"Atomic Habits," written by James Clear, is a transformative guide to understanding the profound impact of small habits on our daily lives. I wrote about the book in a past post and strongly recommend it to readers interested in becoming more productive. The book unpacks the principles of human behavior and offers practical strategies to be more productive.
The following five infographics were shared by James Clear on the Atomic Habits X account.
Productivity Cheat Sheet
2-Minute Rule
If a task takes less than 2 minutes to complete, do it right away.
5-Second Rule
Count backwards 5-4-3-2-1 and just force yourself to take action. This helps to overcome the initial resistance to starting
Pomodoro Technique
1. Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on one task
2. After the timer rings, take a 5-minute break.
3. Repeat this cycle four times, then take a longer break of 20-30 minutes.
This is based on the idea that frequent breaks improve mental agility and maintain your focus on the task at hand.
1-3-5 rule
At the start of each day, identify: 1 big thing to accomplish, 3 medium things, and 5 small tasks.
80/20 Rule
20% of your efforts give you 80% of the results. So focus on that 20% of super important stuff first. By focusing on high-impact tasks, you can achieve more with less effort.
Break Tasks Into Pieces
You'll feel less overwhelmed and more motivated to tackle each part of the task.
Eat the Frog
Tackle your most challenging task first thing in the morning.
By completing your hardest task early, you build momentum for the rest of the day.
"Not To-Do" List
Identify tasks or activities that are not essential or that can be delegated, and stop doing them.
This frees up time and energy for more important tasks
Eliminate Multitasking
Focus on one task at a time to improve concentration.
Top 4 Productivity Methods Cheat Sheet
Pomodoro Technique
1. Decide on the task to be done.
2. Set the timer for 25 minutes.
3. Work on the task until the timer rings.
4. Take a 5-minute break.
a. That is 1 Pomodoro.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 until you complete four Pomodoros.
6. Take a longer break (15-30 minutes).
7. Go back to step 1 and start a new cycle.
Eisenhower Matrix
List all your tasks and sort them into four categories:
Do: Urgent and important tasks.
Decide: Important but not urgent tasks.
Delegate: Urgent but not important tasks.
Delete: Not urgent/not important tasks.
3-3-3 Method
1. Devote 3 hours to deep work on your most important task.
a. Have defined goals to get done.
2. Complete 3 other urgent, but shorter tasks.
a. Several minutes each like meetings, calls, etc.
3. Do 3 "maintenance" tasks.
a. Cleaning, emails, exercise, journaling, etc.
2 Minute Rule
1. Estimate the time for each of your tasks.
2. If it will take less than 2 minutes, do it right away.
a. Don't postpone it or add it to your to-do list.
3. If it will take more than 2 minutes:
a. Delegate it, defer it, or
b. Break it down into smaller steps that can be done in 2 minutes or less.
Get Your Time Back
The 10-Technique Cheat Sheet for Productivity
Decision-Making: 4 Frameworks to Make Smarter Decisions
The 10/10/10 Rule
Evaluate the consequences of decisions in the short, medium, and long term.
How will you feel about the decision in 10 minutes?
How will you feel about it in 10 months?
How about in 10 years?
The Ben Franklin Method
Named after Benjamin Franklin who famously described the method in a letter, it involves dividing a sheet of paper into two columns (pros and cons).
After listing down points for each side, take a break, then revisit the list to see which points stand out.
The Six Thinking Hats
This method encourages you to approach a decision from six different perspectives. Each
*hat" represents a distinct way of thinking.
⚪ White Hat: Facts and figures.
🔴 Red Hat: Emotions and feelings.
⚫ Black Hat: Cautious and careful view.
🟡 Yellow Hat: Optimism and positive view.
🟢 Green Hat: Creativity and new ideas.
🔵 Blue Hat: Big-picture thinking
Pro Tip
Using the method in group settings can be highly effective: each person adopts a specific hat to provide a focused perspective.
The Ooda Loop
The loop emphasizes quick decision-making in rapidly changing environments.
Observe: Collect current information.
Orient: Analyze the information and set a reference.
Decide: CHoose an action based on the orientation.
Act: Carry out the chosen action.
How to Set Priorities
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