Strategies to create weeks of ‘free time’
If you're in a knowledge-based role, improving your productivity is essential for career growth. Here are three strategies that can help you reclaim at least two weeks of time over the course of a year.
1. Reduce distractions
Distractions in the workplace pose a significant obstacle to getting things done. Studies reveal that up to 70% of office workers feel distracted, with the average employee experiencing as many as 56 disruptions per day.
Best selling author Nir Eyal in his book Iindistratible says, distractions are choices we make—that divert us from achieving what truely matters. Recognising this empowers you to become 'indistractible' by taking proactive steps to prevent distractions from stealing your valuable time.
Nir identifies two main causes of distraction:
Internal triggers: These are feelings and thoughts that generate discomfort, such as boredom, stress, anxiety, or fatigue. They prompt us to seek relief by shifting our focus away from our current tasks.
External triggers: These are cues in our environment, like interruptions from colleagues, phone calls, and technology alerts, that divert our attention and disrupt our flow.
Research indicates that 90% of distractions stem from internal triggers. Becoming aware of your own triggers and the types of external distractions you regularly encounter empowers you to intervene and prevent future distractions.
Gloria Mark, a professor at the University of California, found that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain focus on a task after being interrupted. When considering the time spent pursuing the distraction in addition to the time to refocus, frequent distractions can accumulate to weeks of lost time and productivity each year.
Nir has dozens of practical tips and techniques to manage both internal and external triggers that cause distraction. Here are two I have found particularly helpful.
Timeboxing
Adapted from Agile project methodology, timeboxing involves allocating specific blocks of time for tasks and strictly adhering to them. This disciplined approach minimises distractions and enhances focus, ultimately boosting productivity. Timeboxing has been ranked as the most useful productivity hack in a Harvard Business Review study of 100 productivity techniques. Elon Musk, known for his productivity, utilises timeboxing to stay focused.
To implement timeboxing effectively:
Determine your priorities: List and rank your daily priorities from highest to lowest
Schedule your work: Allocate dedicated time blocks in your calendar for completing tasks that align to your priorities, starting with the highest
Make it a habit: hold yourself accountable for sticking to the timeblocks and review progress regularly to see where you can improve
I've incorporated insights from Cal Newport's book 'Deep Work' into my version of timeboxing. By distinguishing between Deep Work and Shallow Work, you can allocate specific time for focused, distraction-free concentration on tasks that require your cognitive capabilities to their fullest. This approach involves colour coding your diary to identify periods of Deep Work and taking proactive measures, such as moving to a quiet room and turning off alerts and noises, to minimize the risk of distraction.
10-minute rule
Ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media or getting lost in a sea of news articles when you only wanted to be distracted for a minute or two?
The 10-Minute Rule can be your secret weapon. Instead of succumbing to distractions immediately, consciously wait for 10 minutes before acting on the urge. Research shows that 90% of the time, the distraction urge will fade away after those crucial minutes. Uncomfortable emotions are temporary, and you can ride the wave to regain focus and productivity.
2. Eliminate unproductive meetings
Meetings can be both valuable and time-consuming. For professionals in corporate roles, meetings can consume roughly of 50% of each week. If you feel trapped in unproductive gatherings, it's time to take charge. A study by Atlassian found an average of 31 hours per month is wasted in unproductive meetings. That's nearly one full day every week!
Start implementing these three golden rules to eliminate unproductive meetings:
No agenda, no meeting, no exceptions: Insist on having a clear agenda that outlines the purpose, topics, decisions, duration, and key participants. It's essential for productive meetings.
Meetings are a "HELL YES" or No: Only attend or schedule meetings that are absolutely essential. If the same information can be conveyed through email or a quick call, opt for that efficient route.
Value your time like a CEO: Assess the value you bring to a meeting and leave once your contributions have been made. Communicate your intention politely and save yourself from unnecessary time drains. Remember, your time is valuable!
3. Speed up your reading
Corporate professionals spend an average of 2-4 hours reading every day. For most of us, we stopped learning how to read in fourth or fifth grade primary school.
Did you know you can boost your reading speed with simple techniques? On average, adults read between 150 and 250 words per minute. Former US president John F Kennedy was reported as being able to read at 1,200 words a minute. By learning to read faster, you can save a significant amount of time each day.
Jim Kwik, a global learning and speed-reading expert taught himself how to read faster after a childhood brain injury forced him to relearn how to read to keep up with classwork. In his book Limitless, Jim includes the following technique that can help you double your reading speed with surprisingly little practice:
Visual Pacing: Break the old habit and use your finger to guide your reading. To practice this technique, run your finger underneath each row of words like you are drawing a line across the page as you read. Do this for four minutes. Mark where you got to at the end of the four minutes. Then do it again and set a timer for three minutes and try and read the same number of words in that time. Once you get comfortable reading the same number of words in three minutes, reduce it to two minutes. This technique keeps your focus sharp, prevents wandering thoughts, and can double your reading speed.
This article is around 1,500 words…how long did it take you to read? Less than 3 minutes and you are a speed reading rock star, any longer and you have an opportunity to improve and create more time to get projects done.
If you save as little as two hours a week by using these strategies, over the course of a year that will create over two weeks of ‘free time’.