Rules of Productivity
What is one of the simplest ways Vanderkam recommends establishing an endpoint to your day?
Give yourself a bedtime.
DO you have a bedtime, or do you fall asleep at different times every night?
How many hours are in a week? (5 seconds to answer)
160 or 168
By what time does Vanderkam recommend getting some movement into your day?
3 PM
According to Vanderkam, approximately how much discretionary time can most people find in a day, and how might you start to find that time for yourself moving forward?
1 hour.
False. People often misremember or misjudge how they spend their time.
Vanderkam says that people allot themselves too little time to do the activities they like and give themselves too much time to do the activities they dislike.
You constantly find yourself overwhelmed on Sunday because you haven't prepared for the upcoming week. What rule could help?
Do you have an intentional day on which you plan for the upcoming week? If so, what day is it? If not, how could this strategy be beneficial?
Why does Vanderkam encourage people to track their time instead of relying on their memory? If you were to track your time, what is something interesting that you think that you would find?
Tracking provides a more accurate picture of how time is actually spent and can reveal opportunities to use it differently.
You have a goal of reading more, but you keep putting it off because you never have enough time. How could you approach this differently?
Schedule specific times to read, even if they are small pockets of time, and aim to practice this habit three times a week.
What three categories does Vanderkam recommend prioritizing when planning your week?
Career relationships and self
According to Vanderkam, what is one common activity people use their small pockets of time for instead of doing something more meaningful? Give an example of how you use your small pockets of time and share whether you want to keep or change this usage and why.
Scrolling on their phones.
What's one thing you consistently procrastinate on, and why do you think that you put it off? How can one of the tips from the video be beneficial?
Sample answer: One thing I often procrastinate on is going to bed. However, by implementing one of the tips from the video, which is incorporating more enjoyable activities into my daily routine, I might be able to reduce my tendency toward revenge bedtime procrastination.
According to Vanderkam, how many times a week does one person have to do something for it to become a habit?
3 times.
According to this metric, what are some habits or activities in your daily life that you might not have thought about in this way before?
Why does Vanderkam recommend planning on Friday?
It allows you to prepare for the upcoming week during a time slot that would typically be spent thinking about or looking forward to the weekend.
What did Vanderkam discover about participants' general satisfaction with their time after implementing her nine rules over nine weeks?
Their time satisfaction increased.
What is revenge bedtime procrastination, and what is one strategy that Vanderkam recommends to reduce this habit?
Revenge bedtime procrastination is when someone stays up later than intended to reclaim personal time they feel they missed out on during the day. One strategy Vanderkam recommends is incorporating more enjoyable activities into your daily routine so you don't feel the need to sacrifice sleep to have time for yourself.