So far 2010 has been the year of gradual improvements in life, health and productivity. I made most of these changes based on what I learned in Brain Rules. Here is a snapshot of my changes so far:
General Improvements:
- No more smoking (though it did take two months to get my concentration back)
- 8 hours of sleep per night (up from 6)
- Minimal alcohol consumption (I never drank that much, but I now drink alcohol once a month or less. I think I’m more sensitive to sugars than anything else)
- Six hours or more of intense aerobic exercise a week cycling, and 11 of mild exercise (walking the new dog). I think I’m close to the optimal level of physical activity for maximum brain function.
Workplace Improvements
- I have strong “Owl” Chronotype and I now work with that. I wake up later and work later than previously.
- I discovered my peak creative production hours (defined loosely as the hours where my brain maximizes my working memory) and schedule my hardest work in those hours. The hours are between 2:00 and 5:00 PM, just fyi. I do the less creative work in the non-peak hours (such as accounting, tech support, email, etc)
- I use the Pomodoro Technique for everything these days. I use this online timer.
- The phone, email, Twitter, etc are turned off while I’m working, the door is closed and the dogs are outside.
- I describe everything I’m trying to do (via the Pomodoro Technique) in writing before I actually do the work.
So far the results impress me. I work slightly less, but I produce more per hour and I feel less stress or anxiety than I did before I started.
What should I try next? I still consume legendary amounts of caffeine, and my desk and office are far too messy, but what else besides that?
This post originally appeared on the Stronico blog – with the absorption of Stronico into Digital Tool Factory this post has been moved to the Digital Tool Factory blog