04 Productivity & Understanding Flow

Key Points Summary:


In this video, we define productivity as doing the 'most important tasks, effectively and efficiently' and explain what each of those key terms mean in the context of Exam Success.

We look at the 5 factors that constitute poor productivity:

  1. Doing tasks that are unimportant - those that don't take us closer to our goals. 
  2. Doing important tasks that are not the most important - tasks that don't take us as close to our goals per unit of time and energy we spend on them, in comparison to the most important task.
  3. Working ineffectively - doing tasks to a poor quality such that we don't get the desired benefits from doing them.
  4. Working inefficiently - expending more time and energy than is needed.
  5. Multitasking and why it detriments productivity.

We then talk about how we can create the 8 conditions needed to enter a state of flow so that we can carry out our tasks in a productive manner.

Activities:


Make notes on the following questions:
  • Which of the 5 factors mentioned above are most responsible for my poor productivity?
  • What can I begin doing to become more productive?
  • How can I create the conditions needed to allow myself to enter a flow state more often? Watch the next video on the Productivity Flow Curve (or 'Flow Mountain' as I refer to it for more insights on how to do this).

Recommended Reading:



Studies & Articles Referenced:


  1. How multi-tasking can cost us up to 40% of our productive time:  https://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask
  2. Why multi-tasking costs us time: https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758%2Fs13423-015-0907-3
  3. Flow: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224927532_Flow_The_Psychology_of_Optimal_Experience