How to Be More Productive | Christine vs. Labor

0:01This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. Propel Fitness Water with Gatorade electrolytes, zero sugar and vitamins. Propel hydrates better than water to help you get the most out of your workout and get back to your best self.

0:37What propels you? Propel with Gatorade electrolytes. Being productive is hard. Even the best laid plans go out the window. If I'm clicking on, I don't know, like something that happened in the news or even YouTube, my cat, video games. What else do I do? You just want to feel good, to feel accomplished, to get your work done. I want to get better at this. I don't know, is there something better out there? I wanted to try a variety of popular productivity methods, including one a friend recommended and another that I've read about in the news. And then one that's just the classic. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?

1:15The first one you might have heard of, it's called the Pomodoro Technique. Pomodoro is, I believe, Italian for tomato. So what is this magic trick? And it's like a timer and that's kind of it. Well, number one, choose a task you'd like to get done, something big, something small, something that deserves your full attention. Okay. Two, set the Pomodoro so it's like a literal real timer for 25 minutes. Make a small oath and will not be interrupted. I can do it. It's just 25 minutes. I love that pep talk is like built in. Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, Breathe, meditate, grab a cup of coffee, go for a short walk.

1:54Your brain will thank you later. Okay. Your brain will use this time to assimilate new information and rest before the next round of Pomodoros. Once you've completed four Pomodoros, you can take a longer break. 20 minutes is good, or 30. This is what I think. It's like breaking stuff up into manageable pieces, but then if you really think about it, it kind of goes on forever. For me, it makes sense to think about Pomodoro as an approach to a real meaty task that you really have a hard time motivating yourself. So it's just like, all right, worst case scenario, I'm going to spend 25 minutes on this and then, you know, see how far I get.

2:37But for like normal, everyday kind of worky things, like I understand like focusing on this task, but it just seems a little impractical to apply it like to everything, at least for me.

2:54Welcome to Cave Day, the world's most focused community. Okay, so the next method I found that I want to try wholesale is called Cave Day. Basically, Cave Day is essentially a group Zoom call. Inhale. Kind of like, you know, this startup-y. It's very branded. It says, positive peer pressure to get your done. You have like a facilitator or coach, a trained cave guide. Everyone is here with the same intention, which is to monotask, one task at a time. What's your work on today? And what's one thing you're committing to leaving outside the cave? Hi, I'm Christine, right outside of Boston. And I'm going to focus on putting together a couple slides for a meeting that's coming up and then I'm gonna leave out Slack notifications, email, and my phone.

3:44I want to believe it, but like really what's under the surface, like why is this a method? Three, high five on the camera and we'll get going. Here we go. One, two, three. Good luck. See you soon. Cave day, I wanted to make fun of it real bad. I don't know why, but it might be partially I miss people and I miss like meeting new people in the wild. But I also liked that there was a coach and someone who was professionally a facilitator. It actually was really, I found it pretty effective. I used it and I recommended it to people. I also love group fitness classes like boot camp and, you know, feeling that group energy.

4:28So I think that's part of it. You know that working at home can be hard. Focusmate eliminates procrastination by providing you with a lie. Pure Accountability Partner anytime for a 50-minute working time. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome.

5:02Check responses set up required. Compatibility and availability varies 18+. Propel Fitness Water with Gatorade electrolytes, zero sugar, and vitamins. Propel hydrates better than water to help you get the most out of your workout and get back to your best self. What propels you? Propel with Gatorade electrolytes. Session over video. So I found this other system called Focusmate. The whole idea is you sign up and then essentially you have a meeting with the stranger. So you have basically a call, a video call, you say hi to each other, good luck, and then you literally have your screen of them to the side and then you have your other window open to whatever you're working on.

5:46It's not supposed to be social as it is like kind of ambiently social. After you're done, you just sort of like say bye, and hopefully you got a lot done in that hour. Well, thanks for your time, Dave. I appreciate it. All right, cheers. Having the person on the screen is part of the experience by design, but I did find myself like always looking to them. It wasn't ideal for staying on task and staying non-distracted. After that entire experience, which was super fun, I had so many questions. I'm like, how much are these like the same thing, just cores wrapped in different dressings? Or are they actually like different schools of thought?

6:29Like, are there universal principles to this whole productivity thing? I wanted to talk to an expert to get down and dissect it. I think it begins and ends with intention, right? Like at the end of the day, did you accomplish what you set out to do? If you do, I think you're perfectly productive. This is Chris Bailey. He's been studying productivity for most of his career, and he's found a lot of tips that have helped people along the way. So I told Chris all about my experience taste testing and test driving these productivity methods, and to see what he thought. Of all of them, I really liked Cave Day.

7:08Does that say anything about me? I think people are the most underrated part of productivity. It adds that instant accountability, first of all, makes it less boring, far more structured. It's still difficult, but you feel like you're with somebody, especially right now when so many of us are working from home. It's great. That really resonates with me because I love having that social aspect. It really keeps me focused. It seems like some of his best advice is also the most basic. Like at the start of the day, fast forward to the end of the day and think, okay, what three main things will I want to have accomplished by the day's end?

7:46And it forces you to think, wait, so I can't do all 20? I have to pick just three? How can I do it? But it makes you. When was I the most productive? Did I work out in the morning? Did I meditate? Did I sleep? By God, sleep. You know, sometimes people look for all the productivity hacks under the sun, but all they need is seven and a half hours or eight hours of sleep. Being intentional, setting realistic expectations, and then, you know, setting out to do the things that you said you wanted to do. And if you did that, you're productive. And if you need a timer or a cave or a nice stranger on the Internet to help you, go for it.

8:29a fundamental truth about productivity, which is that nobody's created equal. We're all different. This is personal productivity. And so we really do have to take what works for us and leave the rest. If you're still watching, one, thank you. But two, I'm really curious. Like, what do you want me to explore? Like, what problems do you have at work? I love to solve them. Please leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts. And if you have any other ideas, throw them my way. All right. Peace out. For a limited time, you can get a Big Mac meal for just$8. That's a burger, fries, and a drink. They don't call it an extra value meal for nothing.

9:08Get a Big Mac meal only at McDonald's. Price and participation may vary. Promotion pricing may be lower than meal pricing. Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax, and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-CONTACTS. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-CONTACTS.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-CONTACTS. Get business done with the new American Express Graphite Business Cash Unlimited card.

9:48With unlimited 2 % cash back on all eligible purchases. unlimited 5 % cash back on flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express travel online and a flexible spending capacity that can grow with your business. You'll have the confidence to keep building. Apply today and earn a welcome offer of$1 ,500 cash back after you spend $50 ,000 in qualifying purchases on your new card within the first six months of card membership. Terms apply. Learn more at go.amex.com.