Instead of tackling every small task as soon as it arises, you can gather similar tasks and do them all at once. This is called “batching,” and it helps you spend less time starting and finishing work. For example, if you make all your phone calls at one time of the day, you stay in the same mindset and don’t have to constantly switch between different types of tasks. This way, you not only work faster but also feel less mentally burdened.

A good example of batching is how you handle emails. Instead of constantly checking your inbox and responding to every new email immediately, you can choose to check and respond to your emails at set times of the day. This way, your day isn’t constantly interrupted by new messages, and you can better focus on more important tasks. By applying batching, you create a calmer and more focused work rhythm, allowing you to ultimately get more done and experience less stress.

Related:

• Do the right thing, in the right way, and at the right moment
• Schedule two hours every day for important work that doesn’t need to be completed immediately; this helps you become happier and more productive
• Spend a little attention on planning and organizing your tasks, but not more than necessary; then, get to work
• Start with the difficult work and do the easy things later
• Work cycle

In general, productivity is higher in the morning than in the afternoon.

Related:

• Well-rested people are more positive
• Schedule two hours every day for important work that doesn’t need to be completed immediately; this helps you become happier and more productive
• Work cycle

When you have less energy, it can change your way of thinking and promote creativity. You are less likely to stick to usual thought patterns and more open to unexpected ideas. Research shows that people are often better at solving problems when they are less alert, such as at times of the day when they don’t feel at their best.

Being creative means being able to make connections between things that seem unrelated at first glance. This is easier when you are less focused, as your mind can wander more freely and form new ideas. Sometimes it helps to let a problem rest for a while, so the solution emerges on its own. When you have less energy, you are less inclined to focus on direct, logical solutions and can instead make room for innovative ideas.

It may seem strange to do creative tasks when you don’t feel energetic, but that’s when surprising and original ideas can arise. Creativity doesn’t always come from hard work and focus; it can flourish when you are relaxed and less alert. By consciously choosing low-energy moments for creative tasks, you can take advantage of your mind’s natural tendency to make new and unusual connections.

Related:

• Add some art to your workplace for reduced stress and increased creativity and productivity
• Schedule two hours every day for important work that doesn’t need to be completed immediately; this helps you become happier and more productive
• Work cycle
• Scatterfocus

Today I joined Exist to help organize and interpret my vast array of personal health data. I’ve integrated various tools into the platform, including Apple Health, Oura, my Withings scale, and even my calendar and weather data, in order to gain a comprehensive view of my health and habits.

Even though the app is still in the early stages of data collection, it’s already begun to show some interesting correlations. While some are quite predictable and not particularly useful, such as burning more energy when I exercise longer, or waking up later on weekends, others have been surprising. For instance, it appears there’s a higher likelihood of rain in Lleida on Wednesdays - an unexpected yet intriguing find.

What’s truly piqued my interest, however, are the correlations related to my body metrics. I’ve noticed that my weight tends to increase when the days are longer, a trend that seems to be quite common. Additionally, I’ve found that my lean mass tends to be higher when I have fewer events on my calendar.

So far, my experience with Exist has been quite intriguing. It’s fascinating to see the connections between various aspects of my life and health, and I’m excited to uncover more insights as I continue to use the app.

This phenomenon, also known as “elimination neglect” or “subtraction neglect,” is deeply rooted in our basic cognition. Research by Gabrielle S. Adams of the University of Virginia and her colleagues shows that people tend to add complexity rather than reduce it when faced with problems. This pattern has been consistently demonstrated in a series of 8 studies, where participants systematically overlooked that removing elements could be an effective solution.

This “addition bias” manifests in various contexts, such as building Lego models, planning trips, and even improving universities. People tend to add more layers of complexity, often leading to overcrowded schedules and inefficient processes. This behavior is not only limited to individual decisions but also occurs in group dynamics, such as meetings, where more and more items are added to the agenda without considering removing existing ones.

By becoming aware of this cognitive bias, individuals and organizations can learn to be more effective by considering what can be removed instead of added. This can result in simpler, more streamlined solutions that save both time and resources.

Related:

• A four-day workweek improves employee well-being without reducing productivity
• Reduce mobile phone use to improve your life satisfaction, well-being, and health
• Systems maintenance

Spiritual and social values have a bigger impact on our happiness than self-centered values.

Related:

• Appreciate the feedback you receive and be deliberate about the feedback you give
• Do things that makes you happy everyday, since happy workers are 12% more productive

While the concept of a growth mindset, as popularized by Carol Dweck, suggests that people can develop their basic abilities through dedication and hard work, a critical analysis of the literature shows that interventions designed to promote this mindset often do not lead to significant improvements in academic performance. This may be due to inadequate research, poor reporting, and bias in the studies evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions.

It is important to emphasize that the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of growth mindset interventions does not mean that the growth mindset itself has no value. The core ideas of the growth mindset, such as the belief that skills can be developed and that effort leads to improvement, can still be valuable for personal development and motivation. However, the specific programs and interventions designed to promote this mindset do not consistently result in improved academic performance, suggesting that there may be other factors at play that limit the effectiveness of these interventions.

Related:

• Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right
• Motivation

A habit is an unconscious behaviour that is automatically triggered by an impulse.

Related:

• Link the desired behavior to a clear signal
• Physical cues affect our state of mind and can be used to switch between different productive modes