Summary: Not Today: The 9 Habits of Extreme Productivity by Erica Schultz and Mike Schultz

Key Takeaways

• Do you want to learn how to be more productive and happy, even in the face of challenges and difficulties? Do you want to discover the secrets of extremely productive people, and how they manage to achieve more with less stress and more joy? If so, you might want to read the book Not Today: The 9 Habits of Extreme Productivity by Erica Schultz and Mike Schultz.
• In this article, we will provide you with a summary and review of the book, and highlight the main points and takeaways. We will also share some of the exercises and tools that the authors suggest, and how you can use them to improve your productivity and happiness. If you are interested in learning more, keep reading!

Recommendation

During Ari Schultz’s five short years in this world, he spent 430 days in the hospital and underwent countless surgeries, including an unsuccessful heart transplant. Throughout the harrowing ordeal, his parents, Erica and Mike Schultz, had to keep their business going and care for two younger children. They became time management gurus through necessity. The Schultzes developed a nine-step productivity system by studying extremely productive individuals. Their system can help you achieve your goals and find your purpose, despite life’s slings and arrows.

Take-Aways

• Loss taught a young couple that time is a scarce commodity; that lesson led them to develop their “Productivity Code.”
• Classify your time into four categories: “treasured” time engaging in activities you love, “investment” time working toward your goals, “mandatory” time doing chores, and “empty” time doing nothing of value.
• The Productivity Code is a nine-step time management system that considers your purpose as well as your tasks and tactics.
• First, “recruit your drive” to emulate extremely productive people.
• Second, “ignite your proactivity” to get started.
• Third, “reengineer your habits” to eliminate unproductive behavior.
• Fourth, “obsess over time” and be deliberate allocating your hours.
• Fifth, “say no” to low-priority requests so you stay on track toward your goals.
• Sixth, “play hard to get” to resist distractions and interruptions.
• Seventh, “sprint into the zone” by immersing yourself so deeply in an activity that you lose track of time.
• Eighth, “fuel your energy” to build stamina as you become more productive.
• And ninth, “right the ship” when you veer off course.

Summary

Loss taught a young couple that time is a scarce commodity; that lesson led them to develop their “Productivity Code.”

Erica and Mike Schultz were a young couple with a new house and a budding business when life got tough. They struggled to conceive, and Erica’s first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. When she got pregnant again, an ultrasound revealed that their baby boy had a congenital heart defect. Baby Ari underwent two complex surgeries in utero to correct the defect, and he was born on February 16, 2012. In his five short years, Ari spent 430 days in the hospital, undergoing several surgeries before passing away on July 21, 2017.

“The great body of popular productivity guidance is all about stepping on the gas, yet never about filling the tank. All about yielding fruit, but rarely about planting seeds, and the time and often delicate and careful tending needed for their growth.”

During this time, Erica and Mike had to keep their business running in order to maintain their health insurance. Due to a mold problem, they had to demolish and rebuild their home. And they had to continue to be good parents for Lexi and Eli, Ari’s siblings. Erica and Mike had to produce and achieve, no matter how exhausted or emotionally drained they felt. When Ari died, and their “brightest light went dark,” they needed to rediscover their purpose and rebuild their lives.

Classify your time into four categories: “treasured” time engaging in activities you love, “investment” time working toward your goals, “mandatory” time doing chores, and “empty” time doing nothing of value.

Ari’s illness forced Erica and Mike to be strict about using their limited time. They realized that productivity isn’t a matter of doing more or working harder or smarter, but of doing the right things and focusing on your priorities and purposeful tasks.

“We looked at other so-called time management systems and found them to be (often overwhelmingly) brimming with tips, hacks and tactics…Never did we find much exploration of what we now believe to be essential for truly durable productivity: purpose.”

After extensive research and interviews, the Schultzes devised their Productivity Code. Before you use it, they advise identifying your most meaningful, important tasks. To increase your productivity and happiness, consider your purpose (the “why”), your actions (the “what”) and your tactics (the “how”). To remain on the path to fulfilling your goals, continually assess and define what matters to you. Classify your tasks and activities into four categories:

• Treasured time – Time spent on activities you savor, notably those with people you love.
• Investment time – Time focused making significant progress toward your goals.
• Mandatory time – Day-to-day activities such as household chores and administrative tasks that must be done but lack meaning and could be delegated or outsourced.
• Empty time – Wasteful time, such as scrolling through social media and procrastinating. Don’t confuse empty time with downtime, which is beneficial, revitalizing time.

Erica and Mike surveyed 2,377 respondents worldwide and identified three groups: extremely productive people (XPs), even higher-level productivity gurus (XP Champions) and the Rest, those who aren’t particularly productive. Extremely productive people spend almost six hours per day engaged in investment time, whereas the Rest spend only four hours. So, in an average five-day workweek, productive people find some nine extra hours to work toward their goals. Moreover, they spend 21% less time than non-productive people on mandatory activities, and they waste 37% less empty time. While two-thirds of XPs say they can take as much treasured time as they want, fewer than 50% of the Rest make that claim.

The Productivity Code is a nine-step time management system that considers your purpose as well as your tasks and tactics.

People who are deliberate about spending their time can enjoy more treasured time, build up investment time, minimize mandatory time and eliminate empty time. To use your time this carefully, turn to the Productivity Code, which is made up of three keys, each containing three habits:

• “Manufacture motivation” – This includes “recruit your drive,” “ignite your productivity” and “reengineer your habits.”
• “Control your time” – This key includes “obsess over time,” “say no” and “play hard to get.”
• “Execute in the zone” – This covers “sprint into the zone,” “fuel your energy” and “right the ship.”

First, “recruit your drive” to emulate extremely productive people.

Motivation is not innate; you can learn to develop it. Three-quarters of the XPs feel driven. Additionally, drive is the second-most common trait among the world’s happiest people. The XPs are much more likely than other people to write their goals, create weekly plans and hold themselves accountable for their results. Three hacks can help you harness your drive:

1. “Choose your new reality” – Your drive accumulates when you make a personal choice, not when you have a decision thrust upon you. Picture a “desired future state.” Decide to change something to make that vision a reality. Write your goals as a pledge of your commitment.
2. “Plan actions weekly” – Clarify your tasks to muster motivation. Carve your annual goals into smaller, manageable pieces. Identify top priorities. Divide the year into four quarters, and list what you need to accomplish in the current quarter to reach your annual goal. Divide this quarter into three one-month segments and assess what you must prioritize this month to achieve the quarter’s goals. Finally, divide the month into four weeks, and define this week’s activities in relation to your monthly goal.
3. “Track progress weekly” – To strengthen your intrinsic motivation, hold yourself accountable. Share your goals with others and enlist their support to remain on task.

Second, “ignite your proactivity” to get started.

The first step is the toughest part of any project, especially for the 20% of people who are chronic procrastinators. To overcome procrastination, focus on your greatest impact activity – the most valuable thing you can do with your time – and put it on your calendar. You’re more likely to follow through on a task if you schedule it. Tackle your high-impact activity first thing each morning. Once you start, eliminate distractions and focus solely on this effort for a set amount of time.

“Own your mental narrative, and you can change anything.”

Your self-talk can hold you back or propel you forward. Take command of your inner critic to boost your confidence and positive attitude. Once you rein in negative self-talk, launch yourself into action. Simply say to yourself, “Three, two, one, go!” and then plunge in. It may feel silly, but it’s effective.

Third, “reengineer your habits” to eliminate unproductive behavior.

Habits – your acquired, almost involuntary routines – are tough to break. Many self-help gurus define the habit loop as, “trigger, response, reward.” To break an unproductive habit, add a fourth element – thought – to that loop, between trigger and response.For example, if you want to stop checking your phone every few minutes, think in advance about what you could do differently: “When I feel my phone buzz in my pocket (trigger), then I will turn off that alert (thought-response) before doing anything else.” Once you execute a new behavior enough times, your response becomes automatic. Then, persevering will require less willpower. Another effective habit hack is to change your environment. For instance, declutter your desk or shut your office door to rein in your focus.

“You have to do things differently, and do different things, if you want different results.”

Finally, introduce a five-step morning routine: 1) “Read your objectives” to focus on your daily priorities; 2) review your mood and state of mind; 3) ask, “Will I?” to make sure you complete your high-priority activities; 4) think about how you can improve on yesterday; and 5) dive into your highest impact activity.

Fourth, “obsess over time” and be deliberate about allocating your hours.

To control your time, start with obsessing over how you use it. Workers spend an average of 4.3 hours (almost half of every workday) on mandatory and empty activities. Keep a time log for two days to learn precisely how you spend your time. This will help you identify the changes you need to make.

“Time doesn’t literally expand, but it feels like it does when you are mindful of where you spend it.”

To optimize your time, take treasured time with family and friends. Engage in your favorite hobbies. Increase your investment time, which gives you the greatest return on your hours and keeps you on course toward your goals. Convert mandatory time into investment time by, for instance, scheduling work calls during your commute or delegating errands. Eliminate empty activities, like unnecessary meetings.

Fifth, “say no” to low-priority requests so you stay on track toward your goals.

If you’re very busy but not making progress toward your goals, refuse any request that doesn’t contribute to your priorities. Declining requests is hard, but if you practice saying no in low-stakes situations, you’ll grow accustomed to it.

“It comes down to this: If you don’t take control of your time, someone else will.”

Keep a “to-don’t list.” List tasks you won’t do to free your time for your priorities. Your to-don’ts will change with time or circumstances. Pare down your priority list, so you’re not stretched thin. Remember, “If you’re not gung-ho, say no.”

Sixth, “play hard to get” to resist distractions and interruptions.

To own your time, make it hard for other people to commandeer it. Technology-enabled distractions abound, and few people can resist the siren call of a smartphone alert. Yet disruptions have a high cost: It takes more than 23 minutes to get back on task following a distraction. XPs use three tactics to resist interruptions and remain focused:

1. “Be free from the shackles of alerts” – Turn off alerts, log out of distracting applications, silence your ringer and disable push notifications. Receiving texts, tweets, and the like gives you a feel-good dopamine kick, but you’ll feel better and become more productive when you lose the distractions.
2. “Signal, ‘do not disturb’” – To protect your focus, find ways to transmit a do not disturb message, such as shutting your office door or activating your online out-of-office message.
3. “Be someplace else” – Many people find they are more focused and creative when they change location. Try a quiet corner in a conference room, the local coffee shop or your home office.

Seventh, “sprint into the zone” by immersing yourself so deeply in an activity that you lose track of time.

The zone is a mental state of such productive, full engagement that you lose track of time, according to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

“When you’re in the zone, if you work for an hour, you don’t just work an hour: You work an amazing hour.”

A major differentiator between XPs and the Rest is that XPs excel at getting into the zone. Often, people associate the term “the zone” with athletes or creative workers, but the zone is available to anyone. Try these techniques:

• “Sprint” – “TIME sprinting” is a proven method for getting and staying in the zone. To use it, focus single-mindedly on a designated activity for 20 to 90 minutes; then take a break.
• “Relay” – Four TIME sprints in a row, with a six-minute break in between, make up a relay.
• “Keep a distraction capture list” – When a stray thought pops into your head during a sprint, make a note and address it later.

Eighth, “fuel your energy” to build stamina as you become more productive.

Fueling your energy and stamina is essential for high productivity. When you’re fatigued, emotionally spent or overwhelmed, recharge your batteries by balancing the “energy triad” of mind, body and spirit.

“The secret to long-term extreme productivity is not to be perfect all the time (no one is, after all), but to get back at it quickly when you fall into unproductive habits.”

To nurture productive stamina, follow this formula:

• Mind – Take advantage of your morning energy peak by dedicating mornings to concentrated effort. Minimize decision-making and practice mindfulness.
• Body – Eat and sleep well, and exercise regularly.
• Spirit – Prioritize treasured time, engage in meaningful activities that provide spiritual sustenance, and get out of the house or office to enjoy your natural surroundings.

And ninth, “right the ship” when you veer off course.

You may slide off track from time to time, allowing low-impact activities and procrastination to sideline your focus. Three tactics can help you right your ship:

• “Practice free won’t” – Between a trigger and a response, such as the urge to check social media, is a millisecond pause during which you can choose to reject that impulse. To practice using your “free won’t,” say to yourself, “three…two…one…Stop!” to neutralize a distraction.
• “Make a micro change” – If you’re struggling to get started or stick with a project, break it down into progressively smaller pieces until the goal is achievable. For example, if the idea of even a 20-minute sprint is overwhelming, start with a five-minute sprint. As you accumulate successes, you’ll build confidence and stamina. That’s the power of micro changes.
• “Make a commitment contract” – Research suggests that when you commit to a goal in writing, such as quitting smoking or staying off social media, and when you enlist the help of an accountability partner, you significantly increase your odds of success. And the pay-off is more treasured time.

About the Authors

Husband-and-wife team Mike and Erica Schultz are parents and co-founders of RAIN Group, an international sales training company.

Genres

Self-help, Productivity, Business, Personal Development, Psychology, Motivation, Happiness, Success, Time Management, Leadership.

Review

The book is based on the personal and professional experiences of the authors, who are business leaders and parents of a son who battled with a congenital heart disease. They share how they managed to cope with the challenges of running a business, caring for their son, and raising a family, while maintaining a high level of productivity and happiness. They also reveal the results of their research on the work habits of extremely productive people, and how they developed a system called The Productivity Code, which consists of nine habits that anyone can adopt to achieve more with less stress and more joy.

The nine habits are:

• Habit 1: Stay focused and positive. This habit involves setting clear and meaningful goals, using a four-three-four planning method, and cultivating a positive mindset that helps overcome obstacles and setbacks.
• Habit 2: Stop procrastinating. This habit involves identifying the root causes of procrastination, such as fear, boredom, perfectionism, or lack of clarity, and applying various strategies to overcome them, such as breaking down tasks, setting deadlines, rewarding yourself, and using accountability partners.
• Habit 3: Disrupt unproductive thought cycles and break bad habits. This habit involves recognizing and challenging the negative and limiting beliefs that hinder your productivity, such as imposter syndrome, fixed mindset, or self-doubt, and replacing them with more empowering and growth-oriented ones. It also involves identifying and eliminating the bad habits that waste your time and energy, such as multitasking, checking email constantly, or scrolling social media, and replacing them with good habits that support your goals, such as batching, prioritizing, or delegating.
• Habit 4: Do more of what you love. This habit involves finding and pursuing your passion, purpose, and strengths, and aligning them with your work and life. It also involves creating more time and space for the activities that bring you joy, fulfillment, and energy, such as hobbies, exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones.
• Habit 5: Set boundaries and say no. This habit involves learning how to protect your time, energy, and attention from the demands and distractions of others, and how to say no to the tasks, requests, or opportunities that do not serve your goals, values, or priorities. It also involves communicating your boundaries clearly and respectfully, and enforcing them consistently and firmly.
• Habit 6: Become impossible to distract. This habit involves creating an environment and a routine that minimize the external and internal sources of distraction, such as noise, clutter, notifications, or emotions, and maximize your focus, concentration, and flow. It also involves using tools and techniques that help you stay on track, such as timers, blockers, reminders, or checklists.
• Habit 7: Work in powerful planned sprints. This habit involves working in short, intense, and uninterrupted bursts of time, followed by breaks, to achieve more in less time, and to avoid burnout and fatigue. It also involves planning your sprints in advance, based on your goals, priorities, and energy levels, and measuring your progress and results.
• Habit 8: Refuel your mental and physical energy. This habit involves taking care of your health and well-being, by ensuring that you get enough sleep, nutrition, hydration, and movement, and by managing your stress, emotions, and mental health. It also involves finding and using the sources of energy that work best for you, such as music, nature, humor, or gratitude.
• Habit 9: Reset and correct. This habit involves reviewing and reflecting on your performance, results, and feedback, and learning from your successes and failures. It also involves adjusting and improving your habits, strategies, and actions, based on your insights and goals, and celebrating your achievements and milestones.

The book is a compelling and inspiring read, that combines personal stories, scientific research, and practical advice, to help readers improve their productivity and happiness. The authors write with honesty, humor, and empathy, and share their struggles and triumphs, as well as the lessons and tips they learned along the way. The book is well-organized and easy to follow, and each habit is explained in detail, with examples, exercises, and tools. The book is not only informative, but also motivational, and encourages readers to take action and apply the habits to their own lives. The book is suitable for anyone who wants to achieve more with less stress and more joy, and who is willing to change their mindset and habits for the better.