I Read 50+ Productivity Books in 7 Years — Here Are the Most Life-Changing Lessons

The two-minute rule. The two-minute rule

states that if a task takes less than 2

minutes to complete, you should do it

immediately. Don't touch it twice. This

rule states that once you start a task,

you should complete it and not leave it

halfway. Starting and stopping a task

can increase the completion time by five

times. Rule of 72. Never make a decision

when you are hungry, angry, tired, or

lonely. Wait at least 72 hours. Daily

highlight. Setting a daily highlight

means choosing one main task for each

day that you prioritize and commit to

completing no matter what. [music] Ask

yourself, what is the one thing I want

to accomplish today? And what will make

this day feel successful or fulfilling?

If it's not a hell yes, then it's a hell

no. This rule says that if you are not

really excited about something, then you

shouldn't do it. For example, if

somebody invites you somewhere or

suggests something and your first

reaction is not a hell yes, then it's a

hell no. You shouldn't do it. Ask who,

not how. When we have a task or a new

idea, we automatically ask ourselves,

how can I do it? And then start working

on it. This is wrong. Instead, ask

yourself, who can do this for me? Asking

who instead of how saves time, taps into

other people's expertise, and lets you

focus on what you're best at.

Procrastination is wisdom. Pay attention

to the tasks or goals you procrastinate

the most. Procrastination is wisdom.

It's an internal signal telling you that

you need help. It's a signal telling you

that you should delegate the task. Ask

yourself, who can do this for me? The

9091 rule. For the next 90 days, spend

the first 90 minutes of your day on one

task that will help you achieve your

goals. This rule forces you to be

consistent and focused on your most

important goal during your peak

productive hours. The 12week year rule.

According to 12-week year rule, people

waste so much time by setting annual

goals. Instead, it suggests aiming to

achieve your 12-month goals in 12 weeks.

This creates urgency and improves

execution. Even if you fail in the first

12 weeks, you still have three more

attempts by the end of the year.

Biological prime time. Biological prime

time refers to identifying the time of

day when you are most energized and

productive and doing your most important

task during that time. 80% rule. You can

get 80% of the project done quickly.

From 0 to 80% is usually easy. From 80%

to 90% is very difficult. From 90% to

100% is extremely hard. So, what does

that mean for you? It means you should

get feedback at 80% instead of trying to

make it perfect before you send it for

feedback. This can prevent you from

working on things that aren't even

needed. Eat the frog first. Eat the Frog

is a method where you tackle the most

significant and challenging task first

thing in the morning. It's based on the

idea that completing the most

significant task gives you the momentum

and energy to accomplish more throughout

the day. Parkinson's law. Parkinson's

law states that work expands to fill the

time available for its completion. If

you give yourself four hours to complete

a task, it'll take four hours. If you

give yourself a full day, it'll take a

full day. Set shorter deadlines to

increase productivity. The 80/20 rule.

The 8020 rule says that 80% of your

results come from 20% of your

activities. If you have 10 tasks right

now on your to-do list, two of them will

bring you more results than the

remaining eight tasks combined. Identify

those two tasks and focus on them. The

ABCDE method. The ABCDE method is a

priority setting technique that involves

listing your tasks and then ranking them

from A most important to E least

important and tackling them in that

order. Time auditing. Time auditing

involves keeping a detailed record of

your daily activities. This method helps

you understand how you spend your time

and identify areas where you can improve

efficiency. Don't break the chain. This

method involves choosing a task or habit

you want to build and then marking it on

the calendar each day you complete it.

After a while, each marked day on the

calendar will create a chain. The goal

is never to break that chain.

The energy management energy management

is more important than time management.

If you've read a book for 10 minutes but

remembered nothing at the end, then you

know what I mean. Keep your energy high

by getting enough sleep, exercising

regularly, and taking time off from

work. The zygarnic effect. The zygarnic

effect is based on the principle that

uncompleted tasks stay in our minds

until it is completed. To utilize this,

start a task and then take a break.

While you're doing something else, your

subconscious mind will continue working

on it and present a creative solution

out of nowhere. Warning, avoid leaving

little administrative tasks unfinished.

They will waste so much brain energy.

Pomodoro technique. The Pomodoro

technique says that we lose focus on

average after 25 minutes. That's why you

should work on one task for 25 minutes

and then take a 5-minute break to

recharge. Repeat this cycle for four

times and then take a 30 minute long

break. Then repeat the cycle again. 25

minutes work, 5 minutes rest. Batch

processing. Batch processing means

grouping similar tasks and doing them

together. Every task has a startup time,

the period it takes to get everything

ready and find your focus. When you

[music] batch similar tasks together,

you only have to go through this process

once. Salami slice method. This method

involves breaking down overwhelming

tasks into smaller slices and then

committing to work on only one slice.

Once you complete one slice, you will

often be motivated to do more. This

technique is especially great for tasks

that you procrastinate on. Outcome

visualization. Spending time visualizing

the desired outcome of your goals.

[music] This technique helps in

maintaining motivation and clarity about

what you're working towards. Warren

Buffett strategy often referred to as

255 rule. Write down your top 25 career

goals, then circle the top five and

focus only on them. Avoid the remaining

20 at all costs until the top five are

accomplished. This method ensures focus

on your most critical goals. The

Feainman technique. Enhance your

understanding of concepts by studying as

if you have to teach them to somebody

else. Explaining complex ideas in simple

terms ensures deep understanding and

clarity. The five W's technique.

Whenever a problem arises, ask why five

times to get to the root cause.

Understanding the core issue can prevent

recurring problems and save time in the

long run. The habit stacking method.

Develop new habits by stacking them onto

existing habits. For example, after

brushing your teeth, existing habit,

immediately do a new habit you want to

form. This makes it easier to build new

routines. Rest and sleep. Sleep [music]

is the single most productive thing you

can do in a day. Adequate rest can

significantly improve your brain

function and productivity. Quality time

over quantity time. This applies to

family and relationships, especially

when it comes to spending time with your

kids. It's not about the total hours

spent together, but the quality of those

hours. Say no often. Every yes to one

thing is a no to another thing. You

can't be everywhere and you can't be

doing everything. Saying yes to a

friend's invitation means saying no to

your child. Work in blocks. Manage your

day by dividing it into three parts.

Block number one, strategic block. Spend

at least 3 hours on the most important

tasks without interruptions. Block

number two, buffer block for small tasks

like emails or calls. Block number

three, breakout block to rest and

recovery. Theme your days. Theing your

days simply means focusing on one

activity each day and nothing else. For

example, doing all administrative tasks

on Mondays or meeting only clients on

Fridays. Decision fatigue. Minimize the

number of decisions you need to make

each day like what to wear or what to

eat. This saves your mental energy for

more important decisions and tasks. The

power of routine. Establish a daily

routine for all aspects of your life.

Have you ever dieted and exercised the

whole week, but ended up ruining it

during the weekend? This happened

because we usually don't have a fixed

routine for the weekends. A consistent

routine can help to build good habits

and reduce the need for willpower.

Digital detox. Periodically disconnect

from digital devices to reduce

distractions and mental clutter. This

can help you recharge and focus better

when you return to work. Respect your

future self. Make choices that your

future self will thank you for. Before

making a decision, ask yourself if it

will help your future self or not. If

not, don't do it. The spotlight effect.

Understand that people are not noticing

or judging your every move. Just relax

and do your thing. This realization can

reduce anxiety and free you up to focus

more on your tasks and less on other

people's opinions.

The Ulisses Pact. Make a choice in the

present that forces you to perform a

certain action in the future, like

deleting Tik Tok from your phone or

setting up an automatic savings system

that deducts money from your main

account every month and puts it into a

savings account. Plan your weeks before

the week begins. Plan how you will use

your 168 hours. Ensure that your plan

aligns with your long-term goals and

priorities. Always carry a notebook with

you. Your subconscious mind is always

working in the background to find a

solution to your problems. You never

know when the solution will present

itself. Solutions that come from the

subconscious are the best solutions and

they come in the least expected moment.

Carry a notebook to capture them. I've

covered most of these techniques in

detail in my long form videos. If

interested, we'll put a playlist on the

screen. Thanks for watching.