09.10.2023

SUCCESS TECHNIQUES

MORE RESULTS IN LESS TIME

We all know one way to get more done in the day - to spend more time working. However, this approach goes hand in hand with serious drawbacks.

Long hours rob you of time for other things in life, from relationships to hobbies and exercise. They can wear you out, causing a drop in productivity in the long run. Sometimes this approach causes you to lose sight of the bigger picture, distracting yourself from the important tasks that can really move you forward toward your goals.

What entrepreneurs ideally want is not to work more, but to get more work done within the hours they've already put in. There are many people offering ways to do this, but few have as much credibility as James Clear and Google productivity coach Laura May Martin.

Location is more important than you think

James Clear, for those who aren't already familiar with him, is a blogger, productivity guru, and bestselling author of the Atomic Habit. Many entrepreneurs swear that his ideas have transformed their lives. Google needs no introduction, as the company is well known for its data-driven approach to work and highly cited research on workplace topics such as hiring, management and productivity.

So what do both authorities suggest you do if you magically want to get more work done in the same amount of time? Clear explains that achieving this little professional miracle can be as simple as changing where you do your work.

"Let's say you're trying to build a new reading habit," Clear says in his new online lecture. “But whenever you sit down on your couch, you find yourself getting distracted and turning on the TV. The solution isn't to berate yourself or cancel your Netflix subscription, but to create a 'reading zone' in a comfortable corner," he explains.

“You can apply the same kind of philosophy ... to any habit you're trying to build. The more that habit is tied to a specific context, the more it's tied to a special area where you develop it, the more likely that habit is to become long-term," adds Clear.

Another expert recommends creating "hotspots"

Creating a comfortable workspace for admin tasks or a "creativity corner" where you write sounds reasonable and cozy, but can it really affect your productivity? If you're looking for another expert to back up Clear's claim that this simple change can be transformative, then you might want to listen to Laura May Martin, Google's in-house productivity coach.

Martin shared some tips for getting more results with less effort, including one that's almost identical to Clear's. “Our brains make associations with the sights, sounds and smells associated with certain places. "When we regularly do activity in the same place, it makes it easier to 'get in the zone' every time we return to the same place," she says on Google's blog.

You can put this into practice by creating “hot spots” where you always do certain types of work. Create links like, "I always answer customer emails from this coffee shop in my building." And "I'm always reading the news on the porch." "Your brain will associate these activities with places and make switching between tasks easier," she explains.

You can even use the same logic to improve your rest by creating an area (like in the bedroom) where you do nothing but relax.

So if you want to get more done in the same amount of time, the answer may be as simple as a change of scenery. By choosing a specific location for different tasks and sticking to it, you train your brain to go in the right direction faster for that type of work. The end result is more productivity with less effort.