4 Ways to 10X your Output in Less Time
Jun 16, 2021
If you are like me, you love a good productivity / personal development book. A few years ago I read the 10 X rule by Grant Cardone. I loved the book for a boost of motivation but the catch was I was already 10xing it. And by that I mean I was already waking up at 4:30, working until 10 or 11, managing 3 jobs, etc. I read the book thinking, this is great but I don’t know where I can find more time to do more.
That is when I realized I couldn’t keep going at that pace, but needed to find a way to 10X my output without 10X my effort. Make sense?
Insert the 10-minute rule. Let's use the example of reading a book. Every morning you set your watch for 10 minutes and read as much as you can. After one month you finish the book. After a year, you finish 13 books. 10 minutes a day equals almost 60 hours of reading in a year. Sounds more reasonable right? With pretty decent results? That is why I am such a huge fan of small consistent actions over time. They work.
If I haven’t convinced you yet that small focused actions work, let's break it down into a few more steps you can take to 10x your output without taking up more time.
- Spend 10 minutes planning your day before it starts. (I use 10-minute timers for a lot of things). You don't need to spend any more time. Plans change. Meetings change. Just get an idea of what you want to focus on.
- When you get overwhelmed, do a brain dump. This is usually step 1 on any activity I do because it just empties your mind. Then you can make better sense of your thoughts.
- Pick your focus tasks. This is where the “CAKE Method” comes in for me every day. You can listen to episode 92 for this but pick 3 things you are going to do to complete your day and focus on those first. Most of these tasks should be no longer than 20-30 minutes, an hour max. If they are longer, break them up into smaller tasks. Set a timer. And get them done.
- Eat the Frog. Have you all read this book by Brian Tracey? It basically talks about how you should do your most pressing and sometimes hardest task first. The task that takes the most energy. That way you get it done when you have energy. This is a huge anxiety relief for me. Knock out your big task first and then celebrate.
I truly believe to my core that small, consistent actions over time will win. And sometimes you just need a reminder to keep it simple. Make your list. Set a timer. Stay focused. And take action.
I hope this helps you 10x your output and more importantly gives you some well-deserved time off.
Looking for more details on this topic (including a bonus tip)?! Check out the Strategy Lab in the Crush the Rush Club!
