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The Secret to Productive Mornings is to Make Them Easier not Earlier | Nick Wignall
Track your work
- Get a monthly calendar.
- At the top of the calendar note the task or action you’re tracking.
- Each morning after you’ve completed the task, put a big X or some kind of mark through that day.
- Try to go as many days as possible without “breaking the streak.”
- If you do miss a day, note how many days in a row you went and set that +1 as your new goal.
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Memory Palace/The Method of Loci
- Choose a place that you know really well.
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Mnemonics
A memory device that helps you retain and retrieve information simply with the use of retrieval cues to encode information in the brain.
- List the words you want to remember.
- Write the initials of each word vertically.
- Create a sentence/phrase using the initials.
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Why a Night Routine Matters
A night routine is the things you do immediately prior to going to bed.
Three benefits of having a decent night routine:
- You’ll have a more restful and higher-quality sleep....
Before You Head Home…
- Get rid of caffeine after 4:00 pm. Caffeine stays in your system for up to six hours.
Stay hydrated. Dehydration can make you feel sluggish and tired when you want to be awake.
Decide when the workday ends. Establish a cut off time for work-related emails and phone calls as well.
Immediately After Work…
- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol may make you drowsy, but the sleep you get won’t be restful. Stop consuming it at least two hours before bed.
Have a healthy dinner.
When you need a snack closer to bedtime, reach for something light and healthy.
Take time to tidy. Waking up in an orderly space will work wonders for your mood.
Prepare for tomorrow.
When you don’t have a million things to do upon waking, it’s easier to fall asleep.- Take time for yourself. Perhaps you watch an episode of your favorite show or play video games.
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Key Ideas
Do what is important
Want to be more productive? Don't ask how to make something more efficient until after you've asked "Do I need to do this at all?"
17 hours of unproductiveness weekly
People work an average of 45 hours a week; they consider about 17 of those hours to be unproductive.
Tim Ferriss's tips for productivity
- Manage your moods: If you start the day calm it's easy to get the right things done and focus.
- Don't check email in the morning.
- Before you try to do it faster, ask whether it should be done at all.
- Focus is nothing more than eliminating distractions.
- Have a personal system; most productive people have a routine.
- Define your goals for the day the night before.