The Secret to Getting Work Done

Disclaimer: My nonexistent lawyer makes me write this. These tips may or may not work for you – heck, they could even make you less productive, ruin your marriage, or cause your houseplants to shrivel up and die. It’s not my fault. The Secret (with a capital S, of course) works for me, and it does for most people, but it may not work for you.

Everyone always looks for some magical tip or secret that will completely change their life forever. This tip won’t do that. But it will just make working easier.

The secret to getting work done is to not do anything at all. This sounds quite counter intuitive, and it is. The best way to get work done is to find new insight in your work, having a fresh view on whatever you have to do, by breaking up your tasks into shorter chunks separated by breaks. This can be as simple as taking 15-minute breaks when working on a project, like mowing the lawn or filling out tax forms, but these 15 minutes will help you stay engaged (even if you find whatever work you’re doing boring). You could take this idea even further by extending it into a vacation, like the week long one I’m taking right now to a North Carolinian beach. And if you’re feeling like you could really use some time off, try one of Timothy Ferriss’ mini-retirements from his highly acclaimed book (review coming soon!) The Four Hour Workweek. Ferriss’ mini-retirements are more suitable for people who have a little more money and time. In fact, his entire book teaches you how to reduce your workload (including the revolutionary and highly controversial outsourcing) to just four hours per week.

I’m going to have to admit that there’s a second half of the Secret. You can’t really relax, unwind, regroup, and reevaluate when you have a to-do list stretching to Katmandu, or newborns (as wonderful as they are) screaming in the bedroom. Make sure to eliminate distractions and interruptions when you’re going through your break or you’ll be just as stressed when you return as when you left. Turn off your phone and whatever you do, don’t check your email. Take a walk, get something to eat, or watch the clouds go by. Forget about whatever you had to do in the first place. Well, maybe not completely.

When you return to complete your tasks, you’ll feel more relaxed, happier, and more motivated to face whatever challenges appear. Work hard, play hard, but make sure to relax hard, too.