Hello and welcome to 4-Minute Friday where I share, in four minutes or less, the latest things I’m doing to enhance my health, save money, and make day-to-day life easier and more enjoyable.
All comments and follow-up questions can be posted directly below, on my Facebook page or emailed to me at zach.griffith1@gmail.com!
Productivity Trick I’m Using:
I touched on this in my recent Q & A post (Part 1) … but it’s important enough to return to it.
In the current world of endless distractions and social media algorithms drawing us into the abyss, getting meaningful work done has never been more challenging.
To combat this, I recently began using a productivity tool for studying/work that’s been game changing and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share.
Recently popularized by author Cal Newport, it’s a simple strategy called “time blocking” and here’s how I do it.
My phone goes on do not disturb, I set a timer for 90 minutes, and I begin working on a single task (blog post, exam studies, etc.) … typically with a coffee nearby.
There are only two rules.
You can’t stop working until the 90 minutes is up and absolutely NO checking your phone, email, or social media. Understand this is still applicable to large projects that take hours of work – you’ll just need to break down the tasks and prioritize as you see fit!
I find that having a particular start and stop time for “deep work” sessions promotes adherence.
What would have previously taken me 4+ hours to complete is now getting finished in 90 minutes… if not less.
And there’s nothing magic about 90 minutes, it’s just what works for me and anything beyond that seems to have diminishing returns.
Give it a try for 15-30 minutes and work your way up.
Tik Tok will (unfortunately) still be there once the timer goes off.
Mindset I’m Embracing:
As you know by now, the Modern Wisdom podcast is chock full of gems and yet another insight struck a chord with me a few days back.
Guest Steven Bartlett discussed behaviors purposed to build inertia for reaching your goals and ambitions.
One of the behaviors leverages the idea that the greatest punishment in life is not keeping promises that you make to yourself.
Run back through that one more time.
It makes sense.
We’ve all at some point felt the pain of saying we were going to take action and then not followed through with it.
Even if no one else knows, it produces an unavoidable lasting sting … which is far from fun.
But, turn this on its head and it becomes something you can use to your advantage.
Clearly there’s hurt in the aftermath of not sticking to a commitment, so how can we inflate the front-end to make the action more likely to get done?
One strategy is to write things down in a visible place – whether that be in a notebook on your desk or sticky notes posted around your living space.
Don’t just jot down words, write “I will” statements.
Here’s a few to get the ball rolling:
I will go to the gym for 30 minutes today after work.
I will NOT order take-out tonight; I’ll cook at home instead.
I will be in bed tonight at 10pm with no technology devices near me.
I will limit alcohol consumption this week to only Saturday evening with friends.
Once you begin trusting in your abilities to follow-through on the promises you make to yourself, take them up a level of difficulty.
Exploit the momentum you generate for positive transformation.
The sky is the limit from here.
Note-Taking Strategy I’m Using for Books:
Although I’m a major advocate for reading, I’ve realized that within weeks (if not less), I often forget the major takeaways from books.
Because of this, I sought out a long-term strategy to assist in retaining information and lessons that I read.
Enter the Tim Ferriss note-taking strategy.
As I was searching, I stumbled upon a YouTube video posted by author and podcaster Tim Ferriss discussing the method of notetaking he uses while reading.
And, if you’re familiar with the name, you know Tim is not only a reading machine but he’s also incredibly sharp in recalling information from the thousands of books he’s read.
Although you can watch the video posted above for a detailed explanation, I’ve used his advice by doing the following:
Highlight/Underline points/topics while reading that I find interesting or applicable.
Use one of the blank pages in the front of the book to start an index, recording the page number and a couple of words to summarize my highlights.
After finishing the book, I return to the index and comb back through what I highlighted to see what still resonates.
I’ll also go back and use my self-made index to pull information for writing blog posts or applying actionable advice to personal training clients.
Of course, the downside of this is that it only works if you own the book.
Don’t make your local librarian throw a book at you!
What else?
I’m back in the Midwest following an awesome trip to Zion National Park and Las Vegas. Even if you consider yourself a beach person, there’s something resetting about a hiking trip – I recommend!
I’ll be publishing a post next week reviewing a very recent research article all about caffeine — stay tuned for it!
Less distractions, more meaningful work.
Buy some Barbell Apparel fitness clothing through my link here!
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DISCLAIMER
- This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.