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Most productivity advice is boring.
Here is my 3 part framework for a flexible, sustainable, and productive daily routine (without having to be disciplined):
Here is my 3 part framework for a flexible, sustainable, and productive daily routine (without having to be disciplined):
Western work culture is cancerous.
- 80-hour work weeks
- High-pressure environments
- Little time for rest and recovery
This never sat right with me.
Why would I want to waste most of my day knowing that you only have 2-3 hours of true focus to give each day?
- 80-hour work weeks
- High-pressure environments
- Little time for rest and recovery
This never sat right with me.
Why would I want to waste most of my day knowing that you only have 2-3 hours of true focus to give each day?
Do you go to the gym for 8 hours trying to be as "productive" as possible?
Even worse, for 5-6 days in a row?
Your body would be decimated, as would your mind.
Instead, we have 45-90 minutes of challenging training, expend energy, and spend our day focused on recovery.
Even worse, for 5-6 days in a row?
Your body would be decimated, as would your mind.
Instead, we have 45-90 minutes of challenging training, expend energy, and spend our day focused on recovery.
The framework we are going to discuss is flexible, but best used by those that have control over their time.
- Remote workers
- Solopreneurs
- Creators
Let's dive into the fill, empty, use framework:
- Remote workers
- Solopreneurs
- Creators
Let's dive into the fill, empty, use framework:
1) Fill Your Mind
The brain processes information from the things we give our attention.
If you read shit, you will feel like shit.
If you scroll memes and closed minded content all day, you will operate from a sub-optimal mental state.
Your environment influences your mind.
The brain processes information from the things we give our attention.
If you read shit, you will feel like shit.
If you scroll memes and closed minded content all day, you will operate from a sub-optimal mental state.
Your environment influences your mind.
If you want sustained creativity and productivity, you must consume information with that intention.
That is, you must consume with the intention that what you *learn* will be *applied* to some project in your life.
Your business, health, and relationships are projects.
That is, you must consume with the intention that what you *learn* will be *applied* to some project in your life.
Your business, health, and relationships are projects.
When you consume information for the sake of having focused energy for life's projects, you bring meaning and fulfillment to the most mundane activities.
What lesson can you pull from the information your brain is processing on a moment to moment basis?
What lesson can you pull from the information your brain is processing on a moment to moment basis?
My favorite ways to fill my mind (that I have made a part of my daily routine):
- Listening to audiobooks or lectures on long walks outside
- Reading in the sun to make sure I'm getting ample sunlight
- Having a work cut off time to socialize with friends
30-60 minutes a day.
- Listening to audiobooks or lectures on long walks outside
- Reading in the sun to make sure I'm getting ample sunlight
- Having a work cut off time to socialize with friends
30-60 minutes a day.
2) Empty Your Mind
In psychology, there is something called the "Default Mode Network."
The DMN is "a series of interconnected sections that activate as soon as people stop concentrating on external tasks, and shifts from outward-focused to inward-focused cognition."
In psychology, there is something called the "Default Mode Network."
The DMN is "a series of interconnected sections that activate as soon as people stop concentrating on external tasks, and shifts from outward-focused to inward-focused cognition."
That is, your brain is just as active when you aren't hyper focused on work, negative thoughts, or anything else that demands narrow attention.
By "emptying" your mind, you are allowing your subconscious to solve creative problems without you needing to "do" any of the work.
By "emptying" your mind, you are allowing your subconscious to solve creative problems without you needing to "do" any of the work.
Like when a programmer gets stuck on a bug, gives up, then has the perfect answer delivered to their conscious mind while at rest.
Similar to shower thoughts.
Or how writers go on long walks or lay by the pool. It's not laziness, it's the most important aspect of their work.
Similar to shower thoughts.
Or how writers go on long walks or lay by the pool. It's not laziness, it's the most important aspect of their work.
Ancient Romans & Greeks, Steve Jobs, Charles Darwin, and even Tarantino understood the importance of rest.
In the modern world you must TAKE time for rest.
Rest is probably not what you think it is. It is still active. Not laying on the couch eating doritos.
In the modern world you must TAKE time for rest.
Rest is probably not what you think it is. It is still active. Not laying on the couch eating doritos.
Rest is a state of open focus accomplished by:
- Hitting the gym
- Going on walks
- Nature bathing
- Journaling & meditation
- Active listening in social situations
And many other methods.
Schedule time in your day for meditative activities that don't demand narrow attention.
- Hitting the gym
- Going on walks
- Nature bathing
- Journaling & meditation
- Active listening in social situations
And many other methods.
Schedule time in your day for meditative activities that don't demand narrow attention.
3) Use Your Mind
"Using" your mind comes last as we have already filled and emptied it.
By filling our mind we have expanded it, broadening our awareness and allowing the Law of Inspired Action to come into play.
Ample creative firepower that we can use.
"Using" your mind comes last as we have already filled and emptied it.
By filling our mind we have expanded it, broadening our awareness and allowing the Law of Inspired Action to come into play.
Ample creative firepower that we can use.
By emptying our mind, we have allowed the Default Mode network to come into play.
Our subconscious mind will deliver insights to our conscious mind that we can use to enhance our work.
Now it is time to reduce our work times, get into flow, and produce.
Our subconscious mind will deliver insights to our conscious mind that we can use to enhance our work.
Now it is time to reduce our work times, get into flow, and produce.
There are 3 main things that come into play when getting into deep work:
1) Leveraged familiarity
2) Ordered consciousness
3) Singular focus (not split attention)
We can use these to make the most of our finite creative energy.
1) Leveraged familiarity
2) Ordered consciousness
3) Singular focus (not split attention)
We can use these to make the most of our finite creative energy.
/ Leveraged Familiarity /
A soft morning routine.
The human brain loves to conserve energy wasted on repetitive thoughts and actions.
This must be "leveraged" as it is how most people live. Robotic, mechanical, unconscious lives that are difficult to break out of.
A soft morning routine.
The human brain loves to conserve energy wasted on repetitive thoughts and actions.
This must be "leveraged" as it is how most people live. Robotic, mechanical, unconscious lives that are difficult to break out of.
Leveraged familiarity is just that, being conscious of your routine, how it serves you, and the bottlenecks that you can work through as they come up.
I like to have 2 90 minute work blocks that I space apart with long walks before noon.
I like to have 2 90 minute work blocks that I space apart with long walks before noon.
/ Ordered Consciousness /
If you don't have clarity on what you will be doing during your work blocks, you won't get anything done.
- Brain dump journal the night before
- Set priority, goal-oriented tasks
- Write down the 1st thing you will work on
Powerful once experienced.
If you don't have clarity on what you will be doing during your work blocks, you won't get anything done.
- Brain dump journal the night before
- Set priority, goal-oriented tasks
- Write down the 1st thing you will work on
Powerful once experienced.
/ Singular Focus /
Spiritual gurus talk about "being in the present."
That's what singular focus is, whether is be deep or open.
If you are constantly thinking about future tasks or ruminating on past failures — your attention is split.
Spiritual gurus talk about "being in the present."
That's what singular focus is, whether is be deep or open.
If you are constantly thinking about future tasks or ruminating on past failures — your attention is split.
Again, this is why "filling" and "empyting" your mind is important.
A more tangible way of understanding this is to eliminate distractions.
- Choose a conducive environment (coffee shop or hotel lobby)
- Eliminate everything that isn't the task you should be focused on
A more tangible way of understanding this is to eliminate distractions.
- Choose a conducive environment (coffee shop or hotel lobby)
- Eliminate everything that isn't the task you should be focused on
When done correctly, this holistic approach should improve your daily mood, reduce your work times, and be a consistent source of "good" dopamine.
This is a lifestyle more than a tool or hack.
I would encourage you to test and implement this in your own life.
This is a lifestyle more than a tool or hack.
I would encourage you to test and implement this in your own life.
To recap:
Fill your mind to generate creative energy.
Empty your mind to sustain that energy.
Use your mind to produce with that energy.
If you enjoyed this thread, consider following me @thedankoe for more and retweeting the first tweet:
Fill your mind to generate creative energy.
Empty your mind to sustain that energy.
Use your mind to produce with that energy.
If you enjoyed this thread, consider following me @thedankoe for more and retweeting the first tweet:
This is a condensed version of a previous Koe Letter issue.
If you want to dive deeper into the Fill Empty Use framework, check it out the post here:
thedankoe.com/the-3-part-daily-routine-for-maximum-productivity/
If you want to dive deeper into the Fill Empty Use framework, check it out the post here:
thedankoe.com/the-3-part-daily-routine-for-maximum-productivity/
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Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom
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Aug 16, 2022
Really enjoyed this read