{"product_id":"the-productivity-project-accomplishing-more-by-managing-your-time-attention-and-energy","title":"The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"a-fixed-left-grid\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-fixed-left-grid-inner\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"ppdFixedGridRightColumn\" class=\"a-fixed-left-grid-col a-col-right\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"bookDescription_feature_div\" class=\"celwidget\" data-feature-name=\"bookDescription\" data-csa-c-id=\"nfw2zl-6ccvkj-5gdra7-j567wk\" data-cel-widget=\"bookDescription_feature_div\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-a-expander-name=\"book_description_expander\" data-a-expander-collapsed-height=\"140\" class=\"a-expander-collapsed-height a-row a-expander-container a-spacing-base a-expander-partial-collapse-container\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-fixed-left-grid\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-fixed-left-grid-inner\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-fixed-left-grid-col a-col-right\" id=\"ppdFixedGridRightColumn\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-cel-widget=\"bookDescription_feature_div\" data-csa-c-id=\"4vgtxq-78pdsn-kxp11d-u92c92\" data-csa-c-is-in-initial-active-row=\"false\" data-csa-c-asin=\"1628251840\" data-csa-c-slot-id=\"bookDescription_feature_div\" data-csa-c-content-id=\"bookDescription\" data-csa-c-type=\"widget\" data-feature-name=\"bookDescription\" class=\"celwidget\" id=\"bookDescription_feature_div\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-collapsed-height a-row a-expander-container a-spacing-base a-expander-partial-collapse-container\" data-a-expander-collapsed-height=\"140\" data-a-expander-name=\"book_description_expander\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-content a-expander-partial-collapse-content\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"bookDescriptionBox\" itemprop=\"reviewBody\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eA fresh, personal, and entertaining exploration of a topic that concerns all of us: how to be more productive at work and in every facet of our lives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChris Bailey turned down lucrative job offers to pursue a lifelong dream—to spend a year performing a deep dive experiment into the pursuit of productivity, a subject he had been enamored with since he was a teenager. After obtaining his business degree, he created a blog to chronicle a year-long series of productivity experiments he conducted on himself, where he also continued his research and interviews with some of the world’s foremost experts, from Charles Duhigg to David Allen. Among the experiments that he tackled: Bailey went several weeks with getting by on little to no sleep; he cut out caffeine and sugar; he lived in total isolation for 10 days; he used his smartphone for just an hour a day for three months; he gained ten pounds of muscle mass; he stretched his work week to 90 hours; a late riser, he got up at 5:30 every morning for three months—all the while monitoring the impact of his experiments on the quality and quantity of his work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Productivity Project\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—and the lessons Chris learned—are the result of that year-long journey. Among the counterintuitive insights Chris Bailey will teach you:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e·         slowing down to work more deliberately;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e·         shrinking or eliminating the unimportant;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e·         the rule of three;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e·         striving for imperfection;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e·         scheduling\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eless\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e time for important tasks;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e·         the 20 second rule to distract yourself from the inevitable distractions;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e·         and the concept of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eproductive\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e procrastination.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn an eye-opening and thoroughly engaging listen, Bailey offers a treasure trove of insights and over 25 best practices that will help you accomplish more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-section a-spacing-small a-padding-base\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-row a-expander-container a-expander-extend-container\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReview\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-section a-spacing-small a-padding-small\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\"Chris Bailey has tackled the daunting task of personally experimenting with any and every technique you can imagine that could positively affect your productivity. His dedication to the project and his intelligent conclusions, combined with his candor and articulateness, make this a fun, interesting, and useful read!\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e— David Allen, author of\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003e Getting Things Done\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Chris Bailey might be the most productive man you’d ever hope to meet.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e— TED Blog\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Here's a book that promises, in the title, to pay for itself. And, the truth is, it will, in just a few days. And you'll even enjoy the journey.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e— \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e Seth Godin, Author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eLinchpin\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Chris has written the ultimate guidebook for setting your life on fire. Read it, and you’ll not only get more done, you’ll feel better about it too.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e— \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eLaura Vanderkam, author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eI Know How She Does It\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"So often we get stuck just doing what we have always done, even if it's not really working. This book helps you cut through all the productivity advice out there to find and test what really works for you.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e— \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e Shawn Achor, positive psychology researcher and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebestselling author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Happiness Advantage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Productivity Project\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is well-written, fun, practical and useful all at the same time. I loved this book. It's practical Buddhism at its best!\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e— \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eMarshall Goldsmith, bestselling author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eTriggers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eMOJO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eWhat Got You Here Won’t Get You There\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Chris doesn't just want you to be more productive. He wants you to live a better life. This book is a two-hour ticket to not only becoming more productive, but becoming genuinely happier.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e—Neil Pasricha, author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Book of Awesome\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Happiness Equation\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-section a-spacing-small a-padding-small\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-section a-spacing-small a-padding-small\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eChris Bailey, a graduate of Carleton University in Ottawa, wrote over 216,000 words on the subject of productivity on his blog, ayearofproductivity.com, during a year long productivity project where he conducted intensive research, as well as dozens of productivity experiments on himself to discover how to become as productive as possible. To date, he has written hundreds of articles on the subject, and has garnered coverage in media as diverse as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Huffington Post\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eNew York\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e magazine, TED, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eFast Company\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eLifehacker\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-section a-spacing-small a-padding-small\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-expander-content a-expander-extend-content a-expander-content-expanded\" aria-expanded=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Where to Start\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-section a-spacing-small a-padding-small\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTakeaway: Everyone likes the idea of becoming more productive and making positive changes to his or her life. But in practice, both are tough, and having a deep, meaningful reason for becoming more productive will help you sustain your motivation in the long run.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEstimated Reading Time: 8 minutes, 40 seconds\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Dream Come True\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBefore each chapter, I’ve included a takeaway of what you’ll get out of it, so you can prime your mind for what’s to come. I’ve also included an estimate of how long it will take you to read each chapter, based on an average reading speed of 250 words per minute.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI have been enchanted with the idea of becoming an early riser since I can remember. Before starting my project, I would frequently daydream about waking up just a few minutes before my alarm clock sounded at 5:30, propelling myself out of bed to ritualistically prepare a coffee, catch up on the news that had taken place overnight, meditate, and go for a morning run before the rest of the world woke up. In my daydream I also woke up beside Mila Kunis, but that’s for another book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSuffice it to say, when I started A Year of Productivity, I was determined to wake up at 5:30 every morning--even if it took me all year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBefore my project, as obsessed as I was with productivity, my nighttime and morning routines couldn’t have been less conducive to an early morning routine. After I would finish working for the day (as efficiently as possible, naturally), I would often lose track of time reading, hanging out with friends, or soaking in online cosmology lectures until I was either out of time or energy for the evening. As much as I was in love with the idea of rising early, becoming an early riser would have meant completely changing my nighttime rituals and morning routines, which felt like more than I could handle.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf all the productivity experiments I conducted during my year of productivity, waking up at 5:30 was easily the most challenging. At first, I found that my 9:30 target bedtime snuck up faster and faster, and that I often had to make the choice: pack things in earlier in the day when I still had lots to do, or stay up late to get everything done and sleep in later. I sometimes found myself going to bed right when I had the most energy, focus, and creativity--I’m a natural late-night person--and so I decided to stay up later. I also wanted to hang out with my friends and my girlfriend when I was finished researching and writing for the day, which would have been impossible if I headed to bed early.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter about six months of chipping away at countless habits to integrate an early morning routine into my life, I settled into a new wake‑up ritual, one where I rewarded myself for waking up early (page 132), shut off my devices from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. (page 186), quit drinking caffeine at noon (page 228), and eased into the ritual by gradually moving my bedtime earlier over the course of a couple of months (page 248). I’ll explain these tactics in detail later on, but needless to say, this was one of those experiments where I learned a lot of valuable lessons the hard way.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNonetheless, six months in, I had done it: I had woken up at 5:30 every weekday morning for several weeks and settled into a new morning ritual. My morning routine was the stuff I imagined productivity dreams are made of:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e5:30–6:00: Wake up; prepare and drink a coffee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e6:00–7:15: Walk to the gym; plan out my entire day while working out.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e7:15–8:15: Make a big, healthy breakfast; shower; meditate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e8:15: Reconnect to the internet (after my daily shutoff ritual).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e8:15–9:00: Read.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e9:00–: Begin working.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI continued to follow the ritual for several months afterward, religiously powering down my devices every night at 8 p.m., heading to bed at 9:30, and waking up promptly at 5:30, feeling virtuous and pleased with my efforts until, one Monday morning, I realized something that stopped me cold in my tracks. I absolutely hated going to bed and waking up early.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter my initial excitement over my new routine wore off, I found myself growing tired of saying no to hanging out with my friends, simply because I had to head to bed early. I couldn’t stand quitting work when I was “in the zone” late at night. Every morning I found I felt groggy for the first hour or two I was awake. And I discovered I much preferred to meditate, work out, read, and plan out my day later on in the day, when I had more energy and attention to bring to the tasks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorst of all, the ritual didn’t make me more productive. With my new routine, I found I accomplished what I intended to a lot less often, wrote fewer words on average per day, and had less energy and focus throughout the day. And after doing the research, I discovered that there is absolutely no difference in socioeconomic standing between someone who is an early riser and someone who is a night owl--we are all wired differently, and one routine is not inherently better than another. It’s what you do with your waking hours, I discovered, that makes the difference in how productive you are (I talk more about this on page 250).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs much as I adored the idea of waking up early, in practice I liked waking up later much more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProductivity with a Purpose\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI think the same is true of productivity itself. Everyone likes the idea of taking on more and making positive changes to their life. But in practice, becoming more productive is one of the toughest things you can undertake to do. If it were easy, I probably wouldn’t have dedicated a year of my life to exploring the topic, and there would be no reason for this book to exist.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThough I learned a great many productivity lessons from this yearlong experiment, perhaps the biggest lesson I learned was just how important it is to deeply care about why you want to become more productive.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf I were reading this book instead of writing it, that last sentence is one I might have glossed over, so I think it’s worth repeating: perhaps the biggest lesson I learned from this experiment was just how important it is to deeply care about your productivity goals, about why you want to become more productive.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen I committed to turning my morning and nighttime routines inside out to wake up at 5:30 every morning, I didn’t think much about whether I deeply cared about waking up early. I was in love with the sepia-toned fantasy of being the “productivity guy” who rose while everyone else was still sleeping and got more done than everyone else. I didn’t think much about what it would take to make that a reality, or about whether I actually cared about what was involved in making that change on a deeper level.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorking deliberately and purposefully throughout the day can make or break how productive you are. But having a purpose is just as important. The intention behind your actions is like the shaft behind an arrowhead--it’s pretty difficult to become more productive day in and day out when you don’t care about what you want to accomplish on a deeper level. This productivity insight is by far the least sexy tip in this book, but it may be the most important. Investing countless hours becoming more productive, or taking on new habits or routines, is a waste if you don’t actually care about the changes you’re trying to make. And you won’t have the motivation to sustain these changes in the long term.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSexy Values\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe reason I have continued to research and explore productivity over the last decade is that productivity is connected with so many things I value at a deep level: efficiency, meaning, control, discipline, growth, freedom, learning, staying organized. These values are what motivate me to spend so much of my leisure time reading and seeking out online science lectures.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWaking up at 5:30 every morning? Not so much.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA long procession of people before me have written about “acting in accordance with your values,” and to be honest, whenever I’ve read those kinds of statements about values, I have almost always tuned out, or simply read on. Unlike Mila Kunis, values are anything but sexy. But they are most definitely worth thinking about when you’re planning on making major changes to your life. If I had taken just a few minutes to think about how waking up early was connected with what I deeply cared about--not at all--I could have saved myself months of willpower and sacrifice and done something much more productive with that time. Questioning why you want to make a change to your life can save you countless hours or even days of time, when you discover that you don’t really want to make the change in the first place.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Practical Part\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI know right now you’re deep in “reading mode” and aren’t eager to stop reading and perform a quick challenge, despite how much more productive doing so will make you.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut making the jump between knowing and doing is what productivity is all about.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLet’s gently transition from “reading” into “doing” and try the first productivity challenge of the book. Don’t worry, it’s a lot easier than you think: most of the challenges in this book will take you less than ten minutes, and all you need for most of them is a pen and a sheet or two of paper. There isn’t a challenge in every chapter, but I have added them when I think they will be worth your time. I know your time is the most valuable and limited resource you have, and I promise I won’t waste any of it. For every minute you spend on these challenges, I promise you’ll make that time back at least ten times over.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReady to go?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGo ahead and grab yourself a pen and paper, and then read on.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Values Challenge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTime required: 7 minutes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEnergy\/Focus Required: 6\/10\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eValue: 8\/10\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFun: 3\/10\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat you’ll get out of it: Access to your deeper reasons for becoming more productive. If you’re using the tactics in this book to take more on, you could potentially save countless hours by only focusing on the productivity goals you care about. The return on this challenge can be massive.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI know that if I simply suggested you make a list of your deepest-held values and then create a plan how to act in accordance with them, you’d either put down this book to write a negative review on Amazon, or skip ahead to see what other productivity tips I have up my sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor that reason, I’ve instead selected a few very simple questions for you to ask yourself that I’ve found helpful when examining new routines and habits. I’ve personally done every single one of the challenges in this book and can vouch for their efficacy. They work. I’m not just pulling them out of the ether to waste your time. To start with:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eImagine this: As a result of implementing the tactics in this book, you have two more hours of leisure time every day. How will you use that time? What new things will you take on? What will you spend more time on?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen you picked up this book, what productivity goals, or new habits, routines, or rituals did you have in mind that you wanted to take on?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHere are some important questions regarding your values and goals to think about.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGo deep. Ask yourself: What deep-rooted values are associated with your productivity goals? Why do you want to become more productive? If you find yourself coming up with a lot of values you deeply care about (like meaning, community, relationships, freedom, learning, etc.), chances are you care about the goal on a deep personal level, and the change you have in mind is probably worth making. If you find yourself blustering your way through this exercise, maybe a particular change or goal isn’t in tune with your values and is not really all that important to you. (Google “list of values” for a few great lists to start with.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf thinking about values is too daunting to you, fill in this blank with each change you want to make: I deeply care about this because _____. Spin off as many reasons as you can to determine whether you care about each change on a deeper level.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnother quick shortcut to determine if a change is meaningful to you: fast-forward to when you’re on your deathbed. Ask yourself: Would I regret doing more or less of this?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI believe the point of greater productivity is to carve out more time for the things that are actually meaningful to you.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut tasks and commitments aren’t valuable only because they are meaningful to you. They can also be valuable because they have a significant impact in your work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNot All Tasks Are Created Equal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTakeaway: Not all tasks are created equal; there are certain tasks in your work that, for every minute you spend on them, let you accomplish more than your other tasks. Taking a step back from your work to identify your highest-impact tasks will let you invest your time, attention, and energy in the right things.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEstimated Reading Time: 9 minutes, 47 seconds\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMeditating for Thirty-Five Hours\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI learned the hard way how important it was to slow down and work more deliberately when I abandoned my meditation practice. So I decided to conduct an experiment to get to the bottom of just how much meditation and slowing down impacted my productivity--and designed an experiment to meditate for thirty-five hours over six days.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs a seasoned meditator I was no stranger to meditating for long stretches of time. Before the experiment, I had meditated for thirty minutes every day for several years, practiced meditation with my Buddhist meditation group every week, and attended an occasional meditation retreat, where I lived in total silence for days at a time while meditating with other attendees for five or six hours every day.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThirty-five hours of meditation in a week would be a lot for even our old friend the seasoned monk, who takes an hour to do anything. But I was too curious not to do it. To spice things up, throughout the week I also performed the same simple chores and tasks I would usually undertake, but in a mindful state.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhile running the experiment, I tried my best to remain as productive as possible during the time when I wasn’t meditating, so I could observe the day-to-day effects of meditation on my energy levels, focus, and productivity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"similarities_feature_div\" class=\"celwidget\" data-feature-name=\"similarities\" data-csa-c-id=\"f05fdc-26r1jl-v5nlvi-fcpmd9\" data-cel-widget=\"similarities_feature_div\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"celwidget\" data-csa-c-id=\"yaxzt2-nyo184-ky4ij0-uknyle\" data-cel-widget=\"sims-consolidated-1_csm_instrumentation_wrapper\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" cel_widget_id=\"sims-consolidated-1_csm_instrumentation_wrapper\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"celwidget pd_rd_w-OyxkH pf_rd_p-6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da pf_rd_r-NC22MC8ZYH4WHD6YDHV9 pd_rd_r-aef32571-4181-4c7a-abac-7617fe13765d pd_rd_wg-wgxb0 c-f\" data-csa-c-content-id=\"amzn1.sym.6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da\" data-csa-c-slot-id=\"product-bundle-1\" data-csa-c-type=\"widget\" data-csa-c-painter=\"p13n-desktop-sims-fbt-cards\" data-csa-c-id=\"kkioka-5htnqn-hucmr9-c20ka\" data-cel-widget=\"p13n-desktop-sims-fbt_DPSims_0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" cel_widget_id=\"p13n-desktop-sims-fbt_DPSims_0\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"a-section a-spacing-small a-padding-base\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bookread","offers":[{"title":"PDF","offer_id":56754631639371,"sku":null,"price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1031\/1204\/8971\/files\/NatureTravelYoutubeVideoIntro_1000x1000px_67.png?v=1773063255","url":"https:\/\/bookread.io\/products\/the-productivity-project-accomplishing-more-by-managing-your-time-attention-and-energy","provider":"bookread","version":"1.0","type":"link"}