythms—roughly 90-minute periods of high activity. Work with that flow. Go hard for 90, then take 20 to recharge. You’re not a robot; don’t act like one.
That’s it—five hacks to get more done with less stress. Because productivity isn’t just about doing more; it’s about doing what matters. Now go get it done.
