PDF Summary:The Productivity Project, by Chris Bailey

Do you want to become more productive but don’t have the time to figure out how to do it? Productivity consultant Chris Bailey has you covered. Bailey spent an entire year learning everything he could about productivity and then implementing the strategies in his own life. The Productivity Project is a compilation of his conclusions from that year-long experiment and a how-to book for anyone who wants to become more productive.

Bailey asserts that by becoming more productive, you’ll have more time for what you love most. In this guide, we’ll discuss Bailey’s definition of productivity and how it’s not about doing a lot, but about doing what matters. We’ll also provide an overview of the strategies Bailey found most helpful and supplement his recommendations with advice from other productivity experts.

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According to Bailey, every insignificant task can (and should) be removed, outsourced, or consolidated whenever possible. Your time is finite, so the more time you spend on insignificant tasks, the less time you have to spend on the important tasks that will have the biggest impact on your work.

(Shortform note: Bailey’s recommendations assume that you’re in full control of your time and your work responsibilities, but sometimes insignificant tasks are assigned to you by other people. To limit the amount of time you spend on insignificant tasks assigned to you, Newport suggests having a conversation with your boss in which you set a budget for what Newport calls “shallow work.” Start by talking about your high-level goals and discussing how to restructure your schedule to allow you more time to focus on significant tasks, or “deep work.” Newport argues that once people know you’re being intentional about focusing on significant work, they’ll adjust their expectations accordingly.)

The first step when removing insignificant tasks from your to-do list is to say no. According to Bailey, if something isn’t important, necessary, or meaningful, then you shouldn’t be spending your time doing it. Say no to new requests or opportunities that don’t meet these criteria. To determine whether a task is insignificant, Bailey recommends using the 90% Rule introduced by Greg McKeown in Essentialism. McKeown suggests that every task or opportunity can be rated on a scale of 1-100 based on how valuable or meaningful it is. Anything below a 90, he argues, is unessential and there should be eliminated.

How to Say No Gracefully

In Essentialism, Greg McKeown acknowledges that saying no can be hard. People are often afraid that by saying no they'll cause conflict, disappoint someone, or miss a valuable opportunity. If you're uncomfortable saying no, he recommends remembering that saying no to something non-essential is actually saying yes to something more important. He also says to remind yourself that rejecting someone’s request isn't the same as rejecting them, so be clear on the distinction.

McKeown offers several variations on how you can say no gracefully.

• Try using a gentle rejection (the “No, but…” strategy). For example, “I can’t take this on right now, but let’s talk again next month.”

• Say no, but offer what you can do instead. For example, “I can’t drive you to the airport, but I can lend you my car.”

• Suggest someone else instead. If you aren’t able to take on a task, maybe you know someone else who would be interested. Throw their name out for the opportunity.

If a task can’t be eliminated, the next step is to consider whether it could be outsourced. To determine whether a task should be outsourced, Bailey recommends asking yourself how much an hour of your time is worth. If it’s worth more than what it would cost to pay someone to do the task, then that task should be delegated. For example, let’s say you value your time at $25/hour. Getting groceries delivered usually costs $10 or less, therefore this would be a logical task to outsource to someone else.

(Shortform note: Many people struggle with how to delegate effectively. First, it’s hard to communicate what you want the end result of a project to look like, and so it often feels easier to just do it yourself. Second, it can be difficult to give up control, especially when you’re responsible for the final outcome. To become a better delegator, make sure you set the person you're delegating to up for success by describing the desired outcome, providing sufficient details, and providing a clear timeline. Also be prepared to teach. You may not get the result you want on the first try, but that doesn’t mean that delegation is a lost cause. you'll become better at delegating the more you practice and will gain back a lot of valuable time as a result.)

Finally, if insignificant tasks can’t be removed or outsourced, then consolidate them. There are two ways to consolidate insignificant tasks. First, limit the amount of time you spend on insignificant tasks. For example, set time limits for routine meetings, or make sure email replies are as concise as possible. Second, bundle your insignificant tasks to complete them all at once. For example, respond to all your emails at once instead of periodically throughout the day. Bailey also recommends setting aside a full day when you tackle all the insignificant but necessary tasks in your life from laundry to car registration.

(Shortform note: In The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker recommends consolidating and scheduling your significant tasks, but fitting insignificant tasks into unscheduled time. According to Drucker, setting aside blocks of time for your insignificant tasks will reinforce a mindset of giving priority to what's unimportant. Instead, he recommends fitting these tasks in when you can, between work on your significant tasks.)

While managing your time allows you to make the most of the limited time you have available, Bailey argues that managing your focus and energy is more impactful because they're more variable, and you have more control over them. In the next two sections, we’ll discuss the importance of your focus and energy.

Hone Your Focus

According to Bailey, multitasking is the enemy of productivity. While working on multiple things at once is stimulating and makes you feel busy, numerous studies have shown that multitasking doesn't make you more productive.

Why Is Multitasking Bad?

Multitasking has a negative impact on productivity because it leads to an effect known as "switch cost," or the mental effort expended to shift gears and readjust to the new task. Because of the mental shift required, switching between tasks can slow your overall progress and reduce your productivity.

Some studies have also revealed that multitasking lowers your IQ and can even result in brain damage. While more research is necessary to understand the long-term impacts of multitasking, there's general consensus that multitasking has negative effects on productivity and brain function.

The key to productivity then is focusing on one thing at a time. Monotasking allows you to invest all your time, attention, and energy into one thing, enabling you to do that one thing better and more efficiently. (Shortform note: There are many apps and website blockers that help facilitate monotasking. Try apps like Freedom or RescueTime to help you stay focused on only one thing at a time.)

To become better at monotasking, Bailey recommends practicing mindfulness—noticing when your attention wanders or when you’re jumping from task to task, then practicing drawing your attention back to the task at hand. You can also practice honing your focus with intentional moments of mindfulness—like actively listening when someone is speaking to you, reading for extended periods of time, or having a daily meditation practice.

(Shortform note: In Mindfulness in Plain English, Buddhist monk Bhante Gunaratana distinguishes between mindfulness and concentration. He describes concentration as forced focus through willpower, while mindfulness is present awareness without judgment or struggle. He argues that people need both—concentration to direct your energy toward a purpose and mindfulness for holistic awareness.)

Monotasking can also be made easier by clearing up mental space. Bailey explains that if you're constantly using your brain to try to remember things, then you have less mental space for your significant tasks. Externalizing your ideas allows you to use your brain for coming up with ideas instead of storing them. To get a clear picture of everything that needs to get done, Bailey recommends creating an everything list (which he calls a “brain dump”) where you write down every item you've stored in your mental task list, from buying toothpaste to applying for a business loan.

Bailey recommends a couple of ways to organize your everything list (both adapted from Getting Things Done). First, he recommends creating a list that includes anything you're waiting on—from email responses to Amazon deliveries. He also recommends another list that includes major projects and the next immediate steps you need to take for each project.

Other Strategies for Externalizing (and Organizing) Your Thoughts

Like Bailey, Daniel J. Levitin, author of The Organized Mind, advocates externalizing your thoughts—storing information outside your brain so that you have more mental energy for important decisions, planning, and creative thinking.

Levitin offers a different strategy for how to clear up mental clutter: carrying around a pack of 3x5 notecards. Every time you have a thought that's unrelated to your current task, write it down. Before starting a significant task, you can also spend a few minutes writing down things that might steal your focus. He emphasizes the importance of putting only one idea on each card so they can be reorganized and reordered as necessary.

Levitin then suggests sorting these cards at the end of the day into categories that make sense for you—for example, by urgency, topic, or time required. He recommends keeping a different colored note card at the top of each category to make it easy to find specific notecards in the future.

Manage Distractions

Monotasking is made even harder by the constant barrage of distractions we encounter in our daily lives. Attention research has shown that employees focus on a project for 11 minutes before being interrupted, and on average it takes them 25 minutes to refocus. (Shortform note: In one of Bailey’s other books, Hyperfocus, he goes into greater detail about why we're so bad at ignoring distractions. He explains that we all have a “novelty bias.” Our brains release dopamine, a “feel good” chemical, whenever we start doing something new. So switching between tasks lights up the reward center of our brain, motivating us to continue doing it.)

Bailey explains that distractions come in two forms—internal and external. Internal distractions originate in your own mind and can take the form of worries and anxiety, emotional reactions, boredom, hunger, or just unconscious impulses or habits, while external distractions exist outside of us and take the form of phone alerts, emails, or especially chatty colleagues.

Minimize Distractions by Seeking Out Flow

According to psychologist and Flow author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, most people live in an almost-constant state of distraction, either focused on external stimuli or on unpleasant internal feelings and ideas. Flow, or what Bailey might call intentional focus, is a clear sense of purpose that allows you more control over your thoughts and feelings.

While it’s possible to experience flow unexpectedly, you’re more likely to enter a flow state by seeking out experiences that facilitate flow. Csikszentmihalyi recommends four flow-producing activities: experiences that generate a new sense of self, experiences that provide the opportunity to achieve a specific goal, experiences that provide an opportunity for growth, or experiences that shift your perception of reality.

External distractions are more straightforward and easier to control. To minimize external distractions, try having designated times when people know you're focusing and unreachable. Bailey also suggests making the source of external distractions more inconvenient to access. For example, leave your phone in another room, turn off all notifications, or disconnect from the internet entirely if a task allows.

(Shortform note: Indistractable author Nir Eyal clarifies that not all external distractions are bad. For example, you may have alerts on your phone reminding you to drink water or take a break. He recommends identifying which of your external triggers are useful and which are distracting. Any time an external distraction pops up, you can ask yourself, “Does this trigger benefit me?” If it doesn't benefit you or your work, then you should try to remove or mitigate that distraction.)

Internal distractions are harder to control because they arise from inside us. Internal distractions, like anxiety or boredom, are often at the root of procrastination. If you're feeling bored or anxious or overwhelmed, it’s easier to turn away from the task at hand to something simpler and more appealing. It’s especially tempting to procrastinate on your most significant tasks because these tasks are often the most challenging, ambiguous, or frustrating. For example, if you’re feeling anxious about a significant task, you’re more likely to pick up your phone to check the latest notification message or scroll a little longer on Instagram.

(Shortform note: Eyal argues that the root of all distraction is internal. He explains people are primarily motivated by freedom from discomfort; therefore, when we feel physical or mental discomfort, we look for ways to escape it. Many of our external distractions are in fact escape mechanisms from the internal trigger of mental discomfort.)

When you notice internal distractions leading to procrastination, Bailey recommends asking yourself why and then finding a way to counteract whatever is triggering your procrastination. For example, if a task is boring, go to your favorite bar to get it done. Or if a task is unstructured, create a detailed plan that you'll follow. And, when all else fails, you can have a go-to procrastination list of necessary insignificant tasks. Then, you can make progress on some of your less important work until you're ready to focus again.

(Shortform note: Eyal recommends a more in-depth reflection exercise when you notice yourself procrastinating. First, he recommends identifying the trigger. Ask yourself: “What discomfort or feeling triggered my procrastination?” Next, note the trigger. He recommends a “distraction tracker” where you write down your internal trigger, the time of day, the location, who you were with, and the distracting action you took to escape that feeling. He then recommends spending time examining the feeling you had, and he encourages you to spend as much time as necessary to really understand the root cause of your procrastination.)

Find the Balance

While learning how to focus is important, Bailey explains that it’s also important to give your brain a break. Research has shown that the brain fluctuates between two modes—a relaxed mode that's more introspective and intuitive, and a focused mode that's deliberate and analytical. Our relaxed brain is good at ideation and creative problem-solving, while our focused brain is great at management and analytical work. Both are important, so the key is to find a balance between the two.

(Shortform note: In A Mind for Numbers, Barbara Oakley explains that your brain naturally moves between the two modes. While Bailey is focused on the different roles of each mode, Oakley focuses on how these two modes can work together. She explains that challenging problem-solving requires both modes to exchange information. So when tackling a difficult problem, she recommends starting by focusing on the problem, and then deliberately diverting your attention elsewhere so that your brain can switch into relaxed mode. She suggests alternating between both modes until you're able to solve the problem.)

Bailey suggests being intentional about creating time for your mind to drift. Some strategies to flip your brain into relaxed mode include taking a shower, leaving your phone at home, going for a walk, listening to music, or playing sports. (Shortform note: Being bored is also an effective tool to help your mind wander. When you're doing something uninteresting or monotonous, your mind naturally starts to drift away from the task toward more interesting and unrelated topics. If you struggle with boredom or doing nothing, try visiting the website Do Nothing For 2 Minutes for a short practice session.)

Manage Your Energy

The final step in becoming more productive is managing your energy.

According to Bailey, the amount of energy we have has a dramatic impact on our capacity to be productive. To be your most productive, he argues, you must take care of your body, which means eating well, drinking enough water, getting exercise, and prioritizing sleep. (Shortform note: Bailey argues that productivity and a healthy lifestyle aren't mutually exclusive. An unhealthy focus on productivity, however, can lead to negative health consequences. Overworking, performance pressure, and a lack of work-life balance are some of the leading causes of employee burnout. Productivity should never come at the cost of your personal well-being.)

First, fuel your body with the energy it needs to be productive. Bailey explains that your brain consumes double the energy that other cells in your body consume, so your brain needs healthy fuel to function effectively. He offers two simple rules for eating to optimize your energy—don’t eat more than you need to and eat more unprocessed foods. These two rules will help you manage your glucose levels and avoid an energy crash.

(Shortform note: While health experts generally agree with Bailey’s first rule, there's less consensus on his second. Some nutritionists believe that processed foods are unnecessarily vilified, arguing that a healthy diet can still include processed foods. They explain that processed foods aren't inherently bad and, in fact, most of the foods we eat are processed in some way. For example, any food that has been dried, cooked, frozen, or vacuum-packed has been minimally processed, and there are many highly processed health-conscious foods, like protein powder, oat milk, or soy-based meat products. Ultimately, it’s possible to have a healthy diet that still includes processed food.)

Second, hydrate. Bailey recommends drinking more water, fewer alcoholic or sugary drinks, and using caffeine strategically rather than as a part of your daily routine.

Why Water?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree with Bailey’s recommendations and encourage people to always choose water over more sugary or highly caffeinated options like soda or energy drinks.

Water is the best option because it keeps you the most hydrated, allowing your body to function at its optimal level. Dehydration affects the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your brain and other organs, which can lead to a drop in energy levels, so if you haven’t been drinking enough water, you'll likely feel tired, sluggish, and have trouble concentrating. Sugary and highly caffeinated drinks, on the other hand, can actually dehydrate the body, leading to fatigue, headaches, and other health issues. Water not only helps you maintain your daily energy level, but also decreases your risk of the negative long-term health effects associated with sugar and caffeine intake.

So how much water is enough? Conventional wisdom states that everyone needs to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, but that's a myth. In reality, how much you should drink depends on a combination of factors, including body size, outdoor temperature, and your level of physical activity. Doctors recommend that young people drink when they're thirsty, but caution those who are older to pay closer attention to their water intake as our thirst sensation can decline with age.

Next, have a consistent exercise routine. It may seem counterintuitive to take time away from work to exercise, but exercise helps you increase productivity by better equipping you to fight stress, increasing blood flow to your brain, combating fatigue, boosting your mood, and even creating new brain cells. According to Bailey, the benefits of exercise far outweigh the lost time.

(Shortform note: A consistent exercise routine doesn't have to mean a gym membership. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults “move more and sit less,” adding that “some physical activity is better than none.” Whatever you do, find a form of physical activity that fits your lifestyle and your schedule, whether it’s a hike with your dog, dancing in your living room, or a long walk with a podcast.)

Finally, prioritize sleep. According to Bailey, lost sleep isn't worth the productivity cost. Sleep and energy are a simple equation—more sleep means more energy. To ensure you get enough (and high enough quality sleep), Bailey recommends creating routines around your bedtime, including having a nightly ritual that cues your body that it’s time to sleep and limiting screen time at least an hour before bed.

(Shortform note: While Bailey argues the more sleep you get, the better, studies have suggested that too much sleep is often a sign of an underlying health condition. Oversleeping is associated with a number of health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression. While oversleeping doesn’t necessarily cause these issues, if you regularly find yourself needing more than eight or nine hours of sleep, it may be a sign that it’s time to check in with your doctor.)

While there's a lot you can do to control the amount of energy you have, everyone’s energy also naturally fluctuates throughout the day. Referencing the work of Sam Carpenter in Work the System, Bailey explains that every person has times in their day when they have more energy and are primed for focused, high-impact work. Bailey recommends being strategic about when you work, and saving your significant tasks for these periods of peak focus. Your prime focus time is an ideal time to complete your three significant tasks for the day.

When Should You Be Productive?

In When, Daniel Pink explains that throughout the day most people experience a predictable pattern in their energy level—a crest, a slump, and a recovery. This daily rhythm is largely based on your chronotype, or the individual expression of your circadian rhythms, which dictates when you naturally wake, sleep, and feel most alert.

Like Bailey, Pink recommends taking advantage of your peak focus period (your crest) for deep, analytical work. However, Pink also suggests using times when your energy lags to take an intentional break, and then to use your recovery period for creative work that might require more out-of-the-box thinking.

Pink sees these naturally occurring ebbs and flows in your day as an opportunity to be more strategic about how you use your time and also to give yourself permission to pause, knowing that you aren't built to be productive all the time.