How to Work Faster
Scenario: "Dude, we just gotta work 20 hours straight everyday. We'll get so many things done. Yay!" Or if you really want to work faster, just do this in combo as recommended by all-world performance psychologists: Rest + Sprint + Rest + Sprint + ... That is, work in intervals:
- Work freakishly fast.
- Relax.
- Repeat process.
Simple, sweet, and sexy.
Why Working 98432758920 Hours Straight Hurts
Imagine a fuel tank in a Formula 1 open-wheel race car. What happens when it races without refilling its tank?
- Car drives around 20 laps.
- Gas tank empties.
- Car stops.
- Uh-oh.
Your body has its own fuel tank. It stores the amount of kick-ass-energy-juice you use. You'll close your access to that deliciously good juice when you keep-on-going-and-going-and-going.
How 'Rest' Rocks
Like a race car taking a pit stop after every x amount of laps, your fabulous body needs to refuel after every x amount of work you do. When you rest, you're replenishing fuel to kick some more ass later. Resting fills up your body with deliciously-sweet-rockin' energy juice. The disclaimer: you can fill up your tank only oh-so-much. At a certain point, your body stops creating juicy-good-energy juice. That energy goes stale with too much rest. To prevent that mutha-@^!$%&-deliciously awesome energy juice from dissipating, start sprinting (i.e. work freakishly fast):
How 'Sprint' Rocks
Remember the 80/20 rule about working? You complete 80% of a day's work in 20% of your working hours. Yet, we all hear from the crazy-"oooooh-I-work-so-much" crowd:
- "I work 120 hours a week!"
- "I get home at 2 a.m. every night!"
- "I am always oh-so-busy!"
If that's you, don't fret: We're definitely guilt of doing it as well. But then, we realize why we suck so bad: We're wasting a ridiculous amount of time by working slower than Simon Cowell's revolving wardrobe. If yesterday was a typical day for you, ask your badass: "Could I have completed all of what I did by 1 p.m.?" Chances are for most of you: "Of course!" So, you tell yourself: "If I just spend every working hour like the 20% juicy-productive-goodness I have everyday, I'll complete 9807419897427412 things. Yay!" So, you use the ridiculously awesome method:
- Sprint to expend and optimize energy.
- Refuel with rest.
- Repeat process.
"When will I've emptied my energy tank?"
Depending on your fitness level, your body will tell you when it's relaxation time. That could be after 15, 30, 60, 300, or ___ minutes. Try this:
- Pick a project that requires more than a few hours of work.
- Start working faster than a juiced-up-bald-ostrich on crack.
- Do you feel yourself slowing down? Refuel time by resting for your badass.
Rest + Sprint = La Combinaci - n Sexy
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Posted on January 18