Excerpt from an Interview with Simon L. Dolan
Productivity is something we all strive for, but it’s not always easy to achieve. With all the productivity tips out there, how do you know which ones work? And which doesn’t?
In this article, I’ll cover the best and worst productivity tips according to CEOs and experts. I sent out a query on Quoted and researched on the subject to find out what the best and worst productivity tips are.
When you type out ‘productivity tips’ on Google, it seems like every expert has their own set of “productivity hacks” that promise to help you get more done in less time.
But do these hacks really work?
I decided to write this article by covering the experiences of people who actually used these productivity tips.
2 Best productivity tips by Dr. Simon L. Dolan
1) Use your moments of inspiration
Did you ever have a light bulb 💡 moment? Or a time when you suddenly feel inspired to get something done?
Don’t let it slip away!
Simon Dolan, the author of De-Stress At Work, and 80 other books, recommends using your moments of inspiration to produce if you are involved in any type of intellectual work.
Dolan himself found that his most productive time was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he attributes his highest level of innovation to two key factors.
The first is using his moments of inspiration to produce his best work. And the second is to use his biological clock, not a chronological clock (we’ll discuss this next).
So, don’t let inspiration slip away. When these moments of insight come, act on them.
Who knows what feats you could achieve if you embrace these moments and let them guide you?
2) Use your biological clock
Are you a night owl 🦉 or a morning person ☀️?
It turns out your response to this question could have a substantial influence on your productivity.
The second factor that Dolan found to be key to his most productive time was using his biological clock, not a chronological one.
So, to be productive, you should collaborate with your body rather than fight against it. This assertion was A study analyzed half a million exams taken by university students in the United Kingdom. The researchers analyzed five years’ worth of exam scores, encompassing an average of six exams per student. These exams happened in 3 time slots: 9 am, and 1:30 and 4:30 in the afternoon. The researchers found that the time slot of 1:30 in the afternoon is when students experience “peak performance”.
I know that you already have a general idea of when your peak time is.
But if not, you can experiment with different times to determine which one yields the most productive results for you.
There is a high chance that you have limited control over your school or work schedule.
However, you can certainly schedule some of your responsibilities during your more productive hours—especially the important ones.
