How To Finish One Month of Work Today

Rian Doris
21 Mar 202427:17

Summary

TLDRThe transcript outlines a revolutionary productivity protocol known as the 'one-month day,' which enables individuals to achieve a month's worth of work in just 11 hours. This is made possible by leveraging the neuroscience of flow, a state of deep absorption and peak performance. The process involves isolating a clear goal, clearing physical and cognitive loads, and creating an 'impenetrable flow fortress' to guard against distractions. The day is structured around intense work blocks interspersed with strategic recovery periods, culminating in a profound sense of accomplishment and the 'flow afterglow.' The transcript also suggests varying modes of implementing this approach for different levels of productivity acceleration.

Takeaways

  • πŸš€ The 'One Month Day' is a productivity hack that allows one to achieve a month's worth of work in just 11 hours by leveraging the power of flow states.
  • 🧠 Neuroscience-based principles are used to train individuals to access states of flow, enhancing productivity and work-life balance.
  • πŸ’‘ Average knowledge workers do real work for only 2.3 hours per day, while executives can increase productivity by up to 500% when in a flow state.
  • 🌟 Flow state is characterized by a mix of brain chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin that enhance performance.
  • 🎯 Clear goals are essential for entering flow; they decrease cognitive load and help maintain focus on the next step of the task.
  • πŸ› οΈ To prepare for a One Month Day, one must clear physical (allostatic load), cognitive, and life maintenance loads to increase flow proneness.
  • 🏰 Setting up an impenetrable flow fortress involves eliminating distractions, preparing for a disruption-free environment, and making self-distraction impossible.
  • 🌧️ Flow stacking involves entering and exiting flow blocks throughout the day, with each block being a focused period of deep work.
  • πŸ† Treating each flow block as an event and using high-consequence environments can increase neurochemical responses and improve focus.
  • 🌈 The One Month Day can be practiced in different modes (acceleration, turbo, light speed) depending on the desired level of productivity and personal goals.
  • 🌠 The one-year month Institute is a 30-day period of intense flow mode designed to accomplish superhuman feats and elevate one's baseline performance.

Q & A

  • What is the one-month day and how does it redefine productivity?

    -The one-month day is a science-based protocol that allows an individual to compress 30 days of work output into 11 hours. It redefines productivity by enabling extreme achievement and work progress within a single day, challenging the traditional understanding of what can be accomplished in a month.

  • How does neuroscience support the concept of the one-month day?

    -Neuroscience-based principles show that people can enter states of flow, characterized by a mix of brain chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin, which enhance performance. This neurochemical change allows for a significant boost in productivity, making the one-month day possible.

  • What are the four pillars of flow that need to be maximized to execute a one-month day?

    -The four pillars of flow are: removing flow blockers, increasing flow proness (the likelihood of accessing flow), using flow triggers effectively, and entering and exiting the flow cycle multiple times throughout the day to sustain the neurochemistry of flow.

  • What is the importance of clear goals in achieving a one-month day?

    -Clear goals are essential for flow because they decrease cognitive load by providing a specific action or target that leads to the ultimate outcome. They help filter out irrelevant information, allowing for deeper immersion in the task and sustaining attention and motivation.

  • How does one prepare for a one-month day to ensure high flow proness?

    -Preparation for a one-month day involves clearing both allostatic load (physical wear and tear) and cognitive load (items in working memory). This includes active recovery protocols, getting sufficient sleep, setting up a distraction-free workspace, and planning out all details of the day to minimize decision-making outside of the flow state.

  • What are flow stacks and how do they contribute to the one-month day?

    -Flow stacks are discrete chunks of time, usually one to two hours, dedicated to a single task to achieve flow. During a one-month day, these flow stacks are stacked together, allowing for multiple entries into flow states, which significantly boosts productivity and enables the completion of a month's worth of work in a single day.

  • How does the one-month day schedule look like for an early riser?

    -For an early riser, the one-month day starts with a flow block from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., followed by a non-stimulating recovery break. The day continues with alternating flow blocks and recovery periods, ending with a final flow block from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This structure includes multiple recovery hours, ensuring that the individual remains productive throughout the day.

  • What are the different modes of Olympian productivity for the one-month day?

    -The different modes are acceleration mode (one one-month day per month), turbo mode (one one-month day per week), and light speed mode (five one-month days once per quarter). Each mode determines the frequency of executing a one-month day to achieve varying levels of productivity and progress.

  • What is the one-year month Institute and how does it enhance the one-month day experience?

    -The one-year month Institute is a 30-day period where one enters 'Flow mode,' pushing their performance to superhuman levels. It involves setting high standards for every aspect of life, such as waking up early, maintaining a strict diet, and eliminating distractions, making the practices that work for an individual the new baseline for optimal performance.

  • How does the one-month day affect an individual's perception of themselves and their capabilities?

    -The one-month day leads to a permanent elevation of an individual's baseline productivity and self-confidence. It fosters self-efficacy and conviction in one's ability to execute challenging tasks, reducing stress and boosting the desire to reach new heights of achievement.

  • What is the 'flow Afterglow' and how does it contribute to long-term productivity?

    -The 'flow Afterglow' is a state of satisfying intentional fatigue and accomplishment that comes after an extended period in flow. It reinforces the desire to achieve flow states by associating them with a rewarding sense of completion and success, which in turn motivates individuals to push for new heights of performance.

Outlines

00:00

πŸš€ The One-Month Day: Productivity Unleashed

This paragraph introduces the concept of the One-Month Day, a productivity hack backed by science that allows for completing a month's worth of work in a single day. The speaker, Rane Daris, CEO of the Flow Research Collective, shares his experience of writing half of his master's thesis in one day and emphasizes the power of achieving flow states for peak performance and work-life balance. The paragraph outlines the science behind productivity, highlighting the difference between average work hours and the potential for increased productivity when in a flow state.

05:00

🎯 Setting Clear Goals for Flow State

The second paragraph delves into the importance of setting clear goals as a prerequisite for entering a flow state. It explains that clear goals decrease cognitive load and increase focus, which in turn boosts productivity. The speaker emphasizes the need to prepare for the One-Month Day by isolating the target task, clearing cognitive and allostatic loads, and setting up a flow-friendly workspace. The paragraph also discusses the concept of flow triggers and the significance of having a low life maintenance load to maximize productivity.

10:01

πŸ›‘οΈ Building a Flow Fortress: Distractions Be Gone

This paragraph focuses on the third step of preparing for the One-Month Day, which is to build an impenetrable flow fortress to guard against distractions. The speaker advises eliminating digital distractions, setting expectations with others that you'll be unreachable, and creating a dedicated work environment. The paragraph also touches on the importance of self-discipline in avoiding self-distraction and suggests strategies for managing intrusive thoughts that may arise during the workday.

15:03

🌟 Flow Stacking: Maximizing Productivity

The fourth paragraph introduces the concept of flow stacking, where flow blocks of focused work are strung together to achieve maximum productivity. It explains the process of waking up and immediately entering a flow state, treating each flow block as a significant event, and the importance of maintaining a high level of commitment throughout the One-Month Day. The paragraph also discusses the psychological and physiological benefits of this approach, including the release of neurochemicals that enhance performance and the mental clarity that comes from focused work.

20:05

πŸ‹οΈβ€β™‚οΈ The One-Month Day Schedule: Balancing Work and Recovery

This paragraph outlines the detailed schedule of a One-Month Day, emphasizing the balance between intense work periods and recovery times. It describes the process of starting the day early with a flow block, followed by short breaks and longer recovery periods, and then re-entering flow. The schedule is designed to maximize productivity while preventing burnout, with the understanding that recovery is just as important as work. The paragraph also addresses common concerns about the intensity of the One-Month Day and explains how the structure of the day actually supports more efficient work.

25:05

🌈 The Afterglow of Flow: Lasting Benefits

The final paragraph discusses the long-term benefits of the One-Month Day, particularly the flow afterglow, which is a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. It explains how experiencing this afterglow can motivate individuals to reach new heights and become more productive. The paragraph also explores different modes of implementing the One-Month Day, such as acceleration, turbo, and light speed modes, each corresponding to different frequencies and goals. The concept of a one-year month, a 30-day period of intense focus, is introduced as a way to achieve superhuman feats and permanently elevate one's baseline performance.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Flow State

Flow State refers to a psychological state of deep absorption and focus, where individuals are fully engaged in an activity and experience a heightened sense of performance. In the video, it is emphasized as a critical component for achieving peak productivity, where the brain's neurochemicals like dopamine and endorphins enhance performance and creativity. The concept is central to the 'one-month day' strategy, aiming to compress a month's worth of work into an 11-hour period of intense focus and productivity.

πŸ’‘Productivity

Productivity in this context refers to the efficiency and effectiveness with which individuals complete work tasks. The video discusses unconventional methods to boost productivity, such as entering a flow state and structuring the 'one-month day' to achieve a significant output in a condensed time frame. It contrasts the average worker's productivity with the potential gains of a flow state, highlighting the transformative impact on work-life balance and performance.

πŸ’‘Neuroscience

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system and brain functions, which in this video is applied to understand and enhance productivity through the concept of flow. The speaker, being a neuroscience expert, uses principles derived from neuroscience to train individuals and organizations to access flow states at will, demonstrating the practical application of this field in improving work performance.

πŸ’‘One-Month Day

The 'One-Month Day' is a productivity strategy introduced in the video, aiming to compress an entire month's worth of work into a single day. This is achieved by leveraging the flow state and following a structured protocol that maximizes focus and output. The concept is about intentional extreme effort with the understanding that it's temporary and time-bound, allowing for a significant achievement in a short span.

πŸ’‘Flow Research Collective

The Flow Research Collective is an organization co-founded by the speaker, which focuses on using neuroscience-based principles to train individuals and entities, such as Audi and the US Air Force, to achieve flow states at will. The collective's work is centered around the application of scientific research on flow to enhance performance and productivity.

πŸ’‘Clear Goals

Clear goals are specific, actionable objectives that direct attention and effort towards a desired outcome. In the context of the video, setting clear goals is a prerequisite for entering a flow state, as it helps to decrease cognitive load and allows for deeper immersion in the task at hand. Clear goals are about focusing on the next step rather than the final outcome, which helps in maintaining motivation and filtering out irrelevant information.

πŸ’‘Allostatic Load

Allostatic load refers to the physical and mental stress that accumulates from daily activities and challenges. In the video, clearing the allostatic load is crucial for preparing the body and mind for a one-month day, as flow requires a fully recovered state to sustain the neurochemicals necessary for peak performance. Strategies like active recovery and proper sleep are suggested to reduce allostatic load and increase flow proness.

πŸ’‘Cognitive Load

Cognitive load is the amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In the video, reducing cognitive load is essential for increasing flow proness and productivity. By minimizing the number of decisions and distractions, individuals can focus their cognitive resources on the task at hand, leading to deeper immersion and higher performance during a one-month day.

πŸ’‘Flow Triggers

Flow triggers are conditions or actions that facilitate the entry into a flow state. According to the video, these preconditions are crucial for setting the stage for a productive one-month day. Flow triggers might include environmental factors, mental preparation, or specific behaviors that signal the brain to shift into a state of focused productivity.

πŸ’‘Life Maintenance Load

Life maintenance load encompasses the necessary but non-work-related tasks that keep personal life functioning, such as cooking, cleaning, and errands. The video emphasizes reducing this load for the one-month day to minimize distractions and allow for uninterrupted focus on the set goals, thus enabling a successful period of deep work and flow.

πŸ’‘Flow Stacking

Flow stacking is the process of stringing together multiple flow states or blocks of focused work without significant interruptions. This technique is central to the one-month day strategy, allowing individuals to achieve a high volume of work in an intense, concentrated period. By alternating between flow blocks and recovery periods, individuals can sustain productivity and prevent burnout.

Highlights

The concept of the 'One Month Day' is introduced as a method to achieve a month's worth of work in a single day.

The 'One Month Day' is based on neuroscience-based principles and has been used to train individuals and organizations for peak performance.

The average knowledge worker does only 2.3 hours of real work per day, while executives can increase productivity by up to 500% in a flow state.

Flow state is characterized by a mix of brain chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin that enhance performance.

The 'One Month Day' involves maximizing the four pillars of flow: removing flow blockers, increasing flow proness, using flow triggers, and entering and exiting the flow cycle multiple times.

Clear goals are essential for entering a flow state, as they decrease cognitive load and increase focus.

To prepare for the 'One Month Day', one must clear their allostatic load through active recovery protocols and ensure proper sleep.

Cognitive load is minimized by erasing all decisions from the day and preparing everything in advance.

The workspace should be set up as a 'flow dojo', a distraction-free environment for optimal performance.

Life maintenance tasks should be minimized or paused for the 'One Month Day' to reduce non-work related obligations.

Building an 'impenetrable flow fortress' involves eliminating distractions and making oneself unreachable during the 'One Month Day'.

Wake up and immediately dive into the highest priority task to prime the brain for flow.

Each flow block should be treated as a significant event, invoking a sense of urgency and focus.

The 'One Month Day' schedule involves alternating between focused work blocks and recovery periods to maintain peak performance.

The 'flow afterglow' is the satisfying fatigue felt after an extended period of flow, which reinforces the desire to achieve flow states.

Different modes of productivity can be applied to the 'One Month Day', such as acceleration, turbo, and light speed modes, depending on the desired outcome.

The 'One Year Month' is a 30-day period of intense focus and performance improvement, setting a new baseline for productivity.

Transcripts

play00:00

imagine completing a month's worth of

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work before dinner sounds ridiculous

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right well the science shows there's an

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unconventional but proven way to

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actually do this and it's the ultimate

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hack for Peak Performance and work life

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balance and it will permanently redefine

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what productivity actually means to you

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now I'm ran Daris co-founder and CEO of

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the flow research Collective we've used

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neuroscience-based principles to train

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everyone from Audi centure to the US Air

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Force to access states of flow at will

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it turns out there's a new of

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science-based protocol to compress 30

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days of output into 11 hours I'm going

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to break that down for you in a moment

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this is a protocol you can run to take

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yourself to an intentionally

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unsustainable extreme with the benefit

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of knowing that it's temporary and that

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it's time bound so that you can produce

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an extreme result A month's worth of

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work progress achievement in a single

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day it's an Olympian level feat

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challenging to pull off but doable and

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it's called the on month day I'll never

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forget my first one Monon day I was

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temporarily living in New York working

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on my masters in applied Neuroscience I

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did everything I'm about to break down

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in this video I managed to write half of

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the thesis in one day proofread it

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convert it into the necessary academic

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format and submit the thing and I left

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the library high as a kite finished at

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11:30 p.m. on Friday and couldn't

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believe I had done it all and was able

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to take the whole weekend off it was a

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Heavenly feeling ever since the one

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month day has been an indispensable part

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of my pig performance toolkit but before

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I break down how to execute the

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one-month day how is it possible to

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accomplish A month's worth of work in a

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single day well let's run the map

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research suggests that the average

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knowledge worker does real work for only

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2.3 hours per day or about 46 hours per

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month in contrast research done by

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McKenzie has shown that Executives can

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increase their productivity by up to

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500% when in a flow State at work

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psychologist Mii jmi describes flow as a

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state in which people are so involved in

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an activity that nothing external seems

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to matter a characteristic of the flow

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state is a potent mix of brain chemicals

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dopamine nephrine endorphins anandamide

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and serotonin that directly enhance our

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performance and this neurochemical

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change is highlighted in research

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conducted by Arna Dietrich of the

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American University of Beirut dopamine

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and norepinephrine sharpen focus and

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boost pattern recognition and motivation

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endorphins and anandamide increase

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endurance and enhance creative thinking

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and serotonin elevates our mood and

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helps us stick with ch alling tasks now

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considering these neurological shifts

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it's easy to see how a 500% productivity

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boost is possible but this 500% figure

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though astounding is actually kind of

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conservative Believe It or Not we've

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seen Elite performers match a full-time

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day in just 60 to 90 minutes of

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dedicated time spent on the right work

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in a flow State and when you do the Flow

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State stacking we about to cover 500%

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productivity boosts start to sound

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inevitable still for our one Monon day

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calculation let's be conservative and

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assume a 400% a 4X increase in

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productivity at four times productivity

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for 11 hours you can achieve the

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equivalent of 44 hours of average work

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output in that single day now to show

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you that a one- Monon day is possible

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let's walk through exactly how to pull

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it off in order to make the one month

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day a reality requires maximizing the

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four pillars of flow first you have to

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remove all the flow blockers things that

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make flow imp possible then you have to

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increase your flow proness that is your

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tendency and likelihood of accessing

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flow at any given moment third you make

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expert use of flow triggers all

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throughout the day these are the

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preconditions that pop you into a flow

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State and finally you enter and exit the

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flow cycle multiple times in the day to

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ensure your brain can sustain the

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neurochemistry of flow for the entire

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day now don't worry we're going to cover

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these along the way as we break down how

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to set up schedule and run the one month

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day and that brings us to step one which

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is isolate the target the first part of

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the one month day happens before the day

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even begins you want to take a moment to

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consider everything that's on your plate

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consider your current goals and your

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current plan for the next 30 days or so

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if you could snap your fingers and have

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something be completed in a day that

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would normally take you about a month

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what would that piece of work be when I

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was studying neuroscience at King's

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College in London I knew exactly what I

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wished I could wave a magic wand and

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finish it was my masters in Neuroscience

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thesis now as an example you may want to

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rebuild a complex system in your

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business or complete several chapters

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for a book that you're working on or

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develop an entirely new skill after all

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flow increases learning rates by up to

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490 You' be shocked by how much Mastery

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you can attain with 11 hours spent in

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flow focusing on acquiring skill or

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knowledge On Any Given subject but

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whatever it is bring something to mind

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to accomplish during your one month day

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okay now that you've got that thing in

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mind we need to convert that outcome

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into what's called a clear goal and mihi

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chii's research on Flow State chmi

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identified several preconditions that

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cause flow to emerge and again these are

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called flow triggers but there's one

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precondition for flow that isn't just a

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trigger it's a prerequisite without this

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there's no flow and that trigger is

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called clear goals a clear goal is an

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action to take a target for your

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attention on the task level that will

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lead to the ultimate outcome clear goals

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aren't about the Finish Line they're

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about the next step selling a million

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books is the dream writing 500 Words is

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today's clear goal now clear goals

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decrease cognitive load the number of

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items held in working memory so your

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brain isn't bogged down deciding what to

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do next this these more mental resources

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for actually doing the work and

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neurologically when a clear goal is set

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the prefrontal cortex filters out a

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relevant information allowing for deeper

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immersion in the task then as clear

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goals are hit dopamine floods your

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system this reward chemical makes the

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work feel good and keeps you motivated

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sustaining your attention in order to

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pull off the one month day you need to

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have your clear goals decided upon

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before the day even begins if you're not

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sure what to focus on ask number one

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what action if completed would progress

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my primary professional Pursuit the most

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or what task will allow me to do more

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with less or reduce future demands of my

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time energy and attention that may be

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the target for your one month day

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remember the brain craves clear goals

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clear goals filter the noise and free

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you to focus now that you've isolated

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the target for your attention that

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brings us to the second steps for making

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the one month day work which is to clear

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the load in order to pull off the one

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month day your flow proness has to be

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high flow proness refers to your

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inherent tendency or likelihood to

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experience flow frequently and easily

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rather than leave this up to chance we

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can intentionally clear everything that

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suppresses flow proness in advance the

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first is to clear your allostatic load

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for the one month day your body and

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brain must be fully recovered flow

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requires neurochemicals that are

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expensive for the brain to produce it's

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not possible to sustain the state for

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long without proper recovery the way to

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recover is to clear your allostatic load

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which is a fancy way of referring to the

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physical wear and tear that your body

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and brain accumulates throughout your

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day-to-day to clear your alistic load

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use active recovery protocols active

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recovery is different to passive

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recovery active recovery involves

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engaging actively in activity that

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accelerates the recovery process

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activates the parasympathetic nervous

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system and downregulates your

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sympathetic nervous system things like

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nature immersion cold plunges sauna and

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massage and of course get 7 to n hours

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of sleep the key to getting successful

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sleep is to go to bed deaf blind cold

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and hungry that's how we like to put it

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deaf means blocking out all sound and

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using some kind of earbuds blind is

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easiest done by using an shade cold

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means having the temperature cold and

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hungry means not eating at least 3 hours

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before bed and you can track how low

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your allostatic load is and how high

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your recovery is before your one month

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day by looking at your heart rate

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variability your HRV which is a key

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indicator of Fitness stress and

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Readiness for Peak Performance you want

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to aim to get your HRV at or above your

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usual average 30-day range to heighten

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your flow proness and be fit for the one

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month day and if there are any acute

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stressors in your life save the one

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month day for another day you don't want

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to be doing a one Monon day on the break

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of getting sick or after having had a

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week of terrible sleep or being plagued

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with jet lag now the second piece is to

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clear your cognitive load after you've

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cleared your alistic load cognitive load

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refers to the number of items you're

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carrying and working memory research has

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shown that flow triggers work by

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decreasing cognitive load start with

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erasing all possible decisions from the

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day don't wake up wondering where you're

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going to work what you'll wear or what

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you'll eat prep your clothes commute and

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food the night before save all decision

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making for your time spent in flow on

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the work rather than on the minutia

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within the day required to get to doing

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the work treat this process as if you're

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preparing for a 3:00 a.m. flight where

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every detail is planned out the night

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before your bags are packed you're

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checked in for the flight your boarding

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pass and passport already in your pocket

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and you have a ride to get to the

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airport that's the level of preparation

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needed to truly pull off a one Monon day

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the next step for clearing cognitive

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load is to wrap up all new sents go

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through all your text respond to

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everything as needed ping whoever you

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need to Ping and wrap up any final

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dangling tasks the rule here is zero

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open Loops are allowed for the one month

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day the final step for clearing your

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cognitive load is to set your workspace

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up to be a flow Dojo a chaotic physical

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environment mirrors mental chaos to

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organize your workspace as carefully as

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you would arrange the tree light

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stockings and gifts for the kids on

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Christmas morning for example instead of

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having to pull out your laptop untangle

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a cable and search for an outlet set

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your office up the day or night before

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so you can press a key and boom start

play09:28

working immediately now on the final

play09:30

kind of load we want to clear to nail

play09:32

our one month day we want to clear our

play09:34

life maintenance load life maintenance

play09:36

load is all the necessary but nonwork

play09:38

tasks that keep your personal World

play09:40

running think cooking cleaning errands

play09:42

it's the plate spinning that prevents a

play09:44

breakdown but doesn't actually Propel

play09:45

you forward for the one month day you

play09:47

must bring your life maintenance load as

play09:49

low as possible or find a way to safely

play09:51

pause it for a full day I had a list by

play09:53

prepping a week's worth of meals

play09:55

Outsourcing laundry whenever possible

play09:57

and knocking out all minor errands the

play09:58

week before for the one month day I also

play10:00

make sure my primary relationships are

play10:02

in a good place and give friends family

play10:04

and work colleagues a heads up that I'll

play10:06

be completely offline for those 24 hours

play10:08

so now you've cleared the load to boost

play10:10

your flow proness it's time to guard

play10:12

yourself against everything that will

play10:13

threaten your ability to hit the target

play10:16

that we've already set during your one

play10:17

month day and that brings us to number

play10:19

three which is to build an impenetrable

play10:21

flow Fortress within which you're going

play10:23

to carry out your one month day now tell

play10:24

me if you can relate to this I'm deep in

play10:26

a crucial task the momentum is building

play10:28

I'm on a roll then my phone pings it's

play10:30

just a glance I think but that glance

play10:32

spirals into seconds minutes then hours

play10:34

this is distraction at work and it's the

play10:36

most immediate flow blocker before you

play10:38

kick off the one month day you must make

play10:40

distractions and impossibility this

play10:43

means first free yourself from the phone

play10:45

if working at an office keep your phone

play10:47

at home leave it there if working at

play10:48

home turn it off and store it in the

play10:50

back shed lock it up or give it to your

play10:51

spouse whatever you got to do the rule

play10:53

here is simple it's Out Of Reach and

play10:55

hard to even access keeping your phone

play10:57

in the room even if it's off is like

play10:58

keeping your car car door open all night

play11:00

you'll drain the battery of your brain

play11:02

your brain has to work hard to ignore

play11:04

the phone's constant promise of

play11:06

effortless reward of easy dopamine my

play11:08

flow Fortress Is Here in LA in a garage

play11:10

and what I like to do is turn off the

play11:12

phone and put it in my bedroom which is

play11:13

on the floor above out of sight out of

play11:15

mind the next thing we want to do is to

play11:17

go dark no emails texts calls or instant

play11:19

messaging all notifications turned off

play11:21

and we want to inform people beforehand

play11:24

that we're not going to be available for

play11:25

the entire day everyone needs to know

play11:27

you'll be unreachable and you need the

play11:29

of mind that you won't be interrupted

play11:31

and that all the Loops have been closed

play11:33

so that people aren't going to be

play11:33

wondering why you're unreachable they

play11:36

know where to find you in an emergency

play11:38

and then you want to block everything on

play11:39

your computer except what you're working

play11:41

on use tools like self-control or

play11:43

freedom to make accessing specific

play11:45

sources of distraction nearly impossible

play11:46

and of course you want to set up a

play11:48

disruption free environment research by

play11:50

Gloria Mark highlights the hidden cost

play11:52

of disrupted work even a small task

play11:54

switch increases stress drains cognitive

play11:57

resources and extends the time it takes

play11:59

to finish a task even after the

play12:00

disruption ends your brain needs a

play12:02

significant chunk of time about 21

play12:04

minutes to regain concentration this is

play12:06

why trying to do a one-month day in an

play12:09

office with the disruptions of swarming

play12:10

colleagues or at home with kids running

play12:12

around will not work not even close if

play12:14

needed check into a hotel or co-working

play12:16

space for the day there's even famous

play12:18

stories of people booking 15 plus

play12:20

hourong flights and doing their one

play12:22

mother day to protect themselves from

play12:24

Interruption you love having this kind

play12:26

of impenetrable attention and you'll

play12:28

notice how deep the flow state that you

play12:30

end up immersing in will become the last

play12:32

step in building a flow Fortress Is to

play12:34

make self-distraction impossible during

play12:36

the one month day you can count on this

play12:38

happening you're deep in the flow words

play12:39

flying code compiling creativity

play12:42

crackling and then bam an idea unrelated

play12:44

to your task Pops in an errand you

play12:46

forgot to run intrude with urgency or

play12:48

you think of something you need to tell

play12:50

a colleague well if you give into these

play12:51

distracting thoughts your focus will

play12:53

fracture like a dropped mirror

play12:55

shattering slowly into multiple pieces

play12:57

these sorts of thoughts are particularly

play12:58

likely to drop into your head when

play13:00

you're offline that's because it's easy

play13:02

to get worried about not checking in the

play13:04

way to deal with this impulse to self-d

play13:06

distract is to take a note take a breath

play13:08

and then take a quick walk that is keep

play13:10

a notepad with you during your one month

play13:12

day specifically dedicated to

play13:14

externalizing the thoughts that will pop

play13:16

up so that rather than acting on those

play13:18

thoughts you jot them down you get it

play13:20

out of your head to lower cognitive load

play13:22

and then you get back into float with

play13:23

all distractions and disruptions guarded

play13:25

against it's time to dive into the one

play13:27

month day itself when you run the one

play13:29

month day you are flow stacking and

play13:31

specifically you are stacking flow

play13:33

blocks together now flow block is a

play13:35

discrete chunk of time usually one to

play13:37

two hours in which you allocate all of

play13:38

your attention to the task at hand such

play13:41

that you tap into flow and milk that

play13:43

flow state for all that it is worth

play13:45

here's how you can dive into your first

play13:46

flow block when your brain is the most

play13:48

primed for flow that brings us to the

play13:50

fourth step to run a one- Monon day

play13:52

which is wake up and Float my partner

play13:54

stepen Cotler has written over a dozen

play13:55

best-selling books he wrote all of them

play13:57

by waking up at 3:00 a.m. which he's

play13:59

done for nearly 30 years now and then

play14:01

dropping straight into flow so to kick

play14:03

off the one month day instead of an

play14:05

elaborate routine wake up and dive into

play14:07

your highest priority task not in an

play14:09

hour within 90 seconds of opening your

play14:10

eyes why well because Alpha and Theta

play14:12

the neuroelectrical signature of flow

play14:14

are not far from Theta or Delta which

play14:17

are the brain waves active in sleep the

play14:19

struggle phase of flow is the movement

play14:21

from beta to the borderline between

play14:23

Alpha and Theta this is a way to

play14:24

shortcut it even if you're half asleep

play14:26

and groggy drop right into your most

play14:28

important task within 15 minutes you'll

play14:30

wake up in a flow State while working

play14:32

this dream to waking state is when your

play14:34

flow proness is naturally at its peak it

play14:37

might be a struggle at first stage one

play14:38

of the flow cycle being the struggle

play14:40

phase but once you get through the

play14:42

initial rough patch you release into a

play14:44

flow State more quickly than fully

play14:46

waking up doing some elaborate morning

play14:47

routine and this brings us to the next

play14:49

critical step to increasing your flow

play14:50

proness treat each flow block as an

play14:52

event the average knowledge worker's day

play14:54

is a blur it's endless emails scattered

play14:56

projects and the nagging feeling of

play14:58

never truly being finished work bleed

play15:00

into life and back again the result a

play15:02

NeverEnding state of almost done this

play15:05

starkly contrasts the event-based work

play15:07

required for the one month day

play15:09

event-based work let you give your all

play15:12

to flow blocks then truly unplugg during

play15:14

breaks to maximize the flow you get

play15:16

during the one month day the key is to

play15:18

approach each flow block as if you're a

play15:20

soldier about to enter the battlefield

play15:22

picture the tense focused Cal that

play15:24

envelops a soldier in the moments before

play15:26

action you're on the front line poised

play15:28

and ready you're is heightened awaiting

play15:30

the signal to advance with a deep

play15:32

steadying breath you prepare mentally

play15:34

and physically then the command is given

play15:36

and you surge forward Into The Fray

play15:38

every move calculated every action

play15:40

purposeful honing in on the Target or

play15:43

imagine yourself as an Olympian you've

play15:44

trained your whole life for this one

play15:46

shoted gold medal once you dive in

play15:47

you're all in when you treat each flow

play15:49

block as an event in this way you evoke

play15:51

resources within you that are otherwise

play15:54

inaccessible physiologically adrenaline

play15:56

surges heightening alertness the heart

play15:58

rate accelerates pumping oxygen rich

play16:00

blood to your muscles your body your

play16:02

brain and psychologically memory

play16:04

circuits in hippocampus providing a

play16:05

mental blueprint for the actions that

play16:07

you're taking before any flow block that

play16:09

I do I always say to a friend or a

play16:11

colleague if they're there all right I'm

play16:13

going under as I put my headphones on

play16:15

and start that flow block a flow block

play16:17

should have some sort of trigger sipping

play16:18

a coffee closing a door putting on those

play16:20

headphones pull a trigger and drop into

play16:22

the slipstream of flow to help Ure you

play16:24

treat each flow block as an event we can

play16:26

enhance the stakes and specialness of

play16:28

the one one month day and that brings us

play16:30

to step six which is to cement the

play16:32

commitment during the one month day as

play16:33

you move through one flow block after

play16:35

another entering and exiting the flow

play16:37

cycle it's key to not let yourself get

play16:39

derailed during any of your quick breaks

play16:41

for me the biggest sabator of the one

play16:43

month day is when I let it specialness

play16:45

erode for example checking my WhatsApp

play16:48

just for a minute in the morning getting

play16:50

one quick call in because it's really

play16:52

important and I felt I couldn't delay it

play16:53

I've learned that the one month day

play16:55

needs to be completely categorically

play16:57

distinct from every other day in your

play16:59

life you want to think of it like a

play17:00

cherished holiday tradition you

play17:02

Faithfully observe all the rituals that

play17:04

make it special you need the one month

play17:06

day to be sacrosanct too important

play17:08

valuable or special to be interfered

play17:10

with or it will erode into normaly and

play17:12

the composure will fall apart so to make

play17:15

the one-month day sacr synct we can

play17:17

leverage a powerful external flow

play17:18

trigger and use our cognitive biases to

play17:20

work for us instead of against us first

play17:22

we can embed the external flow trigger

play17:24

of high consequences as Action Sports

play17:26

athletes can attest a high consequence

play17:28

environment demands that we summon a

play17:30

higher degree of skill and focus than

play17:31

what is typically required in the brain

play17:33

the higher consequence flow trigger

play17:35

activates the amydala which processes

play17:36

emotions like fear anxiety it signals to

play17:39

the rest of the brain that something

play17:40

important is at stake thereby increasing

play17:42

neurochemical responses adrenaline

play17:44

dopamine and nephrine are released

play17:46

sharpening focus and reaction time to

play17:48

heighten the high consequences ritualize

play17:50

the one month day treat it as a sacred

play17:53

experience you're dedicating yourself to

play17:55

accelerating your most meaningful impact

play17:57

or goals for example you can Check Into

play17:59

Your Dream Hotel work in the lobby

play18:01

during the day and buy the highest end

play18:03

massage in the spa pay to make it an

play18:05

event a special event a sacran day that

play18:09

you are backing with finances to create

play18:10

Financial Stakes there's immense

play18:12

pleasure in ritualizing this buy your

play18:14

favorite snacks or meal wear your

play18:16

favorite clothes schedule your favorite

play18:17

social gathering for the next day and do

play18:20

the most pleasurable recovery activities

play18:22

that ice bath and sauna that you love a

play18:23

beach workout pepper the day with

play18:25

pleasurable rewards investing in making

play18:27

the one month day acros leverages our

play18:30

cognitive biases in our favor in

play18:31

particular the sun cost policy once

play18:33

you've invested in setting up the

play18:35

perfect work conditions your brain will

play18:36

fight to avoid squandering the resources

play18:39

you spent on that setup this urges us to

play18:42

stay consistent and combats the

play18:44

temptation to give up and boost your

play18:46

motivation to power through the one

play18:47

month day and here's why this is so

play18:49

important every second counts you're

play18:51

going for an Olympian level feat here

play18:53

think about what you're trying to do

play18:53

you're trying to do a month of work in a

play18:55

day it sounds ridiculous and hyperbolic

play18:57

but again it's possible however there

play18:59

are no 5 minutes here or there in a one

play19:01

month day if we're actually going to

play19:02

pull this off no singular phone check no

play19:04

quick call with your doctor you might be

play19:06

having a productive day in that way but

play19:08

with a one month day there's no margin

play19:09

for error it must be uncontaminated a

play19:12

single meeting or call however short can

play19:14

tilt the entire day while an open

play19:16

calendar allows you to get sucked into

play19:17

flow a scheduled meeting acts as a flow

play19:20

black hole sucking your Flow State into

play19:22

it the way to avoid this is to keep the

play19:24

one month day sacri make no exceptions

play19:27

for anything other than that Olympian

play19:29

level feet you're engaged in so now that

play19:31

you have the building blocks for running

play19:32

a one- month day let's dive into the

play19:34

actual hour by hour schedule now most

play19:36

people have one of two reactions to this

play19:38

when they see it reaction one isn't this

play19:39

a recipe for overworking and burnout

play19:41

well in reality working too hard isn't

play19:43

really a thing under recovering is and

play19:46

part of how we get in the right amount

play19:48

of recovery which replenishes our energy

play19:50

is by entering and exiting the flow

play19:52

cycle multiple times in a single day

play19:53

which brings us to the second reaction

play19:55

people have to this schedule they're

play19:57

shocked by how many hours of recovery

play19:58

are contained within a one month day

play20:00

surely you got to get up at 5 and work

play20:02

straight until midnight in order to pull

play20:04

this kind of feet off right well no it's

play20:06

quite the opposite most people if they

play20:08

try to do this amount of work linearly

play20:11

just plowing through hours of work

play20:13

they'll hit a wall by the time they're 5

play20:14

hours in they'll be sapped their

play20:16

composure will flop they'll check

play20:18

Instagram grab a sugary snack and boom

play20:20

the thing collapses instead who we're

play20:23

trying to multiply is our per hour

play20:25

output to do so we have to enter and

play20:27

exit the flow cycle over over and over

play20:29

with rapidity struggle release flow

play20:31

recovery On and On Again throughout the

play20:34

one month day the beauty with the one

play20:35

month day is that you are oscillating

play20:37

like an Olympian from extreme exertion

play20:39

to extreme recovery and back to extreme

play20:41

exertion so let's bring this schedule to

play20:43

life with a quick play-by-play this is

play20:45

where you'll see how all the components

play20:47

of the one- Monon day fit together this

play20:49

play-by-play is based on the schedule of

play20:51

early risers those who wake up at around

play20:52

5:00 a.m. Rising early isn't a

play20:54

prerequisite your biology will have its

play20:56

unique prime time to start when you're

play20:58

most flow prone historically if you are

play21:00

gener Riser move the start of the day up

play21:02

a few hours and run the equivalent

play21:03

schedule starting a little bit later

play21:05

here's what a one month day actually

play21:07

looks like so 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. we

play21:09

have flow block one your eyes open

play21:11

because you prioritize sleep you feel

play21:13

alert instead of grgy for the first flow

play21:15

block wake up and flow this is your

play21:17

body's Prime Time pull up the task you

play21:19

carefully targeted the night before and

play21:21

dive in push past any initial struggle

play21:23

and then let that momentum build most

play21:25

people can flow for an hour before

play21:27

needing a quick boredom break focused

play21:29

attention draws on cognitive control

play21:30

resources which deplete over time a

play21:33

brief non-stimulating break allows these

play21:35

resources to replenish much like a

play21:37

muscle resting the key is to keep these

play21:40

brakes short and nonstimulating don't do

play21:42

anything that will suck you in and

play21:43

prevent you from getting back into flow

play21:45

just sit there and stare at a blank wall

play21:47

for a few minutes and you'll be

play21:49

surprised by how quickly you'll regain

play21:51

energy and be itching to get back to

play21:52

work now 8: to 9:00 a.m. we're going to

play21:54

do some nonstimulating recovery the

play21:56

buzzer sounds you banked 3 hours of

play21:58

ultra efficient time spent in flow

play22:00

you've moved through the flow cycle

play22:02

struggle release and flow now it's time

play22:03

to do the fourth phase recovery to

play22:05

recover take a longer break do a flow

play22:07

proness reboot meditate do yoga take a

play22:10

cold shower and incubate come up with

play22:12

ideas from your work integrate what

play22:14

you've just completed ideally you remain

play22:16

in a fasted state food can often be a

play22:18

flow deterent depending on your

play22:20

metabolic fitness and health you can

play22:21

remove this variable for another 3 hours

play22:23

if needed have 100 Mig of caffeine to

play22:26

Stave off hunger and 200 Mig of althe

play22:28

for a significant cognitive boost with

play22:30

the alanine cutting down any angst the

play22:32

caffeine might bring on and this primes

play22:34

you for the next flow block 9:00 a.m. to

play22:36

12: p.m. it's time to jump into another

play22:38

3 hours of flow as long as you didn't

play22:40

get distracted you should be raring to

play22:42

go it's time to restart the flow cycle

play22:43

roll up your sleeves take a breath push

play22:46

past the struggle phase and watch tasks

play22:48

vanish steadily from your list as you

play22:50

continue your Relentless Pace from 12:

play22:53

to 1:00 p.m. we want non-stimulating

play22:54

recovery again you've moved through the

play22:56

first three phases of the flow cycle and

play22:58

G to the other side to keep this pace up

play23:00

a quick recovery is needed take a nap a

play23:03

quick walk or do some stretching eat a

play23:04

fuel meal food that will pump out more

play23:07

Flow State rather than give you lunch

play23:08

brain at this point you've already

play23:10

enjoyed 6 hours of focused work time

play23:13

spent in flow you're already two weeks

play23:15

ahead of the average knowledge work from

play23:16

1: to 3: p.m. we're going to do our next

play23:18

flow Block it's time to dive back into

play23:20

flow but this time it'll likely only be

play23:22

about 2 hours the reason is that for

play23:24

most people these afternoon chunks come

play23:26

with energy troughs this is also by a

play23:28

nap beforehand in the prior recovery

play23:30

block can be a great idea we'll still

play23:32

move through the flow cycle but we'll be

play23:34

in flow for Less total time then from 3:

play23:37

to 5:00 p.m. we're going to do a longer

play23:38

active recovery block now you've hit the

play23:40

trough this deeper restoration will give

play23:42

you what you need for the final Sprint

play23:44

soak in a bath hot or cold take a

play23:46

luxurious nap do a full workout for a

play23:48

strong parasympathetic rebound nitric

play23:50

oxide flush an injection of Feelgood

play23:53

anandamide which exercise brings out or

play23:55

have a sauna and an ice plunge if you

play23:56

plan to get a massage this is the time

play23:58

we've still got one more flow cycle to

play24:01

spin through which is from 5:00 p.m. to

play24:03

8:00 p.m. the fourth flow block this is

play24:05

it approach these last 3 hours of flow

play24:07

like it's the end of a marathon when

play24:09

competing with world class competitors

play24:11

it's that final stretch even the last 10

play24:13

seconds that leads to Victory have water

play24:15

handy open the window for fresh air

play24:17

crank the air conditioner to keep you

play24:18

Vigilant blast some epic Tunes as you're

play24:20

working to stay in the zone leave

play24:22

nothing in the tank in this final flow

play24:24

Sprint persist and finish the day strong

play24:26

and then at 8m we want to recover and

play24:28

relax Congratulations by flow stacking

play24:31

and repeatedly entering and exiting the

play24:32

flow cycle you've managed to get 11

play24:34

intense deeply focused hours of Flow

play24:36

State wedged into a single day now it's

play24:38

time to land back to Earth and relish

play24:39

the fact that you just accomplished what

play24:41

most people manage to in a month and as

play24:44

you run the one month day you'll feel a

play24:45

satisfying intentional fatigue known as

play24:48

the flow Afterglow it's that deeply

play24:49

satisfying emptied out feeling of

play24:51

accomplishment that only comes after

play24:52

riding the wave of flow for an extended

play24:54

period in the brain the dopamine

play24:56

norepinephrine and serotonin of flow

play24:57

subsides and you're rewarded with

play24:59

relaxing neurochemicals like endorphins

play25:01

and endoc canabo as you learn to

play25:03

recognize and relish the flow Afterglow

play25:05

it becomes a self reinforcing cycle the

play25:07

more you experience it the more you want

play25:09

it and the more you push yourself to

play25:10

reach New Heights that makes it a Target

play25:12

to shoot for which boosts performance

play25:14

and achievement because you can only

play25:15

experience it by getting into flow and

play25:17

sustaining it for a long time for this

play25:19

reason the one month day is one of the

play25:20

biggest drivers of the flow Afterglow

play25:22

once you experience the one month day

play25:24

you'll permanently elevate your Baseline

play25:26

and you'll pull your seemingly

play25:27

impossible goals towards you and by

play25:29

having this skill in your back pocket

play25:31

you gain self-confidence self-efficacy

play25:32

and conviction in your ability to

play25:34

execute it decreases stress knowing that

play25:36

you can deploy this whenever needed so

play25:38

now that you know how to run the one

play25:40

month day the next question is how often

play25:42

should you do it after all producing A

play25:44

month's worth of accomplishment in a

play25:46

single day May gain you progress but

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it's intense here are a few modes of

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Olympian productivity to consider each

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mode determines how often to run the one

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month day acceleration mode involves

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running a one Monon day once per month

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start your month with an intense surge

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of output that builds momentum you can

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ride turbo mode is to run a one Monon

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day once per week do this to gain

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leverage that allows you to do more with

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less for the rest of the quarter finally

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there's light speed mode run a one month

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day for 5 days once per quarter this is

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for the Trailblazers the record Breakers

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the eat my dust Achievers sometimes this

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is needed to hit a book deadline to

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launch a new product before a competitor

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does or to get a new company off the

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ground in light speed mode you can

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accomplish what ends up feel like years

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worth of work in weeks or months this is

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how you achieve the impossible and if

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you want to take the one Monon day even

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further do the oneyear month Institute

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this once a year this is a 30-day period

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where you enter what we like to call

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Flow mode summoning from within a

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hitherto unseen level of performance to

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accomplish a superhuman feat every

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performance Improvement you know that

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works for you becomes the default the

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mandatory Baseline feeding only steak

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and broccoli puts you at your best

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that's what you do for this 30 days if

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waking up at 4:00 a.m. puts you at your

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best that's what you do for these 30

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days if having no phone whatsoever puts

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you at your best that's what you do for

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30 days after a properly executed one

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month day you won't view yourself or

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life the same now there's a way to get

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even more out of the one month day and

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that is to supercharge your creative

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rumination before during and afterward

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to learn how click the video on screen

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Related Tags
Peak PerformanceWork-Life BalanceProductivity HackFlow StateNeuroscienceTime ManagementEfficiencyGoal AchievementFocus EnhancementPerformance Boost