The Craft Guru

Sometimes we all wish we had an extra hour in the day. But perhaps that’s not the problem. How we use our time is just as important as how much time we have. Anne Alexander will tell you How to Increase Your Productivity 25% or More in this article.

By Anne Alexander

Have you ever had a day where you worked like crazy, but by the end of the day you were exhausted and felt like you “didn’t get anything done”? On the other hand, I know you’ve had days when you got so much done, you felt so productive that you amazed yourself.

What was the difference? It wasn’t the amount of time, because you worked the same 8 or 9 hours. It was your energy. So time management is really more about energy management. Imagine finding a way to consistently be twice as productive, like on those great days you’ve had. The good news is that this is entirely achievable.

In their 2003 book, The Power of Full Power of Full Engagement, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz share the analogy of athletes in training. Athletes train hard and then they rest and renew. The authors share research that humans need some form of renewal every 90-120 minutes.

If we work longer than that, we may start to experience symptoms such as getting irritable, yawning, feeling hungry, getting tense, having difficulty concentrating, starting to procrastinate or fantasize, and making more mistakes.

Loehr & Schwartz have found that if you develop specific rituals - highly specific routines that become automatic over time - you can dramatically increase your productivity. For many people a 10-15 minute break mid-morning and mid-afternoon, where they eat a low-calorie, nutrient rich snack (such as nuts or ½ of a protein bar), drink water and take a short walk makes a huge difference. Many people have reported energy and productivity level increases of 25% or more. What could you do with 25% more productivity? You have to book these rituals into your day planner or calendar as a committed appointment with yourself.

I challenge you to experiment with this for two weeks and let me know the difference. It can revolutionize how you feel and how well you perform in every area of your life.

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