Deep Work: 4 Ways to more Time, Money, and Flourishing

Insights from “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport

Deep work significantly impacts all three of the aims of this blog: time, money, and what matters most. In this post I will define deep work. Then, I’ll show how it helps you have more time and money and how it helps you realize what matters most in life. Finally, I’ll share four ways to infuse your life with deep work.

Einstein, a model of deep work, standing in front of a chalk board with an equation written on it

Einstein modeled deep work, employing intense focus to achieve greatness.

(more…)

How to Save 20+ Hours/Year with a Free Password Manager

And My Recommendation for the Best Free Password Manager

How annoying is it when you can’t remember a password for an online account you need immediate access to? If you’re like this survey’s respondents, you find forgetting a password even more annoying than misplacing your keys or having your cell phone battery die.

Man yelling at laptop

Nearly 40% of sampled workers waste a whopping 24 hours per year entering passwords. If you don’t have that substantial problem, then your problem may be even worse. You may use the same password for everything. If so, you’re giving the keys to your financial accounts to folks at eBay, Facebook, Skype, etc.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there is a simple solution to all of the above problems. The solution is a password manager.

(more…)

Multitasking Works in 2 Ways that Experts Fail to See

How to Know When to Multitask and When Not To

Multitasking used to be cool. People thought it possible and aspired to it. Now, however, so-called productivity experts condemn multitasking. But the picture of multitasking they paint is woefully incomplete. The experts fail to acknowledge two ways in which multitasking is not only possible but very efficient.

Mother multitasking: talking on phone while cooking and holding a baby

(more…)

How to Live the 80/20 Rule for What Matters Most

Why the 80/20 Rule is a Key Principle for Having More Time and Money

The 80/20 rule states that 80% of effects are determined by 20% of their causes. The rule is also known as the Pareto Principle, after the 19th Century Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto. Pareto noticed that 80% of the peas in his garden came from 20% of the peapods. (Weird thing to notice.) He also showed that about 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population.

Man contemplating how he can use the 80/20 rule to achieve 80% of the result with 20% of the input

The Pareto Principle is not a law, like gravity. It’s a rule of thumb. It fits a wide array of phenomena. Consider, for instance, these applications of the rule across a variety of fields: (more…)

You Can’t Afford Not to Have a Personal Assistant

And How You Can Hire a Top-Rated Virtual Assistant for $5 per Hour

Have you ever wished there were another “you” to help you get everything done? If so, you need a personal assistant. “Personal assistant!?,” you scoff. “Aren’t personal assistants for millionaires and CEOs?” Yes, they are. But not only for them. Not anymore. Nowadays, you and I can afford an assistant as well.

A generation ago my suggestion may have been preposterous. But times have changed. Consider these three differences: (more…)

Why Procrastination Increases Efficiency

And How You Can Achieve Greater Efficiency and Other Benefits Besides without Procrastinating

Have you ever been up against a deadline and found yourself accomplishing more than seems humanly possible? Final exams used to spark that feeling for me as a student. Now, my biggest work projects do. I also recall getting a million things done in the days leading up to my wedding.

Lots of pressure can be stressful. But for many of us, it is also energizing. Our focus skyrockets. We become super-efficient. We feel intensely alive.

Do you ever wish that you could live “in the zone” more often? After all, final exams, big work projects, and weddings don’t come around every day.

I’d like to discuss three approaches to being super-efficient more often. One I argue against, and two I argue for. (more…)

How to Save 40 Hours per Year with One iPhone Setting

How to have Your iPhone or other Smartphone Read to You at a Faster-than-normal Rate

If you regularly consume written content such as articles, blog posts, and email, it is possible to save over 40 hours per year. The trick is to have your iPhone read to you at a faster-than-normal rate. Utilizing this one iPhone setting can save you the equivalent of one work week per year.

Girl on bike listending to iPhone read to her

Here’s how to enable this powerful feature: (more…)