{"id":6679,"date":"2017-11-16T16:11:45","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T16:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/?p=6679"},"modified":"2025-02-13T09:26:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T09:26:41","slug":"how-to-harness-the-power-of-minimalism-to-become-more-productive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/how-to-harness-the-power-of-minimalism-to-become-more-productive\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Harness the Power of Minimalism to Become More Productive"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Do less and accomplish more by applying minimalist principles to your life.<\/h2>\n

For some, the term \u201cminimalist lifestyle\u201d brings to mind a scrawny monk wearing a tattered robe in a barren room with no WiFi.<\/p>\n

However, minimalism is not about living in squalor, eschewing material goods and technology, going vegan, or backpacking the world. Rather than focusing on what you should get rid of, minimalism is about making room for things you value\u2014and that includes experiences, tasks, and time. We think Einstein said it best: \u201cEverything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler\u201d.<\/p>\n

As minimalism becomes increasingly trendy, there\u2019s been plenty of seminars, workshops, Udemy courses, and blogs on how minimalism can help your home life and relationships. There\u2019s less information out there, however, on navigating work, school, and productivity with this ideology. This blog is about to change that.<\/p>\n

Download this article as a PDF<\/a><\/h2>\n

<\/a>A Brief History of Minimalism <\/strong><\/h3>\n

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(Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Though trending across the country \u2013 especially among millennials \u2013 minimalism is not a new way of thinking. The concept of \u201cless is more\u201d has been around for hundreds of years under different names in Chinese, Buddhist, and Stoic philosophies.<\/p>\n

The greatest minds and influential leaders have embraced minimalism \u2013 from Socrates to Albert Einstein to Steve Jobs. These influencers and innovators were able to achieve exceptional things through applying minimalist values like focus and disdain of distraction.<\/p>\n

<\/a>The Connection Between Minimalism and Productivity <\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s easy to confuse quality with quantity, convincing ourselves that cramming in a ton of tasks means we\u2019re being productive. We end up investing our time in fast and easy activities to have a sense of accomplishment, rather than focusing on the more difficult but important pursuits.<\/p>\n

By applying minimalist principles to your time commitments, goals, and activities, you can accomplish more by doing less. Instead of trying to force production by stuffing your schedule with menial tasks, minimalism helps you free up time to focus on the things that matter.<\/p>\n

<\/a>8 Ways to Become More Productive Through Minimalism <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t let less important things stop you from accomplishing your goals and keep you from living the life you could be living. Here\u2019s how to use minimalist ideologies to boost your productivity:<\/p>\n

1. Start with a clean workspace. <\/strong>Whether you\u2019re a student, artist, or entrepreneur, you probably have a designated space in your home or office that serves as a dedicated workstation. Though there are some who argue that a messy desk is a sign of genius<\/a>, a cluttered workspace could be costing you more time and focus that you realize.<\/p>\n

\"simple-minimalistic-home-office-with-equipment-on-wooden-desk-picjumbo-com.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A study <\/a>from Princeton Neuroscience Institute found that too much visual stimulus from a workstation competes for our attention, leaving less mind power for focusing and transitioning between tasks. Meanwhile, Harvard research<\/a> found that those with a neat workspace were able to perform a challenging task for 1.5 times longer than those in a messy environment.<\/p>\n

How to declutter your desktop?<\/p>\n

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Download our free guide to creating a minimalist workspace<\/a><\/p>\n

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2. Trim down your to-do list. <\/strong>Here\u2019s a fun fact: crossing off tasks from your to-do list releases a rush of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that helps regulate the brain\u2019s reward and pleasure centers.<\/p>\n

After the momentary pleasure of crossing small tasks off your list has passed, an ultra-long to-do list can make you feel guilty at the end of the day. Faced with a long list of tasks you still haven\u2019t completed, it\u2019s easy to become stressed and discouraged.<\/p>\n

To harness the power of minimalism, attack your day\u2019s to-do list with an eraser, delete button, whiteout, etc. Your to-do list should have a maximum of three tasks a day. In fact, some of the highest achievers limit themselves to one item daily.<\/p>\n

3. Identify your most important tasks. <\/strong>Here\u2019s another fun fact. For hundreds of years, the word \u201cpriority\u201d only existed in the singular. It wasn\u2019t until the past century that we came up with a plural version, believing we could and should handle multiple priorities, as author and leadership consultant Greg McKeown noted in his book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

To distinguish the Most Important Tasks (MITs) from the not-so-important ones, start by defining one goal or priority for the day. Ask yourself this question: will this activity move me towards this goal? If the answer is no, slash it from your list.<\/p>\n

4. Do a \u201cmind dump.\u201d <\/strong>Are you having a tough time trimming your to-do list to three MITs? Or do you continue to carry around the other tasks in a nagging \u201cmental\u201d to-do list after getting rid of less important tasks from your physical list?<\/p>\n

The mental to-do list can also be a barrier to productivity. It seems more daunting and difficult to quantify or organize. To rid your brain of a distracting mental to-do list, try starting each day with a \u201cbrain dump.\u201d Dedicate 30 minutes to writing out all the other tasks you need to remember or any worries floating around your brain. After getting everything out on paper or in a Word Doc, put your list away and forget about it. Following the exercise, your mental to-do list should stop haunting you, making it easier to focus.<\/p>\n

5. Consider the Pareto Principle. <\/strong>Renowned Italian philosopher and economist Vilfredo Pareto once observed that 20 percent of the pea plants in his garden produced 80 percent of the healthy peas. It was this observation that led him to discover and describe the \u201cPareto Principle\u201d or \u201c80\/20 Rule.\u201d In simple terms, the principle says that in any event, 20 percent of the inputs or tasks are responsible for 80 percent of the outcome or results.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n