How to find your "golden" time and work smarter
Do you work at the wrong time?
Like most people, you probably value hard work. Especially if you’re an entrepreneur, the idea of working hard to achieve something is in your blood. But this could be a losing battle. We think that working hard all the time is the way to go, but that attitude can unproductive.
There are smarter ways to work that are more productive. One of these is to find your “golden” time.
The idea of your golden time is one of the most valuable productivity habits that has changed my life and can change yours too. It’s based on the idea that there are certain times where you are able to get more work done. Find those times and schedule and streamline your productivity for those times especially.
That’s it. But let me explain more how it works.
Work when it’s easier - be less stressed
A big part of the method that I’ve developed with the Identity Factor is based on removing the anxiety and limiting beliefs that keep your brain from achieving what you want. The golden time is the time of your day when you’re able to get more done with less stress and fewer distractions. It’s different for everyone, but it’s whatever time of the day or week when you’re naturally more productive.
If you’re not as productive as you’d like, it could be that you’re trying to work too much or at the wrong times. This causes frustration. Like trying to fit the square peg in the wrong hole. This is the misguided belief in hard work for its own sake that becomes a losing battle. When your habits cause frustration, anxiety, and negative feelings, this prohibits your unconscious ability to work efficiently and causes a negative, reinforcing loop that kills productivity.
But when you focus on being productive during your golden time, then you’ll get more done. And guess what? It feels good to get things done. And how much of success comes down to perception and feeling? A lot. So the more that you zero in on your golden time, the more consistent you’ll be.
Be more consistent across the board
Let’s say you’re trying to work all the time now. You’re burning the midnight oil. You’re burning the candle at both ends. But you’re not really getting much done. (What’s with all the metaphors with fire, by the way)?
Regardless, if you’re grinding all the time time, then you’re just going to get frustrated, and that means you’re going to get burned out. And not only will you be frustrated, but you just won’t get as much done.
When you focus on the golden time, you’ll be more productive and hence, more satisfied and less frustrated. If you’re consistent with production during your best working times, then the beautiful thing is that you may not even need to work as much. But even if you do decide to work longer, allow yourself to branch out to other times of the day out of a sense of satisfaction that comes from a feeling of getting things done - not out of guilt.
Unleash the power of your subconscious
Eliminate limiting beliefs. Get rid of frustration and guilt. The key here is not “figuring out how to be more productive.” No, what you’re trying to do is take away all the things that limit your subconscious. Remember that your subconscious brain wants to do everything it can to make you successful, and your subconscious is very powerful.
Trust your subconscious brain. Trust yourself. Stop getting in your own way with conscious habits and beliefs that may sound good, but don’t actually get anything done. These conscious beliefs (“hard work is good”) cause frustration and limit your subconscious brain’s ability to achieve success.
Use your conscious mind to get rid of frustration and allow your subconscious to work.
Make your conscious mind work for you
Use your analytical mind to examine your work habits. Figure out what your golden time is and then focus on being productive during that time. Audit yourself. Pick a day when you don’t have any appointments and pay attention to how you work.
When are you actually productive? When do you just think you want to get things done? When are you more distracted? When are you able to reach a flow state? Be honest. Be ruthless. Take notes and pay attention to your habits as much as you can.
After you identify a pattern, schedule more work for those times when you’re more productive. Schedule less work when you’re less productive. Allow yourself to relax then or schedule other necessary tasks that you need to get done but that you don’t qualify as intensive work.
Keep auditing and refining until you’ve successfully identified your golden time. And it’s important to avoid any preconceptions! Early mornings may be the most productive time for a lot of people, but don’t assume it until you’ve proven it. You may in fact be surprised when your most productive time is.
Conquer the golden time and then guard it
Once you’ve identified the most productive time for you, focus exclusively on being consistent with this time everyday. Once you're consistent on being productive during this time, then you’ll naturally be more productive at other times if necessary.
Guard this time with your life.
Protect your golden time. Get rid of distractions. Turn off your phone and your smart watch. Block your browser from the internet (if you’re working on a computer). If you have to, use software to block you from browsing on the internet as a distraction.
Don’t allow other people to steal this time from you. You may have to turn down social engagements or appointments that pop up in this time. That probably seems unnatural. If you’re an entrepreneur, then there’s a good chance one of your motivations to work for yourself was the ability to set your own schedule. So this may seem constricted at first, but it could be a necessity until you get the hand of it. And when this works, which it will, then it will actually free you up more and give you less stress - so don’t be afraid to actually schedule this time into your day and stick to it.
Stop checking Twitter and email!
Don’t do mindless stuff during your golden time. Don’t check Twitter. Forget about the sports scores for now. And let’s be honest -you don’t really want to check your email.
I know. We’re all tempted to do the thing where you settle in to work, but first you just need to read email and check a few things online. And then after all that...then you’ll start working.
It’s a little ritual we all do.
But here’s the thing. Don’t do it. At its worst, it’s procrastination. And at its best...it’s still procrastination! Look, we’re all tempted to do this, but the key thing is that your golden time is your productive time. Get in the frame of mind of seeing it as a time to be productive.
Now, I’ve said at other times that you should let yourself procrastinate. That’s still true! But my point here is that you shouldn’t let procrastination become one of those “default rituals” that you do before you get to work.
If you’re gonna procrastinate, then procrastinate. Do something fun and enjoyable. Don’t procrastinate in a way that reinforces negative feelings about being productive.
When you feel like you “just have to” check your email and social media before getting to work, that just comes from the type of mindset that views being productive as something to avoid. That’s a negative mindset that you should avoid at all costs.
There’s nothing wrong with a ritual before starting to work. It can even be a good thing. It’s good to clear your mind and put yourself in a mindframe to be productive. But if you’re going to use a ritual, then make it distinct from procrastination. Make it something focused on you and on providing comfort, not just a last minute avoidance technique before starting something you’d rather avoid.
Find your “golden” time and get more done
I can’t say this enough - which means I’m gonna say it again. Your subconscious will achieve your success. That’s what it’s built for. Create habits and ways of thinking that clear the way for your subconscious to succeed.
Once you’ve identified your “golden” time for productivity, you’ll stop fighting the losing battle of trying to work harder all the time. You’ll work better, you’ll get more done, and you’ll be less frustrated and less anxious. The more you clear away those limiting beliefs and feelings, the more successful you’ll be.
Work with Anthony and hit the rocket fuel 🚀button on your success!
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