6 Productivity Habits That Changed My Life

What's up, Graham? It's guys here. So, I would consider myself to be a bit of a productivity nerd. I meticulously schedule every hour of the day. I cut out all distractions. I created to-do lists the night before, and my day does not end until every item on that checklist is complete.

On most accounts, people would say that I'm able to accomplish a lot throughout the day. But despite all of that, something was missing. No matter how much I would watch Matt De Avella trying to find the next big revelation or correct my posture throughout the day, hoping that would lead to more efficient creativity, I would still find myself short on time, falling behind, and desperately trying to catch up in the last hour to avoid the disappointment of realizing that maybe I'm not as productive as I thought.

In reality, this is such a common problem that even a Harvard review found that the most successful business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs wasted an average of 22 hours a week. And that, of course, got me thinking: What would you do if I were able to give you back all of that extra time?

Well, here's my guide to doing exactly that, based not only on my firsthand trial and error experiences but also the exact science and data into why we waste so much time. But before we start, let's not waste any time to smash the like button for the YouTube algorithm. That's all I ask in return if you enjoy this video. Thank you guys so much! Now with that said, let's begin.

So initially, when I started my journey of productivity enlightenment, I started with the basics. I'd created a to-do list the night before, prioritizing each task in order of its importance. In fact, in a study of more than 50 highly paid executives, 49 of them said the best time management system they ever found was a simple pad of paper on which they wrote down everything they had to do before they began.

Now, even though I prefer the digital method of taking notes on my phone, the result is exactly as described. It freed up my mind of intrusive thoughts, and it brought me nearly instantaneous mental relief from thinking about every aspect of the next day. But what's even more interesting is the science behind exactly why this works so well.

Experts estimate that the mind unconsciously thinks between 60,000 and 80,000 thoughts a day. But guess how many of that your mind can consciously fixate on at any given time? Though seriously, just guess. Well, all right, the answer is four. That's it! So, by putting all your thoughts down on paper, you've now freed up valuable space in your head to think through other, more complex topics in its place.

By doing that, you become vastly more efficient. What I quickly realized is that a to-do list is the bare minimum. And just because you have something written down doesn't automatically mean you're going to accomplish it; otherwise, we would all be top-level executives learning Mozart in our spare time.

So instead, I took a look at something else, and I found my biggest roadblock throughout the to-do list was distraction. On the surface, it never appeared to be anything severe. It might be a quick glance at my email, removing some spam, replying back to that text message for a moment, or taking a quick two-minute break on Instagram to clear my mind. But little did I realize just how much that continually set me back, and it was way worse than I thought.

The concern is not so much the time it takes to respond back to a text or check an email. But instead, it's the time it takes to return back to your task with full concentration. Studies have shown that each distraction takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task at hand. And when you begin to recount every single time your attention was diverted for even just a few seconds, add 23 minutes to that, and you'll quickly realize just how much of your day is continually spent trying to catch up.

On top of that, distractions reduce your mind's ability to perform deep work for long stretches of time. Usually, it's this focus that leads to the most rewarding high-quality efficiency, which is ultimately wasted for every notification you hold on.

One sec, hey Mom! Yes, I got my free stock down below in the description. It's worth all the way up to a thousand dollars when I use the code Gram. Okay, I'll mention it to the audience. All right, I love you too!

Anyway, I took this advice and tried implementing it, but it wasn't easy. My phone would still light up with random notifications. My email tab would still show a new message, prompting my curiosity to wonder if it's important. I would also naturally get to the point where sometimes I just wanted a quick YouTube break to clear my mind, and then four hours later, I would get back to work.

So after some trial and error, I found a solution. I deleted the email tab for my browser, I turned my computer on do not disturb, and I keep my phone at a distance where I can't reach it. If I get the urge to check on the stock market just in case something happens, I don't do it.

I think at the core, most of us are worried about missing something important by not checking that latest notification. But I could confidently say there is no emergency coming through your email that can't wait a few hours. Instagram is bad for your health, TikTok is going to show you another elephant toothpaste video, and if you could resist the urge to compulsively check on these things throughout the day, you'll be surprised with how much more control you will have throughout your entire life.

Although alongside that, it's really important to be aware of what's called Parkinson's Law. This is the famous adage that your work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. Or more simply put, the longer you have to get something done, the longer you're gonna take to finish it.

What's even more interesting is that this is not just a saying; it is statistical proof that we, as humans, often create busy work for ourselves to fill the time. For example, even though we formed our society around the standard five-day work week, when New Zealand switched to a four-day work week, they found that not only were their employees happier, but they were also 20% more productive while working eight hours less.

Why, you might ask? Well, when you consider that a recent study found the average employee wastes three hours per eight-hour workday, it makes sense that if you worked one fewer day a week, you would be able to get the exact same amount of work done in less time without falling behind, simply by giving yourself less time to get it done.

I would even go so far as to say that for most nine-to-five employees, if you had the option to leave work as soon as you were done, you would work so efficiently to have your work done as soon as possible, and then you could have the rest of the day to yourself.

Well, Parkinson's Law is pretty much the exact same thing. Instead of giving yourself the entire day to get something done, just give yourself half the time. In theory, that should help you work way more efficiently and get a lot more work done.

But even with all that, sometimes you get stuck in a rut where you know what you should be doing, you don't have any distractions, but for whatever reason, you can't get yourself to do anything. And that's where I've begun to implement what's called the five-minute rule.

All you need to do is immediately start on the task at hand with the expectation of doing it for only five minutes. That's it! But after five minutes, you'll find yourself quickly finishing the entire thing because the most difficult part of starting anything is simply just starting.

The problem is that most of us love to overthink our work. We'll question whether or not it's good enough, if we could realistically finish it in time, or if it's even worthwhile to do in the first place. But all of that mental congestion works against you and creates a barrier from actually getting the work done.

To make matters worse, the more we procrastinate, the more anxious we feel about putting it off and the more urge we have just to never get it done. So, the five-minute rule works to pierce through that inhibition, and once you get started, you'll realize that it was not as difficult as you expected.

One theorist was even quoted as saying that on a moment-to-moment basis, being in the middle of doing the work is usually less painful than being in the middle of procrastinating. From my experience, this is incredibly true! Whatever it is that you're putting off, just try it for five minutes. After that, you're free to walk away, but I have the feeling that once you get it started, you'll be that much more likely to finish it, regardless of how daunting the task is.

From there, it's really important to realize that each of us has our own internal clock that dictates when we get our most efficient work done. If you want to optimize your productivity, you have to work with it and not against it. This is the reason why some people are night owls who prefer to work late, while others prefer to start their day at the crack of dawn.

Over time, your body will naturally change when you feel most motivated, and when you find it, don't let it go. For example, with myself, I find that I have the most energy, concentration, and creativity between the hours of 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., and then again from 8 p.m. until I go to bed.

So instead of working against these hours or trying to be creative during the times that don't work best with me, I've embraced it and just decided that that is when I'm gonna get my best work done. And this is not just bro pseudoscience either; dozens of studies from Harvard to NASA have sought to analyze the circadian rhythm in terms of how it relates to productivity.

Even though many of them report that 75% of people are most mentally alert between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., each of us is different, and it's really important to pay attention to our own levels of motivation throughout the day and then work with it.

Really, at the core, all of this is about achieving a level of focus called the flow state. This, as researchers say, is the optimal level of consciousness where we feel and perform our best. The creator of the term describes it as being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away, time flies, and every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one. Like playing jazz, your whole being is involved, and you're using the skills to the utmost.

I'm sure most of us have experienced this in our lives, where we're so thoroughly involved in a task that we lose track of everything around us. Time seems to fly by, nothing matters, and you're not on drugs. For myself, that happens when I optimize my day, find meaning in my work, and really enjoy what I do.

When all of that comes together, you're gonna find yourself more productive than you ever thought was imaginable. But I gotta say, some productivity enhancements are learned the hard way, and for me, that was outsourcing. Up until about a year ago, I was a one-man operation. I had two YouTube channels, I posted seven days a week, I managed seven rental properties myself, and I still managed to sell real estate as an agent.

But the problem was that mentally I couldn't turn it off. Every waking moment of the day had to be productive, and when I tried to relax, I couldn't. As a result, I neglected anything that wouldn't help me keep that momentum. And when I started to see my own work suffer as a result, I knew things had to change.

It was at that point that I made the decision to outsource the editing in my second channel, The Graham Stefan Show, which suddenly freed up an extra 20 hours a week in my schedule. That allowed me to place a bigger emphasis on this channel while increasing the quality of all the other work that I let fall to the side because I didn't have the time.

Initially, it was extremely nerve-wracking to hand over the reins to somebody else, but in hindsight, it was the best decision I have ever made. Now I've continually tried to find new ways where I could outsource tasks so that I have more time available to focus on what I'm best at.

In fact, at the same time I'm filming this video, I'm teaching my podcast and vlog producer, Alex, how to edit these videos so that way I have more time left over to plan even better topics. What I've learned is that beyond a certain point, you can't do it all yourself. And once you realize that other people are able to learn your craft and then do it better, it opens the door to so many new opportunities that never would have been possible had you not had the time.

And lastly, the most important productivity skill that I have learned is the power of saying no. At a certain point, you need to be really good at prioritizing your obligations throughout the day and turning down the people and projects that don't align with what you could reasonably do.

The fact is, we often tend to overextend ourselves for fear of disappointing others. When that begins to come at the sacrifice of your own time and well-being, that needs to stop. By learning the power of saying no, not only is that going to free up more of your time, but you tend to respect your own boundaries and set the very clear expectation that your time is valuable, and you cannot spend it at your own expense.

Now, don't get me wrong, you don't want to be rude about it or tell people no out of selfishness because you're busy watching the latest season of Survivor. But do respect your time, set clear boundaries, and give people the honest truth, even if it's disappointing to them.

Oh, and one more productivity hack that works really well for me: sit upright and change the scenery anytime you feel stuck or unmotivated. It was found that changing scenery helps break up the monotony and helps boost creativity. So whether that could be working from a new location, sitting outside if the weather is nice, or changing up the office decor, a little change goes a long way.

In between everything I've mentioned here, you're gonna find yourself way more productive. So smash the like button for the YouTube algorithm and subscribe if you have not done that already.

So, with that said, you guys, thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate it. Feel free to also add me on Instagram; I post it pretty much daily. So if you want to be a part of it there, feel free to add me there, as on my second channel, The Graham Stefan Show, I post there every single day I'm not posting here.

So if you want to see a brand new video from me every single day, make sure to add yourself to that. Also, I have a brand new financial app called The Hungry Bullets, also down below in the description. There's a daily newsletter, and we have stock charts and tickers and everything you can imagine right there on the platform. So feel free to try it out, let me know what you think.

Thank you so much for watching, and until next time!