Measuring routines, building systems, and achieving goals.
Written by: Wonder
Edited By: Peace & Ensign-D
Image Designed By: Purpose
Have you felt discontent from an unproductive day?
Could you pinpoint habits that left you directionless? Habits that, if changed, could boost your productivity?
Instead of having a good day, why not hack a great day?
You can with data collection!
Step into Sheets
Before we analyze and hack our productivity, we need to understand its definition.
Leo claims that productivity can address more than “work”. Apply it to anything! Cooking a meal, hanging out with friends and family, cleaning up, reading a book, going for a walk, watching a documentary, or even resting. He defines productivity as tackling what is important. Making the most of every day.
How do we hack our productivity? We collect our own data. Writing down day-to-day details. “Numbers don’t lie,” Leo says. Scribble it with a “just the facts, ma’am,” attitude. No commentary, bias or baloney. I woke up at blank o’clock. I worked from blank to blank. I went to bed at blank o’clock. You can replace the “I” with “this person” to further distance yourself from the data. Our ego may protest, saying “I can’t record that I slept super late.” Write it down. Do it. Cut off your ego. The data must be consistent.
“Numbers don’t lie.”
We need a time frame for collecting these data points. Let’s say we’re tracking our daily habits for a month. Afterward, you can measure your productivity with concrete results. Determine a conscious, positive change to your schedule. Watch how it forms a symbiotic connection with your productivity. Examining where we spend our time and energy will showcase our patterns. Look for correlations between failures and successes, and treat it like a science experiment. This is not about our deficiencies; it’s an opportunity to rewrite our brain.
At the end of the day’s data
“Hold on,” you may be thinking “We’re supposed to write our bedtimes?” Not exactly. It’s up to you how you define your collection points. To start do a little collecting, and then progressively add more data to your findings. How much you’ve exercised, used your cellphone, drank water, read books, talked to friends, anything! Granted, if your work/life schedule is already balanced you don’t have to do this (you perfect unicorn-blooded star child). But if you haven’t then yes – do it. Collecting the data, changing your behavior, adding new habits and eliminating others, can lead to a better/healthier/happier you.
Collect your data without ego. Any subjective commentary can impede your assessment. For this to work, you need a spreadsheet that reflects statistics. Build a table that doesn’t include an opportunity for feedback. Numbers only. Hard facts. Firm information.
- What are you measuring?
- Start timing.
- Do the thing.
- Stop the clock.
- Be consistent.
- Eliminate guesswork by filling out your chart IN the moment.
It only takes thirty seconds. Maybe a minute tops.
Adding it all up
Once your habits are historically archived, find the meaning in the numbers.
Read between the lines. What is the cause and effect of each task? Where did alterations make a negative or positive impact? Make changes to reduce deficiencies and sustain efficiencies.
When Leo got up early, he noticed his productivity increased. Despite getting less than his coveted 8 hours of sleep. When he modified the time he worked out, it improved his productivity. When he went to bed, at the same time each night, he felt an overwhelming wave of satisfaction.
Being productive, knowing the patterns of your behaviour, and improving yourself creates purpose. And there’s no better feeling than waking up with purpose and going to bed content.
That’s how you hack a good day.