Finish Work Faster by Copying How Olympic Athletes Train

Here I describe a technique for getting more work done, pulled from how Olympic athletes train.

[ryan]

problem:
1. procrastination
2. work life balance + social life
3. working non stop -> exhaustion & burnout


top heaviness approach - more weight in the beginning vs the end


solution: in the context of work do more in the beginning vs. spreading it out i.e. (day) start earlier in the morning, (week) work longer hours on M, T, W, (project) do more in the beginning of the schedule/timeline
1. procrastination is like a switch, to combat: put pressure up front
2. you get things done earlier in the week so you feel less guilty or have time for social activities in the later part of the week
3. work intensely -> relax/recovery -> repeat

[bigboss-wrhb]

"Alright, let's get back to studying"
"You know what, he said you should start early, let's do it tomorrow"

[allemoney]

It’s interesting that I kinda figured this out on my own. Work was so busy but
I felt I wasn’t getting much work done and stuff was piling up. Definitely was feeling burnt out.

I ended up doing a top heavy approach where I would wake up early and Get as much work done as possible before folks started interrupting me with chats and emails. After lunch, I slow my work pace, allowing me to respond to people, take meetings, and not stress about my queue when the day is over.

[thisaintart]

At 17 I bussed tables on weekends at a busy breakfast joint and if you worked slow it ate you alive. In college I bar-backed at a busy night club across the street and took that grind mentality the same way and it saved my life. Recently, I started writing my goals out (things that motivate me, not things I have to do) and then each month I picked one simple thing I’d do every day to help achieve my goals. First it was stop swearing, then make my bed, then drink water every morning, then immediately wash every dish once used, then showering every morning, etc. Now I choose harder ones like quitting complaining, and keep in mind I’ve struggled with these for years. I watched a video on here about how myelin is formed in the brain when you repeat activities so you activate involuntary muscle memory by doing something over and over. God bless us procrastinators, escape out the back window it’s the only way 😂

[skum]

There is also a very good book called "Will it make the boat go faster?" by Ben Hunt-Davis, the Captain of the olympic gold British rowing team. It discusses strategies on how to get ahead. Basically, they would always ask themselves whenever they did anything, will it make the boat go faster? If it did, they would implement them, if not, they wouldn't. While it sounds like a sports book, its actually a performance and business book.

[big_binosaur]

its quite ironic that i watch this procrastinating

[arkpath]

"If you procrastinate and do work at the last minute, you can solve this by doing your work ahead of time." Expert analysis.

[andrevav]

I randomly stumbled upon this video and it's exactly correct
I've unintentionally been implementing this method, although more coarsely, during my last two years and it changed my perspective and greatly improved my marks from the bachelor to the master degree. I had struggled a lot with procrastination and time management during my bachelor and it always felt like I didn't have any time for myself, so in my last semester I decided to work really hard during weekdays, work a bit on saturdays, maybe do some review on sunday but take the afternoon, if not the whole day, for myself
my gpa improved, I felt more energetic, I enjoyed more each week, and my whole perspective on everything improved. I don't think I would have been able to go through the master degree without this method, mainly due to burning out

[ironmantis]

Most of the time, I feel like starting to do the work is harder than actually doing the work. 

[jessj]

This is very unique video.I have already learnt something practical within 2 minutes of this video.I have been struggling with balancing for so long now.I love this idea.
I am excited.I can't wait to do this.Thanks so much

[Zara_Luna]

Problems:
1. Procrastination
2. Exhaustion
3. Burnt out

Solution:
1. Alter intense period vs relaxation
2. Most of the work Day /morning
3. Most of the work week/ M, T, W

[MegaNatebreezy]

This is actually solid advice. I’ve been feeling very unproductive at work. Glad I came across this.

[valentin]

The video outlines a productivity technique, inspired by the training methods of Olympic athletes, aimed at solving common problems like procrastination, work-life balance, and burnout.

Key Takeaways:

The Technique: The method is drawn from the book "The Power of Full Engagement". It suggests mimicking the training method of Olympic athletes, who alternate between periods of intense exercise and deep relaxation. When applied to mental work, this translates to alternating between intense periods of work and relaxation.

Top-Heaviness: This term refers to doing most of the work at the beginning of the day, week, or project timeline, and less towards the end. It's akin to putting more weight at the start than at the end.

Solving Procrastination: Top-heaviness addresses procrastination because it creates pressure at the beginning of the week, prompting you to work more intensively. Even habitual procrastinators tend to work hard just before a deadline, suggesting they can summon energy and motivation when needed.

Work-Life Balance: Knowing that you have dedicated heavy workdays allows you to designate other days for relaxation and socialization. The separation aids in achieving a work-life balance.

Preventing Burnout: The common misconception about burnout is that it's caused by overworking. In reality, it's primarily due to insufficient relaxation and recovery afterwards. A top-heavy schedule facilitates intense work for a short period, followed by a longer period of relaxation and recovery.

Implementation: Using a schedule approach or daily and weekly to-do lists can help implement this strategy. You need to allocate more work to the start of the week or day, then follow up with adequate relaxation time.

The video suggests testing this approach to see if it can help combat procrastination, improve work-life balance, and prevent burnout while enhancing productivity and enjoyment of life.

[michlazoo]

this is literally the most helpful advice for actual procrastinators. I started doing this naturally when I began trying to fix mine!!

[solenaleonard]

Who knows why I was recommended this video 1 years after it was published but I have to say, thank you for posting it! It was really insightful and gives me hope for this upcoming week :)

[chapagawa]

Doing the heavy lifting early in a project is a great concept, however the implementation in a group context is pretty much impossible. In a project there are various inputs into your work stream that depend on other members’ tasks outputs, and when they fall behind schedule, “it’s Friday, only two more workdays until Monday” approach.

[BariumCobaltNitrogn]

This is a really good concept. I procrastinate and I'm easily distracted, plus I work in the field without supervision, oh look a shiny thing...I didn't know it had a name, but I have used this method for a while now, with some mods. Monday and Tuesday-let's get to work, focus on the task at hand, don't hurry, take scheduled breaks. If I get ahead, tidy up, organize, refill supplies. The key is to stay on the task, especially big ones, just keep at it, don't rush but leave the phone in the car. By Wednesday or Thursday, see the finish line, picture it done, then let muscle memory do some work. Top heavy makes sense, something looks easy but lose focus and tumble into the weeds. And last, finish strong and take care of all the little details, the right people will notice. bon soir

[breakingbadest]

"Work 10 hours Tuesday Wednesday an Thursday". You know there has been large studies on this right? For every hour after the third hour your productivity goes to 20-50% of your earlier productivity levels. I would say the best method is: 1. use one day to set up a schedule so that it's efficient and methodical. 2. preform the schedule as accurate as possible (deviate when needed) 3. only work for 3 hours a day to maximize efficiency, if you literally can't do the work in 3 hours try and find methods of making it closer to 3 hours so that later you can use your new skills you have obtained by the pressure of time. 4. lastly sacrifice something for your goals, reaching your goals should never be easy and a lot of times you will have to sacrifice either time with friends or social events for your own long lasting goals, what that is depends on you and how you are as a person. Hope this helps.

[labsanta]

Olympic athletes train by alternating between periods of intense exercise and deep relaxation. Similarly, in mental work, alternating between intense periods of work and relaxation can be beneficial.
The concept of top heaviness is introduced, where more work is done in the morning, early in the week, or early in a project timeline.

The video explains how top heaviness helps solve the problems of procrastination, work-life balance, and burnout.

The technique of top heaviness is directly related to finishing more work in less time.
The video references a book called "The Power of Full Engagement" for more information on the topic.

Where is the Gold?
- Relaxation and recovery are essential for maintaining energy levels and avoiding burnout.
- Following a top-heavy schedule allows for intense work followed by longer periods of relaxation.
- Implementing the weekly daily goals approach or a fixed schedule productivity system can help allocate work accordingly.
- Having a relaxation period at the end of the day or week increases energy and focus for intense work.
- By adjusting your schedule to focus on work during Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with lighter workloads later in the week, you can maximize productivity.
- Try scheduling most of your work in the morning to leverage higher energy levels.

- This approach helps avoid procrastination, maintain work/life balance, and prevent burnout.

[jolittle]

i think you deserve more views and subscribers. thank you for this video. it’s very straightforward and easy to understand and implement.