{"id":170044,"date":"2020-10-19T14:21:53","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T13:21:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/?p=170044"},"modified":"2024-04-24T13:58:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T12:58:50","slug":"how-to-boost-your-productivity-according-to-ancient-philosophers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/how-to-boost-your-productivity-according-to-ancient-philosophers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Boost Your Productivity, According to Ancient Philosophers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"170044\" class=\"elementor elementor-170044\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3f569cf6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3f569cf6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3dcb09de\" data-id=\"3dcb09de\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-14d8bfa1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"14d8bfa1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><b style=\"color: inherit;font-size: 2rem\"><span style=\",sans-serif;color:black\">Boost your productivity by internalizing these age-old teachings.<\/span><\/b><h2><\/h2>\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-351b5fa0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"351b5fa0\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-56695b2e\" data-id=\"56695b2e\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20caa2e5 mobile-padding elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"20caa2e5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n<p>Knowing how to properly utilize our time, and boost our productivity amidst regular distractions is a problem that humanity has grappled with for centuries. As humans with a finite existence, our time is limited. And as a result, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/nietzsches-idea-of-the-eternal-recurrence-2670659\">it\u2019s important that we make the most of each day<\/a>, and achieve the things we set our sights on.<\/p>\n<p>The problem, according to some Philosophers, is that we are susceptible <a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/weakness-will\/\">to weakness of the will (akrasia).<\/a> By that, they mean we could:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Set our sights on a goal.<\/li>\n<li>Know exactly how to achieve that goal, and it be fully in our power to achieve it.<\/li>\n<li>Want to perform the actions necessary to reach our goal.<\/li>\n<li>And yet, still not perform them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In the modern world, most of us don\u2019t choose the required action because technological advancements have overloaded us with choices and distractions. <a href=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/this-is-why-you-cant-focus-and-how-to-fix-that\/\">And these are more appealing in the present moment, because they offer instant gratification.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/gb\/blog\/in-practice\/201910\/6-common-causes-procrastination\">As a result:<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Students ditch their textbooks for mobile phones, despite wanting to achieve.<\/li>\n<li>Entrepreneurs ditch their daily grind, despite wanting to be a success.<\/li>\n<li>Parents prefer to watch TV, rather than nurture and watch their children as they grow \u2013 despite knowing they will regret it in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The question, then, is how we can make the most of our finite time on Earth. How can we remain focused on the things we want, rather than getting caught up in tedious and pointless daily distractions?<\/p>\n<p>To answer such questions, let\u2019s discuss life lessons from Ancient Philosophers, who were grappling with these problems thousands of years ago<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-d9f9250 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d9f9250\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-285ec4f\" data-id=\"285ec4f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d0dc1c8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d0dc1c8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. To Succeed, Take the First Step<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62072b0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"62072b0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/To-Succeed-Get-Started-768x512.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-170053\" alt=\"Decorative coffee cup with &quot;Begin&quot; written on\" srcset=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/To-Succeed-Get-Started-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/To-Succeed-Get-Started-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/To-Succeed-Get-Started.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f48b6d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2f48b6d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>During his life, <a href=\"https:\/\/stanford.library.sydney.edu.au\/archives\/sum2012\/entries\/plato\/\">fourth century BC Philosopher, Plato,<\/a> set himself a task that, to some, might seem impossible. He wanted to offer a universal definition of justice<b><i>, <\/i><\/b>and do so in a way that proves it is good in and of itself.<\/p><p>His attempt is documented in his book, <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220407083502\/https:\/\/mvlindsey.files.wordpress.com\/2015\/08\/allen-bloom-the-republic.pdf\">The Republic.<\/a> Here, he presents his ideas through a discussion between Socrates and several interlocutors and challengers.\u00a0 On his journey, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparknotes.com\/philosophy\/republic\/summary\/\">Socrates faced numerous obstacles<\/a> \u2013 in particular, he was heavily criticized for trying to debunking old definitions of justice.<\/p><p>When facing a challenge, it can be easy to adopt a defeatist attitude. In fact, when the odds are against us, a lot of us give up before we even get started.<\/p><p>But, when Plato tasked himself with debunking the status quo, rather than becoming defeatist, he exclaimed:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><b><i>\u201cThe beginning is the most important part of any work.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p><p>Things always appear worse in our heads, and most of us naturally shy away from tasks that appear, on the surface, difficult. It\u2019s here that we opt for distractions, rather than chase our goals.<\/p><p>But, whether you are:<\/p><ul><li>Preparing for an important presentation.<\/li><li>Starting an academic essay.<\/li><li>Or debunking mainstream views on justice.<\/li><\/ul><div>\u00a0<\/div><p>You should get started, and attempt the task, before giving up. The start of a project is always the most difficult part.\u00a0 Rather than procrastinating for hours, get the ball rolling \u2013 and you\u2019ll soon realize that the task wasn\u2019t as difficult as it first seemed.<\/p><p>That\u2019s what Plato did, anyway. And, despite the obstacles, The Republic has been hailed one of the greatest Political Philosophy pieces of all time.\u00a0<\/p><h3>\u00a0<\/h3><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3><strong>When You&#8217;re Feeling Overwhelmed, Start Small<\/strong><\/h3><p>The advice to \u201cjust get started\u201d might be useful for some, but for others, the sheer scale of a project can make it difficult to know exactly how to get going.<\/p><p>Acknowledging this fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/laozi\/\">Ancient Chinese Philosopher, Lao Tzu,<\/a> stated:<\/p><p><b><i>\u201cA journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.\u201d\u2019<\/i><\/b><\/p><p>Often, things seem complicated, and it can be difficult to know how to start something. Whenever that happens,\u00a0the best thing we can do is break down the task into small, segmented steps.\u00a0<\/p><p>That way, regardless of whether you&#8217;re feeling overwhelmed, you can easily start a task by taking one simple choice.<\/p><p>Doing so will boost our productivity because, rather than trying to tackle a whole project and becoming overwhelmed, we can cut out procrastination by taking lots of straightforward steps towards a big goal.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-f7d0ead elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f7d0ead\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-878c917\" data-id=\"878c917\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1fcaf5f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1fcaf5f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. Internalize Stoicism into Your Daily Life<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d4d35c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d4d35c5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stoicism is a part of Hellenistic Philosophy founded around the Third Century BC by Ancient Philosopher<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.philosophybasics.com\/philosophers_zeno_citium.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Zeno of Citium.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> As I\u2019m sure you\u2019re already aware, their core principles are widely practiced \u2013 and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thriveglobal.com\/stories\/ancient-philosophy-stoicism-help-best-work-every-day\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">when properly internalized, can be used to boost our productivity.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let\u2019s talk through a few of these key lessons from Stoic thinkers.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-2f5d339 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2f5d339\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-7c6c306\" data-id=\"7c6c306\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cd3ee2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7cd3ee2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Focus on the Process, and Ignore What You Cannot Control<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c9bd567 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c9bd567\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Focus-on-what-you-can-control-1-768x510.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-170060\" alt=\"Arm and hand working at desk, highlighting important info\" srcset=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Focus-on-what-you-can-control-1-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Focus-on-what-you-can-control-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Focus-on-what-you-can-control-1-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Focus-on-what-you-can-control-1-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Focus-on-what-you-can-control-1-1000x664.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Focus-on-what-you-can-control-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c791fa7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c791fa7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Beyond distractions, worrying about the things we can&#8217;t control and fixating on self-doubt is a big threat to our productivity. Getting caught up in thoughts of &#8220;what if,&#8221; and doubting your abilities based on the past can detract from the things we hold important.<\/p>\n<p>At times, we overthink ourselves into procrastination. We don\u2019t feel good enough, fear failure, and spend so long worrying about negative outcomes, that we don\u2019t leave room to focus on our goals.<\/p>\n<p>Acknowledging that most of the things we worry about are beyond our control, second century CE Philosopher, <a href=\"http:\/\/classics.mit.edu\/Epictetus\/epicench.html\">Epictetus wrote<\/a><b>:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>\u201cMake the best use of what\u2019s in your power and take the rest as it happens.\u201d (The Enchiridion)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>In truth, almost all of our worry and <a href=\"http:\/\/classics.mit.edu\/Epictetus\/epicench.html\">self-doubt comes from these external factors beyond us:<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">We fixate and define ourselves based on our previous mistakes, despite an inability to change the past.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">We worry about how others perceive us, despite being unable to control what they think.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And as a result, we proactively avoid performing certain actions because we\u2019re scared of what might happen. And that hinders our productivity, and chances of success.<\/p>\n<p>The reality is that becoming distracted by these thoughts is pointless, because there\u2019s nothing we can do to change the matter of fact. Rather than questioning our abilities based on the past, Epictetus argues we would be better off focusing our attention on those things we have power over.<\/p>\n<p>According to Epictetus, the moment we focus on our own actions, rather than external factors, we will be free, rather than a slave to things outside our control. In doing so, we will spend less time worrying and overthinking, and more time taking positive action that will improve our lives for the better.<\/p>\n<h3>&nbsp;<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-576a0d1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"576a0d1\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-a8c1dc6\" data-id=\"a8c1dc6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-802634b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"802634b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Value Your Time &amp; Avoid Superficial Pursuits<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c5c013a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c5c013a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Value-your-time-768x512.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-170061\" alt=\"A picture of a wrist watch resting on a laptop\" srcset=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Value-your-time-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Value-your-time-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Value-your-time.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a7135be elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a7135be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In life, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/better-marketing\/youve-been-counting-pennies-when-you-should-have-been-counting-time-66fe8420dbc9\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">time is the one currency that, once spent, we can never get back<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It\u2019s easy to lose sight of that fact in our day to day lives, and waste our time on superficial pursuits.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stoic Philosophers were not materialists; they argue we should pursue a life of virtue, and ignore material superficial possessions. And doing so will allow us to properly spend our time on the things we care about, rather than the things we don\u2019t.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Therefore, according to Stoic Philosophy, to properly make the most of your time and boost your productivity, you should:<\/span><\/p><ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/modesty-humility\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Practice intellectual humility:<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 Shut off your ego, focus your efforts on completing tasks, rather than chasing credit and social status.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Not get too caught up in entertainment or idle discussion about trivial topics. As this will detract from the things you value.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Spend your time wisely, and only perform actions that you truly want to pursue.<\/span><\/li><\/ol><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because the reality is, most of us do things which, upon further reflection, it\u2019s apparent that we don\u2019t actually want to perform. So take care of your time. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/how-to-say-no-advice-from-the-worlds-most-powerful-man\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After all, according to Roman Philosopher, Seneca:<\/span><\/a><\/p><p><b><i>\u201cNo person hands out their money to passers-by, but to how many do each of us hand out our lives! We protect our money, yet think too little of wasting time. The only thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.&#8221;<\/i><\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-e98a9c2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e98a9c2\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-982f339\" data-id=\"982f339\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7aa320b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7aa320b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ae8b17 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1ae8b17\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As humans with a finite existence, our time on earth is limited. Consequently, in order to prioritize and achieve the things we set our sights on, it\u2019s important that we make the most of our time and remain as productive as possible.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In doing so, we should resort back to the key lessons taught by Ancient Philosophers thousands of years ago:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To succeed, take the first step. No matter how challenging a task may seem, remember that things are always worse in our heads.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Where you\u2019re struggling to get started, according to Lao Tzu, break things down into manageable steps; where each step is easy and straightforward \u2013 but leads you to your desired end.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Internalize the teachings of Stoicism:<\/span><\/li><\/ul><ol><li style=\"list-style-type: none\"><ol><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Focus on achieving your goal, and ignore what you can\u2019t control. Doing so will lead to the cessation of self-doubt and worry. Instead allowing you the confidence and courage to chase your goal.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Remember just how important your time is. Avoid wasting it on superficial things like gossip and idle talk. Instead, focus your attention on achieving the things you value.<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the whole, these teachings will cause you to focus more on the things you value, including your goals. And this will inevitably boost your productivity and motivation when pursuing them.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-7c70dc2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7c70dc2\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-45b9fa4a\" data-id=\"45b9fa4a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-665cd94\" data-id=\"665cd94\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Make the most of your time by internalizing these age-old teachings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":170065,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[77,173,10,95],"class_list":["post-170044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productivity","tag-lifestyle","tag-philosophy","tag-productivity","tag-psychology"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Boost Your Productivity, According to Ancient Philosophers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Lessons from Plato, Epictetus, and Seneca on how to boost your productivity. 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