#Also: health put as low priority because while the whole main quest is because of health issues

[thunderboltfire]

I’ve decided to fill out this template  for my V, and had a lot of fun!

[itswomanswork]

7 Easy Productivity Hacks That Will 10x Your Output

Most people these days drink from a firehose of information, working like a robot and still complain about low productivity. While productivity levels might fluctuate from individual to individual, scoring low on productivity more than a few times can be detrimental for work.

For most people, there is a limit to which they can stretch themselves. After that, you are bound to break down. The huge burden of unfinished tasks takes a toll on your relationships as well as your physical and mental health.

If you are having trouble finding the motivation to get up and go to the office, then it is time that you change your working style. Because this is a classic symptom that surfaces near your break down limit.

Everyone has 24 hours in a day. Some people like Elon Musk can manage multiple billion-dollar ventures while others struggle to do even the basic things. One of the key skills that differentiate the successful from the average is – Productivity.

Like all other skills, productivity can be learned with practice and persistence.

Try to follow these productivity hacks to enhance your productivity and do more in less time.

1. Prioritize your work

First and foremost, don’t waste your time on stuff that is not yours to do, or is not required right away. Until you learn to prioritize, you will find yourself running from pillar to post with a pile of mismanaged work. Setting priorities lets you be in control of the whole situation and manage it efficiently.

The 34th President of United States, Dwight Eisenhower is considered to be one of the most productive people on Earth. His strategy to get the most out of life is now popularly known as the Eisenhower Matrix, and is the key to boost your productivity.

Image Source

This matrix clearly defines how to segregate your tasks based on urgency and importance. Important tasks are those which directly or indirectly contribute to your long-term goal. So, define what you want from your life, and start with this matrix.

a. Not Urgent and Not Important

Simply eliminate these tasks out of your work pile. If elimination is not possible, reduce them to the bare minimum and put them on the last priority. This simple step will help you get rid of the junk that was posing as work.

b. Urgent but Not Important

Tasks, like formatting a report, taking appointments, booking travel itineraries, and sending bulk e-mails can often be delegated or outsourced. Assign them to someone else and just take follow-ups on the status.

c. Important but Not Urgent

These are the tasks that are important to take up in achieving your goals but are often ignored because we are busy doing unimportant tasks that are urgent. Plan these tasks, schedule them beforehand and stick to your schedule to do them.

d. Important and Urgent

Three words, “Just Do It”. Leave everything else, concentrate your mind and just start working on these tasks.

Once you have the segregation, elimination, delegation, and prioritization in place, you’ll find yourself in a much more commanding position in your life.

2. Schedule your tasks smartly

In simple terms, don’t bite off more than you can chew. It’s good to be ambitious, but that doesn’t mean you should cramp up your schedule with a lot of tasks. Try to focus on one big task each day that takes you closer to your long or short term goals and make sure that you clear it up within the day.

Put other smaller tasks on the waiting list, and take them up when you finish the main task that you have scheduled.

Once you shift your energy from scheduling more tasks to actually doing one task a day, you’ll find that the work pile has started to shorten down slowly but steadily.

Besides, don’t leave the bigger and more complex tasks for last, take them up first. Brian Tracy, the author of “Eat that Frog” dives deep into the importance of accomplishing complex tasks first. The tasks that you fear the most are the root of your problems, and once you are done and dusted with them, even a bigger pile would look less intimidating.

3. Use technology to help

There are so many software programs on the market to help you in your quest. First of all, use simple project management software to plan out bigger projects and break it down into smaller chunks with milestones and a timeline.

Such a project management tool can be a lifesaver and let you have a clear overview throughout the project lifecycle. Other than that, use note-taking tools like Evernote or Onenote to register and segregate your thoughts and information.

Learn to use Google Calendar, Gmail, and other G-suite programs effectively to boost your productivity.

4. Reduce the transition time between tasks

via GIPHY

In most of the cases, you’ll have multiple tasks to do on the same day, which are often related to completely different subject matters. For example, you may have to work on a presentation for a venture capitalist from 9 AM to 11 PM and take up production planning at 11:00 PM.

Many of us are not able to completely shut down the previous task and begin the new one. Actively work on your strategy to reduce this transition time to as minimal as possible.

Take short breaks once you finish a task, or even between a big task for meditation, exercise or other refreshing activity like ping-pong. During this break, your mind will get out of the previous task and you’ll be ready to take up the next one.

5. Eliminate interruptions while working

Technology enables us to stay connected to the world at all the times. But, it is not necessarily a good thing. It happens a lot that you are working in full flow, your mind is completely focused and you are actually getting things done when suddenly your phone rings.

Make it a habit that you put your phone on silent mode (without vibration) before sitting down for work. Internet is also a major distraction. If you don’t require help from it in your work, switch off your laptop’s Wi-Fi. Learn to say “no” to your colleagues and even your seniors when you are working on something.

If new tasks come your way, don’t leave your current work and start with the new task straight away. Clarify your situation, write down the task in your to-do-list and schedule the task at a later point in time when you are free.

6. Batch similar tasks together

This is a simple, yet effective technique for increasing your productivity. While scheduling tasks, put the same tasks together to reduce the transition time of your brain from switching between tasks.

For instance, suppose you have to do sales calls and send out follow-up emails to them. Try to dedicate 1 hour just for calling the clients and noting down any important details down on a piece of paper.

Once you are done with the calls, take out another hour to just send the emails to them. Use templates to speed up the process even more. This way, you’ll definitely get more done in less time.

7. Conduct meetings effectively

Although meetings are imperative for discussions, they can eat up your time if not intricately planned. If you are invited to a meeting, make sure that the agenda of the meeting has been crisply stated beforehand, so that everyone can prepare.

Learn to say no to those meetings where you feel that your presence is not necessary. One innovative way to shorten the duration of such meetings is to conduct stand-up meetings. Simply remove the chairs from the meeting room and watch the productivity of the meeting shoot up significantly.

Conclusion

Increasing your productivity is the stepping stone towards a wholesome life with low-stress levels and improved happiness. Anyone is not born productive or unproductive. It is a skill that can be honed with conscious efforts and persistence.

So start working on your efficiency today, and live your life to the fullest.

Guest author: David is a technical writer, his works are regularly published in various papers and top-notch portals. His rich experience in Project management domain helps him offer latest and fresh perspective on improved efficiency in workflows across organizations. His informative works on similar lines can be reached out on ProProfs Project.

The post 7 Easy Productivity Hacks That Will 10x Your Output appeared first on Jeffbullas’s Blog.

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New Post has been published on MASSthetics

New Post has been published on http://massthetics.net/bulletproof-your-health/

7 Simple Ways To Bulletproof Your Health

7 Simple Ways To Bulletproof Your Health

  Chances are that you’re cruising the pages of MASSthetics reading this because building a hallmark physique is something that entices you, excites you, and is one of your main motivations for training in the first place.

A goal off which, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with.

  But despite what you may think or have been told, building a hallmark physique reaches well beyond simply training dirty and eating clean (el-oh-el). Or wearing t-shirts proclaiming your warmup to be another’s one rep max. Or insinuating that if you’re not going to go hard, you should go home.

Yeah, fuck those shirts.

Anyway. To create a truly powerful shift in your physique, there’s raised a call for a change in your lifestyle as a whole. Often, it’s this lifestyle shift itself that poses the greatest battle for many.

Many won’t admit this, but the “key” to building a physique that you’re proud of, and represents your hard work is more deeply rooted in tending to your health and laying a solid foundation for yourself rather than it is knocking out 3058 curls every other day.

Or chasing a dangerously heavy bench press.

Or not taking days off, because, “bro.”

Or snorting pre-workout in hopes of faster absorption and greater effectiveness.

You see what I’m getting at here? All too often, otherwise well-intentioned lifters will chase the shiny object (moving as much weight as possible, training every single day for hours on end, or snorting pre-workout) while losing sight of the much less sexy dull, blunt objects that will actually help move the needle forward.

Such as the 7 dull, blunt objects below, that if ingrained into your life, will see your physique begin to make the changes you’ve been pushing for.

Read on.

#1. Cardio

We might as well start with the one thing that’s most likely to have you heave your computer into the street, pull out your your hair in fits of disbelief, and cause you to never visit this site again.

And so it is.

Because, there is value in doing regular cardio throughout the year. No, it won’t eat away at your muscle. No, you won’t “lose precious gains,” and no, it doesn’t have to be drab, boring, or as painful as pulling teeth.

Cardio is quite literally anything that elevates your heart rate for a given length of time. Which for your overall health, mental state, wellbeing, and longevity is a really fucking good thing.

Again, this is extending beyond adding more muscle to your frame, or chasing dangerously low levels of body fat.

The best way to go about implementing regular forms of cardio into your life?

Find a method you enjoy, and make it a regular habit 2-4 times a week.

Go for walks, take a bike ride, do some sprints at a park, enjoy a long hike, basically anything where you’re moving at a moderate clip for a length of time. The goal is simply to elevate your heart rate, aid your circulation, and move like your body was meant to.

Admittedly, it’s been far too long. But, sprinting is my favourite by far.

#2. Have a social life

Humans are social creatures. We always have been, and always will be (pending artificial intelligence hitting the mainstream and taking over).

As such, interacting with your fellow beings is important for your overall health.

Even if you’d rather hide at home.

As a personal example, I force myself to go out to cafes at least 5 times per week so that I have to have human interaction outside the gym, or online. Granted, that’s not much. But, if do nothing else with a social aspect during the week, that’s enough to keep me able to hold a conversation.

On top of that, I make a point each week of…

Scheduling sessions with a training partner, going out to feast on sushi, or *not* wearing headphones on walks.

While being able to be happy of your own accord is important, so is social interaction heathy for your mental state as a human being.

And yes, this will trickle down into your training as well.

#3. Cover your bases with simplistic supplementation

I’m not going to dive deep into this as I talked a lot about the importance of simplistic supplementation in this article on supplementing for Muscle Building and General Health. It’s nearly a cliche at this point, but supplements are just that. A supplement to your nutrition and lifestyle.

That means they don’t replace anything so much as they simply fill holes where you may otherwise be falling short.  If you’re training hard, there are a few things you should be taking to help keep yourself pushing hard, healthy, and progressing.

For more, I open up the MASSthetics Supplement Cupboard and talk about what I personally use on a daily basis.

#4. Get out in the sun

Everyone could use some more of that there Vitamin D in their lives.

Vitamin D is associated with improving your mental cognition, boosting immune and bone health, as well as elevating your mood. There’s even a study (albeit just one) that points to consistent supplementation of Vitamin D over a year to promote and boost your testosterone levels. Which if you care at all about your health (and building muscle), is a very good thing.

Diving deeper into the Vitamin D rabbit hole, it plays a key role in nearly 3000 gene expressions. And that’s onto of the muscle building and strength development mentioned above.

If you live on or near the equator, you can probably get away without supplementing as the sun is *somewhat* strong there. But if live anywhere else, you’re going to want to make a point of getting out in the sun when it’s there, and fortifying yourself with Vitamin D supplementation.

See, if you live near the equator you also have access to sunsets like this.

#5. Manage inflammation

Inflammation is a silent and deadly killer.

In of itself, it has the capability to slam the breaks on any fat loss or muscle gain, even if you’re doing everything else right.

Not to mention that rampant destruction it can take on your health. Which makes managing inflammation of the utmost importance.

Thankfully, this can be done rather easily.

Supplement to support your joints (Fish oil, curcumin, glucosamine, chondroitin).

Avoid foods that cause adverse reactions (you know what I’m talking about – and I don’t care how delicious it may be).

Prioritize recovery, and don’t run yourself into the ground.

Ensure you’re getting adequate sleep.

Eat your damn veggies.

Specifically referring to the state of your joints, your joint health is directly related to your ability to train to your full potential, and well into your later years.

Don’t be a fool, and make keeping a lid on inflammation a priority (especially as it relates to your joints).

#6. Support your digestion

I believe in maintaining excellent digestion so much that I wrote an entire article on Gut Gains: How To Improve Your Digestion.

Rather than regurgitate everything, I suggest you take 5 minutes to read up on how to improve your digestion (in 12 simple steps!).

Seriously, though. It’s not hard to make massive improvements to your digestion. And the payoff will be hyuge.

Because like inflammation, the state of your digestion has the ability to help you make them gains, or halt you in your tracks.

Given the state of many people’s digestion these days, this is often the first thing I attend to when working with a new client.

Heed that…

Lemon, Salt, Ginger, and the list goes on. All will help support and improve your digestion.

#7.Have a hobby to complement your training

As much as I love the gym, training itself, and love when others share the same feeling, it is important to have other dimensions to your life. Whether it’s spending time friends, your family, or having something that you do on your own.

Because there will invariably be times in your day (or life) where you don’t have to work, you’ve trained already, and you likely don’t want to watch hours of Netflix all day. Being able to fill your downtime with something that brings you value and enjoyment is great to have, and also adds another dimension to who you are as a person.

If you’re stuck with ideas, start by picking up a book.

Or go for a walk.

The final reps.

Health is something that is often lost on the quest for rapid fat loss or building as much muscle as possible. The forest is lost for the trees, so to speak.

Around these parts though, that won’t fly. Because without health, everything you’ve worked for will fall down, and fall apart around you.

Take care of your bottom line, your health, and the rest will take care of itself.

  PS. 4 out of 5 lifters will let their rationalization hamster run wild. Building no muscle, burning no fat. The 5th lifter joined the MASSthetics Clan and put the information within the (free) Hypertrophy Handbook to good use. Problem solved. Click here to become the 5th lifter, and let me know where to send the prestigious Hypertrophy Handbook.