Ever struggled to complete your to-do list for the day? Whether that’s at work, school, or at home, it can often feel like the day isn’t long enough to complete all tasks we need to do. Especially when going back to the office or school from summer break, adjusting back to a busy schedule and being productive can be difficult. Our Chief Impact Officer, Hannah Phang, shares her top three productivity methods below that can help you stay productive and focused.
Time blocking
This is one of the most well known time management methods for productivity, often used in professional settings, but can also be implemented outside of work or school. As the name suggests, time blocking is dividing the day into specific time blocks, where each block is dedicated to a specific task. This gives more structure to the day and allows for an organised schedule that is detailed and prioritises important tasks.
There are 5 main types of time blocking, including:
Traditional Time Blocking
Plan your schedule ahead by allocating specific time blocks for each task
Timeboxing
Set a specific time period to complete a task
Time theming
Choose specific categories and devote different time blocks for each category
Batching
Group similar tasks together and complete them in one dedicated time slot
Energy management
Schedule your day according to energy levels, optimising productivity whether you’re a morning or afternoon person
Pomodoro
Similar to timeboxing, the Pomodoro method is a time management tool , made of varying processes, where tasks are completed during a specific time period. This method was developed by CEO of software development company, Francesco Cirillo, when he was a university student in the 1980s. As a student, he wanted to find a way to complete more tasks in less time, which is why time management is a key goal of this technique. Aside from time management and productivity, it also enhances focus and concentration, communication in a team, and adaptability to complete various tasks efficiently.
The most popular process is the Pomodoro Core Process, made to learn how to focus on tasks. As it’s a method that repeats in a cycle, it will help build productivity as you learn to focus and complete the task. Here are the steps for this process:
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Choose a task to complete
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Set a timer to 25 minutes
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Work on the task until the timer rings
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Take a short break, starting with 5 minutes
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After four Pomodoros (25 minute sessions), take a longer break
Four Laws of Behaviour Change
Building positive habits that make you work more efficiently can be hard, especially when there are bad habits prohibiting us from being productive. In the book Atomic Habits written by James Clear, there is a famous framework called the Four Laws of Behaviour Change, which is the process of building a habit or breaking one.
The process is divided into four steps: Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward — collectively known as the "habit loop", to create automatic habits and eliminate bad ones. Below are the cycles for creating a good habit and breaking a bad one.
How to create a good habit
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Cue: Make it obvious
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Craving: Make it attractive
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Response: Make it easy
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Reward: Make it satisfying
How to break a bad habit
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Cue: Make it invisible
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Craving: Make it unattractive
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Response: Make it difficult
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Reward: Make it unsatisfying
By following these steps, you can break bad habits that hinder your progress, such as procrastination or endless scrolling on social media. It also encourages you to incorporate the methods above into your daily routine, turning them into productive, long-lasting habits.
We’ve shared three of our top methods to help you stay productive, including time blocks, Pomodoro, and Four Laws of Behaviour Change. Sometimes, you may need an extra booster of sustained focus and productivity, which you can find by taking 2 capsules of Flow State Mushrooms.