How To Be So PRODUCTIVE It Feels ILLEGAL

About this video

• Video Title: How To Be So PRODUCTIVE It Feels ILLEGAL
• Channel: Matthew Smith
• Speakers: Matthew Smith
• Duration: 00:15:00

Overview

This video by Matthew Smith outlines three productivity principles – the 90/3 rule, the Zeigarnik effect, and Noetic Lockdown – designed to dramatically increase efficiency and output. The speaker also provides methods to "hypercharge" each principle for even greater productivity.

Key takeaways

• The 90/3 Rule: Focus on the three core sources that yield 90% of desired outcomes, rather than spreading efforts thinly across many tasks. This principle can be applied to various aspects of life, such as health (sleep, exercise, diet) and academic performance (studying, exams, productivity systems).
• Hypercharging the 90/3 Rule: Employ recursive algorithms by breaking down the core "three things" into smaller, manageable sub-tasks, continuously applying the 90/3 rule at each level.
• The Zeigarnik Effect: Unfinished tasks tend to occupy our mental space more than completed ones. This can be leveraged to keep tasks at the forefront of our minds, promoting completion.
• Hypercharging the Zeigarnik Effect: Implement "chunking" by breaking down large tasks into smaller ones, or create barriers to tasks you want to avoid (like putting your phone in another room) to make starting them more difficult, thus leveraging the effect to your advantage.
• Noetic Lockdown: This involves guarding your thoughts to prevent a spiral of intrusive or distracting thinking that hinders focus.
• Hypercharging Noetic Lockdown: Use "anti-noetic missiles" or counter-thoughts to combat intrusive thoughts. Examples include "Stop and let it go" for past regrets, "Do I even care?" for social anxieties, and "What's done is done" for self-criticism about past decisions.