These 11 Productivity Methods Actually Worked for Me

I’ve tried over 20 productivity methods, facing some colossal failures along the way. But I’ve also found a few simple, game-changing techniques that really work—and might work for you, too.

1

The Pareto principle

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rulesuggests that 80% of your results come from 20% of the things you do, and this theory has changed my life in all areas. For example, I realized that only a small number of tasks are responsible for my success as a writer.

When I dug even deeper, I also realized that only a few skills or clients were responsible for most of my stress. After clearing it, I could allocate more time to bigger priorities. And when I stopped using this principle for a while, unsurprisingly it suffered.

Besides work, I also apply the 80/20 rule to my personal relationships and what I do in my free time. Now I spend most of my time on meaningful creative projects and hobbies, and with the people I want to be with, leading to a higher quality of life.

2

60 minutes of work, 15 minutes of rest

The standard Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of work followed by a break) didn’t work for me because it usually takes me at least 15-20 minutes to enter a state of flow. Stopping every time I took my step was frustrating, and as a result, I increased my work periods to 60 minutes. Doing this helped me stay more consistent with my output, and it’s something I still use today.

After writing or researching for 60 minutes, I take a 15 minute break. During this time, I usually go for a short walk or fill up my water bottle. In addition to giving my brain some time to rest, I also close my Apple Watch rings making sure you stay up and exercise every hour.

We recommend that you experiment with your work and rest times because your mileage may vary. This is also fine for me as a writer, but you may need to focus longer depending on your profession or what you study. The notion has a free Pomodoro tracker which you can change to 60 minutes.

3

Habit-Stacking

I learned about stacking habits from James Clear Atomic habits book in 2020, and focusing on good habits instead of the end result helped me achieve many goals. My goals at the time were to improve my mental health, establish myself as a freelance writer, build a consistent workout routine and move abroad. I started small with these daily habits:

• Meditate for five minutes

• Write a journal entry (even if it’s just a bullet point)

• Reach out to three people you want to work with

• Exercise for 30 minutes (even if it’s just walking)

As I became more comfortable, I increased the length and output for each. I added even more habits once I could do the others on autopilot. I recommend doing the same if you are in a position similar to my old one; trying to do everything at once leads to burnout.

4

Weekly reviews

Achieving big goals takes time, and you won’t always notice your progress from week to week. Build a weekly review habit It is, therefore, excellent for bringing your efforts into perspective.

To review my week, I look at what I did, where there is room for improvement and the victories I can celebrate. Because of this, I can clearly see how I have made progress and where to correct the course if necessary. I am also more self-aware and can identify potential obstacles earlier.

Your weekly review will only last an hour at most, but it will ensure that you spend more of your time on meaningful tasks. It’s a great return on investment.

5

To-do lists

A lot of productivity advice online unnecessarily complicates what it takes to succeed, and after I burn out, I go back to the same simple to-dos. Interestingly, I have found these more effective than many of the complex systems that others recommend.

I found that switch to paper to-do lists it was the best way to organize my day, but digital has its merits. For example, I love the Things 3 app. TickTick, Todoist, and Microsoft To Do are also great (and free) tools.

Not putting too many tasks on your to-do list is vital for consistency, but you need to experiment before you discover your ideal capacity.

6

Single-Tasking

After burning out several times while multitasking (and getting more frustrated each time), I tried to focus on one task at a time. Instead of feeling like I was always behind, I was doing more every day and could increase my capacity. Ironically, I also had more free time because I finished my to-do list faster (and also, the quality of my work increased).

In my opinion, your brain is effectively a supercomputer with 1GB of RAM. Most people can only focus on one thing at a time; trying to write one article while outlining another will quickly become frustrating.

I suggest using website blockers to remove distractions while concentrating on a task. Cold Turkey is my personal favorite because its restrictions are hard to get around.

7

Inbox Zero

Having 50+ unread emails in my inbox quickly bogs down my brain and prevents me from focusing on my important daily tasks. To address this problem, I aim to have a clear inbox at the end of each day. I usually check my emails twice, once in the morning and once in the evening.

The stars important messages to answer them later. Everything else is deleted. Also check my spam folder in case something important accidentally ends up there. To save time, I manage my emails in Mailbird.

8

“Slow productivity”

Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity book aims to show you a more natural way of working (and actually getting things done). The book highlighted how creativity ebbs and flows, and I learned to embrace busy and quiet periods as part of life. He also emphasized the importance of quality over quantity; after realizing I was spreading myself too thin, I chose to focus on creating the best work possible instead of just focusing on volume.

Embracing slow productivity takes time, especially if you’re used to constantly feeling like you’re running for a train (raises hand). However, I think it is a path to better grades, more professional recognition, and higher personal fulfillment.

9

The 2 minute rule

Small things that build up often derail me more than big tasks, and to address this, I started implementing the two-minute rule in 2022. If something takes less than two minutes to do (for example, reply to an email that I’m right). seen), I do it right away.

The longer you wait to do something, the more mental capacity is consumed. Checking these items off your to-do list ASAP will free you up to complete your bigger projects and allow you to incorporate the Zen to Done method.

10

Setting Streaks

Establishing streaks is one of the best methods I use to make new habits. I usually use it Simple apps to track habits to identify when I have completed a task; Habitica is my first recommendation.

You don’t have to follow streaks forever, but I suggest doing it until the habit becomes part of your daily routine. Also, we recommend using this method to build good new habits. When I try to quit a bad habit, thinking about how long I haven’t done it makes me more likely to break the streak.

11

Deep work

Deep Work was another excellent self-help book, and this concept has now become a central part of my daily routine. It involves concentrating on the most important tasks without distractions; since implementing this, I get more done in 4-5 hours every day than I used to get done in a whole week.

To do deep workPlan these periods in advance. For example, I wake up at 5 am every morning and write for an hour because no one is awake at that time. You don’t have to go to such extremes, but you should understand when they work best and use them. Also avoid keeping your phone close to you, as this is the easiest way to get distracted.

Going through a period of trying different productivity methods will help you find what works for you, and I suggest you start with these. Normally, the simplest techniques are the most effective. Before trying anything, you should also understand what you are trying to achieve.