How to Double Your Productivity

Key productivity + wellness strategies

• Use time management to protect your energy and focus

  • Unprioritised days lead to wasted time, incomplete work, and lower self-esteem.
  • A good system helps your “internal system” run more efficiently and reduces friction.

• Set priorities using the Eisenhower Matrix

  • Rank tasks by urgency and importance.
  • Move less essential work to later if you have a critical deadline today.
  • Outcome: clearer decisions and reduced decision fatigue.

• Reduce decision fatigue (example: “uniform” style thinking)

  • Like Barack Obama limiting outfit choices (grey/blue suits) to “pair down decisions,” you can:
    • Pre-decide or simplify routine choices (food/clothes/other recurring decisions)
    • Save mental energy for the most important urgent tasks

• Delegate and automate low-value tasks

  • Automation and delegation free time for higher-impact work.
  • Examples mentioned:
    • Email automation (e.g., ConvertKit, MailChimp) via sales funnels and scheduled sequences
    • Social media scheduling instead of posting manually one-by-one
    • Delegating tasks to reduce overload as your workload grows (hire help when needed)

• Batch tasks to prevent context switching

  • Group similar tasks together during a set time window.
  • Goal: avoid switching contexts, which drains time and mental effort.
  • Example: continuously answering emails as they arrive repeatedly resets focus.

• Block time on your calendar (protect deep focus windows)

  • Schedule office hours or focused work blocks so others know when you’re available.
  • Mentally prepare for longer stretches of attention rather than constant interruption.

• Follow the “Four W’s” time management method (What/When/How/Who)

  • What: Rank priorities for the day.
  • When: Choose timing based on your natural energy pattern
    • Morning people: tackle high-priority tasks before ~12
    • Night owls: do high-priority tasks later
  • How: Break down even small next actions and ensure ongoing daily effort for longer projects
    • Don’t ignore “small” required inputs just because deadlines seem far away
  • Who: Assign tasks to the right people to avoid time-wasting and maximize useful support

• Build a system that fits “you,” not just a to-do list

  • Time management should include:
    • Priorities (thought about)
    • Scheduling (planned)
    • Execution (set/understood/appreciated)
  • Identify where you lose the most time and plug the biggest holes.

• Use self-awareness as a wellness lever

  • Your mind and body matter; listen to energy levels.
  • Example: if you’re typically depleted after work, working out at that low-energy time may cause burnout.

Presenters / sources mentioned

• Gulraj S. Shahpuri (CEO of Right at Home)
• Asana (referenced for task batching/context-switching explanation)
• Dr. Sahar Yousef (cognitive neuroscientist at UC Berkeley)
• Barack Obama (example for reducing decision fatigue)
• ConvertKit (email automation example)
• MailChimp (email automation example)
• Amazon Alexa (automation example)
• Right at Home (source credited via Gulraj S. Shahpuri)
• UC Berkeley (institution associated with Dr. Sahar Yousef)