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.

standardOctober 27Tom SalonekLeadership

Read The Economist, Watch I’m Not Your Guru, Ask Your Employees What to Stop

Here’s what I’m reading, watching, and stopping:

  • Read The Economist.  I first came across The Economist on a trip to London.  I find it an a-political commentary on what’s happening in the world.  In particular, I like the Schumpeter column.    
  • Watch I’m Not Your Guru featuring Tony Robbins.  Robbins is someone that folks either love or hate.  This insight into his seminars and what happens behind the scenes, I’ve found interesting.
  • Start asking your employees what to stop doing.  As part of our strategic planning, we have employees meet for a “Town Hall.” In the Town Hall, management is not present; employee’s facilitated feedback is anonymous and aggregated.  One of the common questions is what is something the firm should “start doing,” “stop doing,” and “continue doing.  ” For the item we should stop doing; it helps eliminate processes, tasks, or other things bogging down the company.
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Read Adam Grant, Watch Genius, Quit Spam Phone Calls

I’m changing the format of my blog posts to read, watch, and stop.  I’ll share what I’m currently reading, watching, and, to help declutter life, something I’m stopping. 

Here’s this post’s read, watch, stop:

  • Watch:  Genius by Stephen Hawking has everyday people perform experiments and solve problems to understand scientific concepts from evolution to time travel.  I’ve enjoyed watching and discussing episodes with my kids.
  • Stop:  Stop unwanted calls.  I use an iPhone app called RoboKiller.  RoboKiller stops known spammers and makes it easy to block callers. 
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Can’t Hurt Me

Can’t Hurt Me.

Ouch.

David Goggins, author of the book, Can’t Hurt Me, is one of the toughest persons ever.

The author’s life reads like a Rocky story.  He grew up with an unbearable father who beat him and his mother, and while they escaped, poverty and racism followed their path.

Growing up, they lived pay-to-pay check; he had a stutter, his hair fell out.  He struggled to read.

He finally decided to do something with his life and joined the Air Force.  His dream was to be pararescue which required a skill he had not learned, swimming.  When his fears got the better of him, he used a test for a predisposition to sickle cell anemia to leave the military.

Life then turned to less than stellar.  He spiraled to 300 pounds living on shakes and donuts and earned a living as an exterminator. 

Then things changed.

One day, he watched a documentary on the Navy SEALS.  It was so inspiring; he decided to give it a shot.  But, there were some setbacks and requirements.  One being he needed to lose 100 pounds to make the qualifying weight to join the SEALS. 

He got on it.  He spent hours on end on an exercise bike, two hours in the pool, and intense circuit training.  When in shape, he added running. 

While there were setbacks, after a few years, he became a SEAL.  Becoming a SEAL turned him on to ultra running.

Goggins became a badass of ultra running and chose to compete in the most outrageous ultra marathons in the country.

For his success, Goggins attributes his 40% rule.  More than half is on the table when we give up after only 40% of our potential effort.  To achieve the remaining balance, we need to continue telling the world, “Can’t Hurt Me.”

standardNovember 11Tom SalonekBook Summary