Productivity: the basics get you 80%

The basics are:

• Have a todo list
• Have "focus sessions" controlled by a timer
  • During focus sessions, don't faff about
  • Have a session to plan your next few sessions a bit
  • State the target for the session before the session starts
  • Do One Thing. DOT that shit.
• Have "recovery sessions" controlled by a timer
  • During recovery sessions, don't use the internet
  • Prefer calming activities, naps included
  • Personally I like reading and laying down
• Schedule your sessions if possible
• Avoid distractions
  • During "focus sessions" don't switch tasks too repeatedly, and don't check your feeds or inboxes. Literally (hyperbole) rots your brain.
  • Stop burning time on social media, YouTube, porn, etc. You spend too much of your energy on that and you don't have enough to focus on the things you do want to do. It fries your brain.
• Remind yourself of your long term goals frequently
  • Have long term goals, otherwise how do you expect to convince yourself to do anything meaningful
  • A lack of purpose is one of the largest determinants of time-wasting activities

Those are the basics.

Tips:

• Start small, start with 15 minute sessions
• Don't overthink it. If you're overthinking you're not focusing on what you should be focused.

Now doesn't that advice just sound a bit simplistic? A bit retarded? A bit elitist maybe? A bit "well if I could do that I would've done it already".

The thing is though, you could just do that, you just haven't. Something else is stopping you, like the idea that it couldn't possibly be that simple. Newsflash: it is.

You know what the problem is, you don't need me to tell you. Solve it. Do it. The hard part is doing it, which is why few people do it.

Try it, it's more fun.