Consistently Accomplish More in 90 Minutes Than You Thought Possible

Consistently Accomplish More in 90 Minutes Than You Thought Possible

This productivity hack came from Matthew Encina who learned it from Dr. Sahar Yousef, a cognitive neuroscientist, and lecturer at the Haas School of Business.

Last week we talked about how to stay laser-focused on the big picture stuff in your business in order to move the needle on growth.

But is it possible to metaphorically mimic Barry Allen (a.k.a. Flash) when it comes to getting more done in less time?

Yes!

How you ask?

Focus Sprints

Brains are the machines that drive our ideas and creativity.

But, like every good thing in life, there are antagonists that will keep us from doing amazing things. 

When it comes to creating and achieving, distractions are the enemy. 

We have one idea to share with you to regain productive time and generate high levels of output.

What are Focus Sprints?

Focus sprints are 90 minutes of uninterrupted, distraction-free, concentrated work.

The goal of focus sprints is to achieve sustainable maximum performance so you can accomplish your core priorities. This happens when your body and brain are working cooperatively together.

Here’s what a focus sprint looks like.

A Break-down of Focus Sprints

1. Turn off all distractions. Close your doors, turn off your notifications, close unnecessary tabs on your computer, and put items out of sight that could distract you. The objective is to prepare your environment to get laser focused.

2. Assign a goal. During your sprint period, determine what you want to accomplish. Be realistic in deciding on a goal you’d like to accomplish by the end of the sprint.

3. Break down the goal into subtasks. When you break down a goal into smaller tasks it provides clarity to your mind, direction, and a logical flow or pattern to work from. It takes the guesswork out of deciding where to start and what to do next. 

4. Set your timer for 90 minutes. This is the step where you get ‘er done (like validating an idea without breaking the bank). Some people work amazingly well under deadlines or when a task is gamified, meaning injected with some fun. Forcing yourself to complete tasks within a limited amount of time does both—it holds you accountable AND you can challenge yourself to see how much you can get done or to break a previous record.

5. Rest for 20 minutes. Your brain needs to have downtime to replenish before starting the process again. There are different ways you can accomplish this: 

• Shut off all stimulation
• Go for a walk outside
• Close your eyes for a few minutes (but don’t sleep!)
• Stare at something green (which has been proven to have a calming effect)

6. Repeat. Go through as many of these focus sprints in a day as you can to boost your productivity.

The Best Time to Schedule Focus Sprints

When are you most creative?

For some, it’s before the sunrise—you know, those 3 AMers that have worked out, showered, had breakfast, and pumped out a bunch of work before 7 AM?

For others, it’s long after the sun has set—their creative juices start flowing around 11 AM or midnight. They’re heading to bed long after our 3 AM folks.

Whatever time of day your creative juices are abundant is the best time for you to schedule your focus sprints. 

Get More Done in Less Time

As you implement the strategy of focus sprints into your workday, it’s possible to accomplish in 90 minutes what would have taken you three to four hours previously.

So, what sorts of amazing things are you going to accomplish in your biz? 

Based on an excerpt from our BIZ/DEV podcast, Episode 42.