How To Achieve More Every Day Without Needing To Sacrifice Sleep
4 research backed tips to increase productivity and get more done
Getting more done everyday doesn't require losing sleep.
This is the fifth entry in a 6-part mini-series on how to adopt a long-term money mindset.
In part one, I highlighted the many benefits of thinking in the long run and reviewed research on five traits found to help people adopt this mindset:
Confidence about the future.
Tendency to plan ahead.
Consistency in carrying out plans.
Completing tasks.
General thinking about future possibilities.
In this series, we're taking a deep dive into each trait, and today we are discussing how to complete more tasks—without working yourself into the ground.
4 research tips to getting more done based on the research
#1—Prioritize difficult tasks with big rewards
A common line of thinking—and one that I held before reading the research—is that the best way to be productive is to prioritize small tasks that you can get done quicky.
Focusing on the quick, easy tasks is particularly tempting when you're swamped.
While that will boost your short-term productivity, it can actually reduce your long-term productivity—and the entire point of this mini-series is to start thinking in the long-term. Constantly choosing easier tasks can stunt your growth and hurt your performance over time. It's like always choosing the easy level in a video game; you'll have fun, but you won't really improve your skills.
Research from a 2021 paper titled "Deriving Mental Energy From Task Completion" suggests that tackling your most difficult tasks first, could actually give you a larger mental boost once completed, than an easier task—provided the difficult task comes with a larger reward.
This is because completing something challenging, especially when it turns out to be harder than you originally thought, gives you a sense of accomplishment and replenishes your mental energy, making you ready to take on more.
#2—Prioritize Tasks Based on Urgency and Importance
Think of your to-do list as a set of priorities, not just tasks.
A 2010 study titled "Things to Do Today" found that focusing on what needs immediate attention (urgency) and what will have the most significant impact (importance) can significantly improve how well you complete tasks day-to-day.
It's like deciding to pay a bill that's due tomorrow over organizing your desk. The former directly affects your well-being, making it both urgent and important.
Prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance can help you avoid very painful financial mistakes like forgetting to pay your credit card bill on time. It can also go a long way to reducing the avoidable stress of always feeling like deadlines are constantly closing in on you.