Productivity Hacks Every Software Engineer Forgets…
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the fallacy of equating long hours with productivity, highlighting how focusing on annual salary can lead to decreased hourly value. It emphasizes the importance of valuing time over money, suggesting strategies like time blocking and prioritizing well-being over workaholism. The script advocates for doing less, but more effectively, to achieve a better work-life balance and true happiness.
Takeaways
- 🕒 **Time Valuation**: Rethink how you value time by considering your hourly wage instead of annual salary to better understand your workload and income.
- 📉 **Workload vs. Salary**: Be aware that increased workload doesn't always equate to higher hourly pay; sometimes, it can lead to a demotion in effective hourly wage.
- 📚 **Inspiration from 'The 4-Hour Workweek'**: Tim Ferriss' book suggests that annual salaries can cap potential income while demanding limitless time.
- 🔢 **Hourly Wage Analysis**: Calculate your true hourly wage by dividing your annual salary by the number of weeks worked and the median hours per week.
- 🚫 **Stop Multitasking**: Focus on one task at a time to increase productivity and quality of work, rather than spreading yourself thin.
- 📅 **Time Blocking**: Use time blocking to dedicate specific time slots for tasks, ensuring focus and reducing distractions.
- 🔗 **Productivity Tools**: Utilize productivity tools like ClickUp to manage tasks, calendars, and reminders, which can help compartmentalize work and improve focus.
- 🎯 **Prioritize One Thing**: By focusing on one thing at a time, you can achieve extraordinary success as suggested by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.
- 🏋️♂️ **Balance Work and Leisure**: Time box not only work activities but also leisure to maintain a healthy balance and prevent burnout.
- 💡 **Small Changes**: Implement small, daily changes to improve productivity and well-being, rather than seeking drastic overnight shifts.
- 🌱 **Reevaluate Priorities**: Continuously reassess your priorities and consider if there are activities you can reduce or eliminate to improve your quality of life.
Q & A
What is the main issue the speaker addresses in the script?
-The speaker addresses the issue of people working long hours without necessarily achieving a better hourly wage compared to their workload, and how to rethink their approach to work to improve productivity and value their time.
What is the significance of looking at hourly income instead of annual income?
-Looking at hourly income helps to reveal the true value of one's time and work, as it can show if the increase in annual salary is proportional to the increase in workload, which might not always be the case.
Who is Tim Ferris and what is his claim about annual salaries?
-Tim Ferris is the author of 'The 4-Hour Workweek'. He claims that annual salaries cap potential income while demanding limitless time, leading to a situation where people might end up earning less per hour despite higher annual incomes.
What is the median hourly wage for software developers according to the script?
-The median hourly wage for software developers, based on the script, is calculated to be approximately $56 per hour.
How does the script suggest that multitasking can affect productivity?
-The script suggests that multitasking can decrease productivity by spreading oneself too thin and reducing the quality of each task, as opposed to focusing on one thing at a time.
What is 'time blocking' and how is it used to improve productivity?
-Time blocking is a method of setting aside specific blocks of time dedicated exclusively to working on one task. It helps protect time from interruptions and distractions, ensuring that important work gets done efficiently.
What is ClickUp and how does it help with time management?
-ClickUp is described as an ultimate productivity tool that can replace other productivity and reminder apps. It helps with time management by allowing users to create folders for projects, collaborate, set reminders, track time, manage calendars, and use productivity tools and templates.
What is the significance of the ancient Chinese archer story mentioned in the script?
-The story of the ancient Chinese archer illustrates the importance of not overworking or overstretching oneself without rest, as it can lead to burnout and loss of effectiveness.
How does the script suggest that the concept of 'being rich' has evolved?
-The script suggests that the concept of 'being rich' has evolved from merely accumulating wealth to prioritizing well-being and maintaining strong relationships throughout life for increased happiness and fulfillment.
What is the main takeaway from the script regarding work-life balance?
-The main takeaway is that it's important to not overburden oneself with too many tasks and obligations, and to focus on what truly matters for personal happiness and well-being, rather than striving for perfection in everything.
What advice does the speaker give for those who feel constantly overwhelmed?
-The speaker advises making a 1% step in the right direction every day to gradually improve one's situation, rather than settling for constant overwhelm just for the sake of productivity.
Outlines
💼 The Illusion of Annual Salary
The speaker discusses the misconception of annual salary versus hourly wage, emphasizing the importance of valuing time. They recount their own experience of working excessively long hours as a software engineer, YouTuber, and property manager, which led to a realization about productivity. The concept of demotion in real income despite raises is introduced, using the example of an investment banker's hourly wage compared to a fast-food worker. The speaker recommends Tim Ferris' book 'The 4-Hour Workweek' and shares statistics from the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics to illustrate the disparity between perceived high salaries and actual hourly rates. The narrative concludes with a call to action to rethink work habits and to stop multitasking, suggesting that focusing on one task at a time can lead to better productivity.
📅 Time Blocking for Enhanced Productivity
The speaker advocates for time blocking as a method to enhance productivity. They share their personal use of the ClickUp app to manage their calendar and工作任务, which has helped them to focus on one task at a time. The app's features, such as categorizing tasks and setting reminders, are highlighted as beneficial for organizing and prioritizing work. The speaker also stresses the importance of time boxing leisure activities to prevent work from overwhelming one's life. They draw a parallel between the app's utility and the ancient Chinese parable of an archer whose constant practice led to the snapping of his bow, illustrating the need for balance. The narrative shifts to discuss societal pressures to achieve and do more, suggesting that doing less and focusing on what truly matters can lead to a more fulfilling life. The speaker concludes with a reflection on their own journey towards better time management and the ongoing process of learning and adapting.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Productivity
💡Annual Salary
💡Hourly Income
💡Time Blocking
💡Multitasking
💡ClickUp
💡The 4-Hour Work Week
💡Median Salaries
💡Work-Life Balance
💡Overwhelm
💡Prioritization
Highlights
The importance of valuing time in terms of hourly income instead of annual salary.
The paradox of increased workload despite raises, leading to a demotion in effective hourly wage.
The author's personal struggle with working long hours and the need for a productivity rethink.
The concept of changing the way we value our time to improve work-life balance.
The recommendation of Tim Ferris' book 'The 4-Hour Workweek' for insights on time valuation.
The impact of annual salaries on potential income and the demand for limitless time.
A detailed calculation of average hourly rates for high-paying professions.
The revelation that software developers earn approximately $56 per hour based on a 45-hour workweek.
Lawyers' average hourly wage is lower than commonly believed due to longer work hours.
Airline pilots work more hours than software engineers, impacting their effective hourly wage.
Fast food workers' wages are more accurately reflected when considering overtime pay.
Secondary school teachers work longer hours than assumed, affecting their hourly wage.
The advice to stop multitasking to improve productivity and focus.
The concept of 'One Thing' by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan for achieving extraordinary success.
The practice of time blocking to ensure focused work on the most important tasks.
The use of ClickUp as a productivity tool to manage tasks and time effectively.
The importance of time boxing leisure activities to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
The ancient Chinese Archer parable illustrating the importance of rest and balance.
The shift in the definition of wealth from material accumulation to well-being and relationships.
The societal pressure to do everything perfectly and the permission to do less.
The suggestion to reassess life priorities and consider what can be let go.
The idea that change starts with small steps in the right direction every day.
Transcripts
and I asked busy successful people just
how they got everything done without
having to work 24/7 don't sleep plenty
of time then so you're actually getting
demoted over time until you end up
getting roughly the amount per hour of a
Burger King employee while you're
working as an investment banker which
honestly isn't that much more than the
hourly wage of a fast food worker well
for
one stop multitasking I used to work a
lot at minimum 14 hours a day between
being a software engineer a YouTuber and
manager multiple properties I was
overwhelmed I had two choices either I
had to give something up or I had to
rethink the way that I approached
working so I ended up changing there was
a lot of trial and error involved tons
of research about the science of
productivity and I asked busy successful
people just how they got everything done
without having to work 24/7 don't sleep
plenty of time then no no no trust me
I've been there and thankfully I'm now
on the other
[Music]
side one of the most profound ideas that
I came across which it's actually really
simple was about changing the way that
you value your time especially in the
context of annual salary versus your
hourly income the the first step really
is is looking at new measurements of
time and how you spend that time so
first of all I'd encourage everybody to
look at their hourly income instead of
their annual income because it's very
common that you might make $50,000 a
year get a raise to 55 but your workload
goes up 20% so you're actually getting
demoted over time until you end up
getting roughly
the amount per hour of a Burger King
employee while you're working as an
investment banker which seems to be the
fashion at the moment so that was Tim
Ferris the author of The 4-Hour Work
week it's a great read I've actually
linked the book in the description below
if you want to check it out he claims
that we put too much emphasis on that
annual salary without actually thinking
about what our time is actually valued
at annual salaries are a sneaky way of
capping our potential income while
demanding Limitless time so I went ahead
and listed out the highest paying jobs
and their median salaries in 23 I found
the median hours worked for each
profession and calculated the average
hourly rate per job you guys the results
were shocking so here are some of the
professions that I listed and I got
these stats from the US Bureau of Labor
and statistics in 2023 so let's take a
look for software developers we're
making about
$132,000 and we work about 45 hours a
week which comes out to $56 an hour the
way I calculate this is just by dividing
the number by 52 weeks in a year and
then also dividing by the median hours
worked and you can see that's 45 hours
here the Assumption for this hourly wage
is probably a 40h hour work week but we
know that that's not true and now $56 an
hour is actually pretty good it's not
bad but you can see that it's not quite
what the US bureo of Labor and
statistics claims it is now if we go to
lawyers lawyers typically work 55 hours
a week and I've heard even more but this
is the statistic I got online so this
comes out to $50 an hour instead of $70
an hour and that's a huge difference
let's look at airline pilots so this is
also about
$54 an hour so you can see that actually
airline pilots make a lot more than
software Engineers do but not really if
you think about it because they work way
more hours they're making on average $54
an hour versus software Engineers making
$56 an hour now with fast food workers I
think it's a little bit more clear
because if you're working 40 hours a
week you're making that 1420 an hour and
if you work more you typically get
overtime so this seems to be accurate
and we all know with teachers their day
isn't done when the school day is done
they have to go grade papers create new
lesson plans and do a lot of stuff
outside of their workday we found 53
hours to be a little bit more accurate
rather than 40 hours a week so for the
secondary school teachers that comes out
to about 23 an hour which honestly isn't
that much more than the hourly wage of a
fast food worker and with being a
teacher you're going to school you're
getting your degree a lot of times
you're getting a master's degree to be a
high school teacher
so with this in mind how do we stop
robbing ourselves of our time and still
get the same amount of work done well
for
one stop multitasking it may sound
counterintuitive especially to all the
overachievers out there but in the one
thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
they talk about the extraordinary
success that you can achieve by focusing
on one thing at a time we're typically
told to try to handle multiple things at
the same time so as to get more done but
in reality that just decreased inrees
the quality of each task that we're
working on because we're spreading
ourselves too thin one way to overcome
this is by time blocking this involves
setting aside specific blocks of time on
your calendar dedicated exclusively to
working on your One Thing by protecting
your time from interruptions and
distractions you can ensure that your
most important work gets done and that's
why I use today's sponsor clickup
clickup is the ultimate productivity
tool it's one app that can replace all
your other productivity and reminder
apps you can create folders for all your
projects Dr and drop checklist boards
collaborate with Partners set recurring
reminders track your time on various
tasks manage calendars and leverage a
whole Suite of productivity tools and
templates created by experts as I
mentioned earlier I've been using
clickup to manage my calendar it's been
really easy to use and it helps me focus
on one task at a time before moving to
the next I've added 30 minute blocks for
Content creation for example so setting
up a one-on-one with my editor finishing
thumbnail for the video I've even added
a 30-minute block for going for a walk I
think that's super important because you
also want to time box your leisurely
activities you don't want to just
overload it with a lot of work so I also
put some fun stuff like play pickle ball
for an hour go work out go cook and do
things that actually make me feel really
good my favorite features are the
ability to categorize each task using
specific labels so I can filter for them
later on and honestly this kind of
replaces my need to use my own Gmail
calendar just today I marked off four
things from my list that I wouldn't have
marked off otherwise because usually it
takes me like an entire week to actually
focus and get things done now with
clickup it's taking less than half the
amount of time just because I'm able to
actually compartmentalize what I need to
get done next so that's why I recommend
click up it's totally free by the way
and you can use my link in the
description below trust me you won't
regret taking charge of organizing your
time and winning back even more in the
process in ancient China there was a
renowned Archer known throughout the
land for his unmatched skill his bow was
his most prized possession day after day
he would practice for hours keeping his
bow constantly bent believing that the
more he trained the greater his Mastery
would become however one day as he
pulled back the string to take Aim the
bow snapped in his hands the wood once
strong and flexible had become brittle
from being under constant tension the
Archer was devastated realizing that his
most valuable tool was now useless not
because of poor craftsmanship but
because he had pushed it too far without
giving it time to
rest initially being rich meant
accumulating a lot of wealth and then
enjoying that wealth in retirement but
according to long-term studies like the
Harvard study of adult development
prioritizing your well-being and
maintaining strong relationships
throughout your life leads to increased
happiness and fulfillment not waiting to
enjoy life in retirement so what does
this mean it means that spending most of
your time at a job that you hate making
a lot of money just to not really enjoy
what you're doing is a horrible way to
spend your life you're not even
guaranteed old age and yet you buy into
the idea that you have to do everything
and be everything everywhere all at once
sometimes the society and the social
media has made us believe that H in
order to be happy with your life you
must H do 100 things together at the
same time and you must do everything
perfectly it's okay if you don't do
everything perfectly it's okay if you
don't want to do everything just do some
things or choose to do some things so
what if you just threw my advice away
about doing more in less time and just
did less what if there are things in
your life that you actually shouldn't be
prioritizing at all and yet you're doing
it anyways and I get it everyone has
obligations family survival safety but
isn't there that one thing that you
could just give in on isn't there that
one friend that you just always feel
obligated to hang out with but you don't
actually really enjoy spending time with
them or isn't there that one work event
that everyone always asks you to lead
because they think you're so good at it
but you just dread doing it every single
time change starts with making a 1% step
in the right direction every single day
it doesn't have to be big but you don't
have to settle for feeling overwhelmed
all of the time just for the sake of
being productive and I'll leave you with
those last closing thoughts so hopefully
you guys got something out of this I
know it took me a lot of learning and
relearning and failing to try to
understand how to get to the point that
I'm at now and I'm still not perfect
there are times where I'm still
overwhelmed but I do have a lot more
control over my schedule than I did
before
for I was overwhelmed
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