the productivity project by chris bailey
written by jasmine irven
Being busy shouldn’t be worn like a badge of honour. Being productive however (whatever that may look like), is a practice I think deserves more attention.
I recently read the Productivity Project by Chris Bailey, which is essentially a beginner’s guide to productivity. He outlines a lot of tangible tools and tips which I have found very useful in my journey to being more productive.
“Say you have 2 more hours of leisure time every day after reading this book: how will you use that time? What will you take on? What new rituals, habits, etc. can you implement? What values are associated with your productivity goals? Why do you want to be more productive?”
— CHRIS BAILEY
This is really the basis of productivity. Being productive isn’t about how efficient you work, or how full your calendar is. It’s about how much you accomplish, and ensuring the work you are doing is important to you or your brand, and is actually moving the needle in the direction you want to go.
It’s about delegating the work you absolutely hate but needs to get done, it’s about saying no to events/people/projects that don’t serve you, and it’s about working smarter so you have even more time in a day to do the things that really matter to you.
Below I’ve outlined some of my favourite takeaways and tools from the book. If you like this intro I’d really suggest reading the full book, which you can purchase here on amazon.
intro to productivity
There are 3 elements to productivity: time, attention, and energy. Managing these is what will help you to become more productive. Think about it: if you’re wasting time on Instagram, it doesn’t matter if you have a lot of energy, nothing important will get done. Or, if you have no energy, it doesn’t matter what you’re working on, you won’t make progress on it.
To manage each of these you need to have a good overall view of what is important to you. So, really think about that first question: if you had more time in a day, what would you do? What are your values? What goals do you have, and what needs to get done to accomplish these? Get really clear on these!
Then, write down everything you’re currently doing in a day: where are your hours being spent? What are all the things you’re doing for your home/health/business, etc. Then ask yourself if you could only do a few things on that list, what would they be? What would move the needle the most?
An important concept to remember is the 80-20 rule. This is the idea that 80% of your reward likely comes from 20% of your efforts. The goal is to narrow down and hone in on these 20% tasks to determine where most of your time should be spent.
managing time
the big 3
we all have the same number of hours in a day, the difference is how we spend them.
at the start of each day, Chris recommends sitting down and writing the 3 main tasks you want to finish that day. They should be big enough that it feels like a little bit of a stretch, but not so big it’s extremely overwhelming.
you can have another list of smaller “to dos”, but in general these should be your primary focuses for the day.
tangible action: determine your top 3 tasks for the day, and the week, to help you structure your work.
procrastination
we procrastinate on tasks because they include certain triggers: they are boring, difficult, unstructured, lacking in personal meaning, and/or lacking in intrinsic value.
tangible action: when you feel yourself procrastinating, think about the triggers the task is setting off and try to flip them. For example if the task is boring, go to a coffee shop, if it’s difficult, do research to make the process easier, if it’s frustrating, set a timer for 30 mins and only work on it for that long (unless you want to keep going).
parkinson’s law
the concept that work expands to fill the time you give it.
past a certain point you just aren’t being productive.
tangible action: set a timer for a certain project for half the amount of time you think the task will take and see what you can get done during that time.
managing energy
bpt: biological prime time
think about when you have the most energy.
we all have different internal clocks that determine when we are most alert. take advantage of the times when you have the most energy and work on the most important and meaningful tasks during this time!
tangible action: take the time to track your energy over a week. each hour set a timer and ask yourself how much energy you have on a scale of 1-10.
healthy habits: caffeine, alcohol, exercise, and water
this is something you all know I advocate for: look at how you’re treating your body, and focus on making choices that serve you rather than hurt you.
exercise, sleep, and eating healthy may cost time initially (and you may feel more “productive” skipping your run to finish one more page of your website), but they pay off in the long run both in terms of energy and health. When you treat your body with care it will reward you, allowing you to bring more energy and focus to your work when you return.
let’s chat about caffeine. Your cup of coffee may allow you to experience a short-term energy boost, but in reality it is stealing energy from later in your day, as you will likely experience an energy crash 8-14 hours after drinking it when it’s finished metabolizing. So, either avoid it altogether, or only drink it around 9:30am-11:30am, so that you experience the crash right as you’re going to bed anyways. I’ve now implemented a strict rule of no caffeine past noon for this exact reason!
get those zzzs. In general people need between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you aren’t getting this you’re really setting your body up for failure.
tangible action: try working backwards. Pick the time you want to get up, work backwards by approximately 8 hours. Then work backwards again to determine when you want to stop looking at screens and shut off your phone, when you want to stop drinking caffeine, etc.
managing attention
multitasking
multitasking may feel good in the moment but in general your brain can’t really process multiple things at once, and therefore it makes you more prone to errors, causes more stress stress, and it costs you time and attention when you go between tasks.
try single-tasking: when eating, talking to someone, reading, etc., try not to do anything else. Don’t think about the next bite, what’s on the next page, what you’re going to say next, etc., focus on that single moment and reign in your attention.
really be intentional about the thing you are working on in that moment, and deliberately just do that one thing!
maintenance tasks
cleaning your inbox, doing dishes, getting groceries, etc. may be ‘boring’ but are essential and support your personal and work lives.
Chris recommends implementing a maintenance day where you tackle these. Throughout the week collect all maintenance tasks on a list and then set aside a set day to work on them.
for example, I’ve implemented Sunday as my maintenance day. on Sunday’s I grocery shop, meal plan and prep, do my laundry, define 3 goals for the week ahead, plan the week ahead, clear my inboxes, and clean my apartment.
since these tasks take little to no energy you can likely multitask while doing them: call someone and have a meaningful conversation, listen to a podcast, or just let yourself daydream while you check these items off your to-do list. ✨
there are also maintenance tasks for work: checking email, social media, etc., because they are easy, it’s also super easy to convince yourself that working on them is important.
if you can delegate these tasks, get rid of them.
if not (i.e. your email), make space around these low impact tasks. Create set times where you will check your email and try not to check it at any point other than this.
brain dump
*this is one of my favourite practices.
externalizing your tasks and writing them down is a powerful way to free up mental space and get organized.
performing a brain dump not only reduces stress but it helps you focus and motivates you to take action.
when you think of something, write it down! To do lists, shopping lists, and putting events and appointments into your calendar as soon as you think of them can help us free space in our short term memory and can help us from feeling overwhelmed.
tangible action: every once & a while (I pretty much do this every morning) perform a full brain dump: sit down and just journal everything that’s on your mind. Don’t think about it, just write. Clearing your head can be so freeing and really gives you clarity on everything that’s going on in your mind.
from here, decide what you need to take action on. If it’s very quick, consider doing it right then + there so it requires no further thought. If it’s going to take longer, schedule it in your calendar or add it to your project management software.
hot spots
Chris talks about our life hot spots. These are the main areas of our lives, that if you sat down you can pretty much fit all of your commitments into. The areas he discusses are:
mind
body
emotions
career
finances
relationships
fun
tangible action: take this list and write down all the commitments you have in each part of your life
for example, your mind category could include learning, meditation, reading, podcasts, stress relief, slowing down; your body might include going to the gym, dentist appointments, meal planning, your doctor’s appointment, etc.
review these weekly to see how much time you spent in each area that past week, and what you want to focus on in upcoming weeks.
Chris also recommends creating a master projects list, and filing each project under your hot spots (for example finances would have student loan payoff, do taxes, save for a vacation, create a budget for next year).
final thoughts + takeaways
Being aware of how you’re spending your time is super important. From here you can make changes that closer reflect the life you want to live. Productivity is just one way we can become more intentional about how we are managing our time, energy, and attention, and making space for the things that truly matter. ✨I’ve listed a few of my fave practices + actionable steps from this book below. Try choosing 1-2 things discussed in this list and actually implementing them into your every day.
Take what resonates and leave the rest. You by no means need to do everything in this post; that would likely just overwhelm you! instead, focus on improving your productivity with small, incremental change. Incremental improvements may not seem significant on their own but because they seem so small or easy you will have less resistance to them, meaning they will stay with you long term and make a difference in the long run.
When you’re successful at making changes, reward yourself! And know that this process is not going to be smooth or flawless. If you’re being too hard on yourself about the need to be productive, get more done, or follow certain rules, you’re making your life harder + more stressful, which is totally not the goal!
key actionable steps:
determine your values. When you go to take on a new project ask yourself if it really lines up with what you truly care about.
don’t be afraid to say no. To people, commitments, or projects that don’t serve you.
track your energy levels throughout the day + schedule your most important tasks for those times.
take more breaks + give yourself time to daydream.
write down 3 things you’re grateful for and something positive that happened that day, at the end of each day.
split your commitments into life’s hot spots; look at where you’re spending most of your time, and which spots could use a little more attention.
break down tasks with sub goals and keep this running list of tasks.
reward yourself to solidify habits.
have a caffeine free week.
create an accomplishments list and review it weekly.
do a daily brain dump.
try making your mundane tasks more exciting: take them to a coffee shop, reward yourself for completing them, etc.
If you do try any of these, be sure to let me know! I love hearing what resonates with you, and what you love learning about. ✨
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about the author
Hey there! I’m Jasmine, founder of the Sustainable Bliss Collective, a Certified Meditation Teacher, and lover of all things self-care, slow-living, and personal development.
I believe that ambition and self-care can coexist, and as such I hope to encourage and inspire you to take care of yourself, breathe deeply, connect with who you are, manifest your dreams, enjoy the blissful moments of each day, and make an impact in this beautiful world we call home.
Connect with me on Instagram here!
