Let’s start with the weird, time isn’t linear! OK so you don’t have time for all that, but I will give you an interesting fact. Have you noticed that time seems to have gone faster since you have gotten older?

When you are learning something for the first time, your mind slows down its perception of time so you can fully absorb new information. This is why your childhood lasted forever and your middle age is disappearing as you say the words February already, where is the year going?

You might have noticed when you go on holiday, you have the feeling you have been there forever, only to find a few days before you’re about to leave it’s over in a snap. Learning your way around a new place, slows the perception of time down, then when close to going home to a familiar place and your brain goes back to a faster time speed. So, if time is in your perception, then by meditating and imagining you have time will give you the perception of more time, and weirdly you get more done.

If you’re a more practical person who is yelling at your screen ‘just give me the facts Walsh’y’ here you go:

Avoid multitasking – Yes I know you’re good at it, but….

  • It hurts your brain and will make you feel mentally exhausted
  • You’ll be less not more productive
  • It can cause stress and anxiety and a sense of failing
  • You’re more likely to screw up and have to do it again, likely with someone enjoying your little typo!

Organise your time by the hour, not by the task

  • If the task takes 2 hours but you can do it in one hour, do it in the morning. Our brain is sharper in the morning for most people.

Plan your downtime.

  • Your brain needs time to process information. Taking breaks is so important and you’ll likely come up with your best ideas on a walk.

Clear your mind and everything around you of clutter.

  • Write to-do lists. One massive list of everything then break-it down into a day list or even better hour-by-hour list.
  • Clear your desk and home screen of your computer. the more ‘stuff’ around you the more cluttered your brain feels.

Prioritise and set goals

  • Ask yourself plenty of questions about the problem before starting on the solution. The brain works better when we ask ‘how’ and keep asking ‘how’ or ‘why’. The moment we find the solution or think ‘I can’t’ the brain stops the search function.

If your job is an endless conveyor belt of stuff. You can complete amazing work and often there isn’t anyone who tells you ‘well done’.

We do need praise as it loads our brains with happy chemicals that give us drive. When you’re not appreciated you can lose your drive and energy to keep going. So by setting achievable goals you’ll be able to create your happy chemicals. It also means that an endless conveyor belt of workload has stops in it.

Completion of a task is gratifying and we need to feel that before we move on to the next thing.

Time has ticked away for 13.8 billion years. Time measures the distance from birth to death, make your time here the most joyous that you can.