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Feeling like time is slipping through your fingers, with no real concept of where it\u2019s gone? It sounds like you\u2019re in need of our productivity hacks. It\u2019s time to take back control!<\/em><\/p>\n Previously, we wrote an article on how to make 2025 your most productive year yet<\/a>. If you haven\u2019t read it yet and printed out the PDF for your wall, then go and do that now \u2014 there\u2019s still time to set yourself some New Year\u2019s resolutions. If you did read it and you set yourself New Year\u2019s resolutions about timekeeping, how\u2019s that going?<\/p>\n Like many people, after the first week and the initial motivation has passed, you\u2019re probably starting to falter on those things that you were \u201cdefinitely, really going to do this year, honest.\u201d So we thought we\u2019d give you a little help and motivation by putting together this piece on hacks to make yourself the Terminator of productivity: an unstoppable machine who is going to dominate 2025 and make it yours.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n TOC<\/p>\n I used to say really proudly that I could remember everything, and there was no need to write it down. Then, after reading David Allen\u2019s book called Getting Things Done<\/a><\/em>, I realized that\u2019s not something to be proud of. Just because I can<\/em> remember everything, doesn\u2019t mean I should. Whether your style is being high tech and speaking into your Apple watch: \u201chey Siri, remind me to take the trash out tonight at 8 p.m.\u201d or writing on a post it note \u201ctrash!\u201d and sticking it by the door, your brain will be thankful for the extra space.<\/p>\n The same goes for the little things you don\u2019t even realise are cluttering up your brain. Move all your passwords to a password manager<\/a> and out of your brain. They\u2019ll be safer there too. Store your numbers, addresses, and crucial information about your business contacts in your phone \u2014 that\u2019s what the address book is there for! Spend a few weeks being conscious of the thoughts in your brain that don\u2019t need to be there, and start emptying your brain into external lists and apps. You\u2019ll be shocked at how much more productive it makes you.<\/p>\n If you find that you\u2019re getting caught up in minute details, ask yourself what you\u2019re avoiding. It could be that you\u2019re focusing on the details because it makes you feel productive; meanwhile, you\u2019re not dealing with the issue at hand \u2014 which is something where you\u2019re experiencing resistance. Let me give you an example: a common mistake made by many entrepreneurs just starting out is to focus on things like their logo, their website, their business cards, or cutesy little details\u2026 rather than actually going out and getting themselves clients or business. Guilty? Don\u2019t worry, I am too.<\/p>\n Why is this so common, though? One simple word: fear. Focusing on the details means that you can avoid taking the path of resistance<\/a>, which is resistant because it forces you to come face to face with the \u2018what ifs\u2019. \u201cWhat if no one like my idea\/service\/product?\u201d Something all entrepreneurs learn is that there will always be conflict on the road to success; the sooner you come into contact with that, and stop distracting yourself with excuses, the better.<\/p>\n What do Elon Musk and Tim Ferriss have in common? They\u2019re both in control of their inboxes. Elon Musk schedules half an hour at the start of each day to go through his crucial emails, avoiding the clutter of time-wasting ones. Tim Ferriss approached things a different way. He analysed his inbox to work out his busy hours then scheduled his email time around that. If you\u2019re not sure where to start when it comes to taking control of your inbox, then you can find his method here<\/a>.<\/p>\n What will scheduling emails do for your productivity, though? Well, it means that you can remove the email notifications from your phone, for a start. In fact, you should remove all notifications from your phone or put it on do not disturb mode while you\u2019re working. A moment of broken focus results in a far longer moment to regain it. You\u2019ll find that you\u2019re much<\/em> more productive when you\u2019re not constantly glancing at your phone.<\/p>\n I love lists. But I didn\u2019t always. In fact, they were a source of great resistance to me for years. Or I would make them and promptly lose them \u2014 finding them floating around amid crumbs and dust at the bottom of my bag months later. It took becoming a gadget lover to become a list lover, because I was removing the resistance of requiring a pen, a paper, and free hands. There was no longer any resistance to use as an excuse for not making lists. I\u2019m that weird person who speaks into my smart watch or phone as a thought pops into my head, adding something to a list on OmniFocus<\/a><\/em> \u2014 whether it\u2019s something I need to buy, something I need to do, an email I need to send, or just an idea. The amount of time this has saved me is worth its weight in fancy gadgets.<\/p>\n If you found the last point underwhelming or thought \u2018but I do that already!\u2019, then it\u2019s time to upgrade your listing skills. Use the Eisenhower Matrix<\/a>, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, to make sure you stay on track. Sorting out which tasks are urgent, which are important, which need to be delegated, and which can be completely forgotten, means that your lists can become far more efficient and less overwhelming than they might otherwise be. They\u2019ll also help you stay on focus in order to not get caught up in the details. When you\u2019re sorting things by how important they are, you no longer have the option of focusing on the trivial.<\/p>\n A simple, but not so enjoyable way of regaining lost time is by analysing your day, every day, without fail. By using a time tracking app, like Timing<\/a><\/em>, which tracks all<\/em> your activity, not just your work activity, and being completely honest about where you got off track, you can slowly but surely eliminate time-wasters from your day.<\/p>\n Timing<\/a><\/em> also offers you the option to review your day the following morning, so you could even start your day by reviewing the previous day. If you lost time on Facebook, through distractions, or by doing non-essential things, then it will show up on your timesheets. Make sure you\u2019re also using the productivity tracker tool to make sure you\u2019re being as productive as possible and ensuring that your activities are correctly ranked for how productive you consider each to be. If you\u2019re not too sure how to review your day, you can find a guide here<\/a>.<\/p>\nTable of Contents<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n1. Empty Your Brain of Everything Superfluous<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/blog-images\/productivity-hacks\/2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. Don\u2019t Get Caught Up in the Details<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/blog-images\/productivity-hacks\/3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. Remove Notifications From Your Phone, and Schedule Email Time<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/blog-images\/productivity-hacks\/4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4. Make Lists (They\u2019re Pretty Great)<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/blog-images\/productivity-hacks\/5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. Now Turbocharge Your Lists<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n6. Review Your Day to Find Your Inefficient Snags<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n7. Do it Now, or Schedule it For Later<\/h2>\n