Ep 357: How To Be More Productive TODAY

So Tom says, look, I'm having to stay really long hours during the day at work, and there's just so much to do all of the time. Is there a way I could be more productive where I can get more done in less time? Welcome to the Self Belief Chief podcast. You're here with David Holman. If you haven't done so already, make sure to subscribe to the podcast for the latest research information episodes. We release content all of the time, so make sure to subscribe wherever you listen. And let's begin. So Tom is asking, how can you be more productive? How can you get more done in less time? And I'm a big advocate of showing people how to get more done in less time. We all tend to waste more time. We all complain we don't have enough time, and sometimes things are a bit tight and a bit of a squeeze. But actually we're just not that efficient in the first place. So before complaining there isn't enough time is how can we actually be more efficient? So a number of things that we can do, there's loads, but I'll just mention a couple. So firstly, our brain uses different frequency types for different things that we do. So for example, delta waves. So just to make it really simple, if you go on YouTube, you could listen to music at Delta Wave Music. You just type in delta waves, you'd be able to put it on YouTube and you'd hear a certain frequency. Okay, that's really useful for being in a sleeping state or getting someone to sleep. And gamma is really useful. Gamma waves, again, same thing on YouTube. Just type in gamma waves. You'll be able to hear a certain frequency is really good for enhanced concentration, greater clarity, faster problem solving and effective learning, and actually better memory retention. All things that would allow us to be more productive. So if you've got to be really productive, really simple thing you can do and just test this out for yourself for about 15 minutes before you start something that you need. You know, you need to be productive, go on YouTube, put on some gamma waves and just have that frequency playing. Have something that plays for like an hour or two hours or whatever, about 15 minutes beforehand. And then listen to continue to listen to it as you start. And you'll just notice that your brain's a little bit sharper. You stay in that flow or that zone a bit more easily. You don't get so easily distracted. You're able to think a bit more clearly and you're just sharper and you think calmly, but you move quickly and you get the habit of doing this. Then actually you start to realize how quickly you can move without being in a rush and just to be nice and sharp and nice and accurate. So that's one little thing that you can do. Very simple, that really, you know, every bit of science will show in terms of how you can actually develop sort of more productive habits by using gamma waves. Another simple, I guess, life hack you can use to be more productive is they also have research which suggests that to do lists aren't necessarily the best thing for productivity. Now many of you listening will go, what? I can't live without to do lists. Keeping track of information and having things, you know, written down so you don't forget about them. Sure, that's a good thing. But if you think about it, and this is what research finds is if you think about it, how often do you ever finish a to do list? The answer is never, right? So imagine what it's like every day. You're conditioned to know, I never finish a to do list. So I never finish everything I've got written down or said I would need to get done. Never finish it. So imagine what that does to your self esteem over a period of time where you're in the habit of going, I never really finish what I'm supposed to complete. And imagine what that then does to your energy level and imagine what happens to your level of drive and commitment when you kind of go, I know I'm not going to get it all finished anyway. So there's this sort of compounding effect. But what they find now and what they suggest to more and more people is rather than having a to do list and setting yourself out to try and tick things off or tick as many things off, or try the simplest things at the beginning or anything like that. What they're starting to find is if you simply say, I will commit to do X for Y amount of time, distraction free. So for example, I'll commit to doing this one task for one hour, distraction free, whatever time. Okay. I suggest to anyone, they usually say about 45 minutes, you start to lose focus and concentration. But let's say no more than an hour and then just have a five, a five minute break or just get away from your desk for a moment is do a task for a set amount of time, distraction free. So going back to that gamma wave stuff, really important, just doing things distraction free. And what that does for your self esteem that you do that task, you complete it in that amount of time, distraction free. Sorry. And it's not about completing the task is just committing to doing an amount of time distraction free. If you don't finish the task, no problem. Just can you do work, can you work on something distraction free for a set amount of time? And imagine what that compounding effect is day after day where you keep going. I'm always able to work for an amount of time distraction free that I set myself. That is boosting your self esteem each time that you do that. And then with increased self esteem that you are able to commit to doing something distraction free for amount of time with increased self esteem, you increased energy, increased drive, you think you're capable of doing more. And obviously those things are really helpful for productivity. And before, before you think I'm not sure about this. Here's the beauty of the research around that stuff. The people that do it that way in terms of amount of time distraction free, they test that against people that do to do lists. They find the group committing to do an amount of time distraction free get more done than the people that do to do lists, right? So that should be incentive enough for you. So one, one little thing about those gamma waves and listening to those just to sharpen your mind. And the second thing is change your focus to can I commit to doing, working on something for an amount of time distraction free and getting the habit of just doing that each day. And they actually find you'll get more work done, you will be more productive. So it's two very simple little life hacks to help you with your productivity. If you want to find out more or learn more, you can go to the Self belief website. If you want to become a more productive individual and work with someone, you can apply to work with me and via a link in the description of this episode and you can get a bit more information, a bit more insights there so that we can help you grow. But otherwise, my name is David Holman. If you change today, today will change your life. So enjoy the rest of your day, enjoy the rest of your life and I'll speak to you again.