Work Smarter, Not Harder: Lazy Productivity

The idea of “lazy productivity” might seem like an oxymoron, but it’s a concept that has been gaining traction more and more each day. It’s not about encouraging laziness in the traditional sense, but more about maximizing efficiency with minimizing the effort. To put it simply, getting more done while doing less to make it happen. Sounds pretty good right?

It’s time to dive into what lazy productivity is, how you can implement it into your daily routine, and why it’s more effective than simply grinding away at tasks. After all, it’s not about the amount of hours you work, but how much you get done with the time you’re given.

The 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, reaffirms that lazy productivity is achievable just based on this simple principle. This principle states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Take a business structure for example, 20% of your staff who are in sales, generate 80% of your profits. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, lazy productivity focuses on identifying, prioritizing and implementing the most impactful tasks to lead to the best results possible.

If you’re working on a project, identify the few key actions that will drive the project forward. The actions or tasks left over that may not be as big of a contributor, may be minimized, delegated, or eliminated depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. At the beginning of your day, try to write down the top 3 tasks that will have the greatest impact on your goals. Focus on those first before dealing with less important tasks and see what results you get. You may be surprised.

Automation: Let Technology Do the Work

Why waste time doing something manually when a tool can do it faster and more accurately? This is a hot topic as AI becomes more and more prominent in our world. But that’s another topic for another day. Let’s focus on the available technology and how it can help you with your goals. Lazy productivity encourages the use of automation wherever possible to reduce the amount of repetitive tasks you have to handle. Not only that, but if you want to look at it from a business perspective, it can save a lot of costs as well depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. Let’s start small. Tasks such as automating emails, social media posts, or scheduling, can save you time, help you get things completed in bulk and still add a sense of professionalism allowing you the time to get other things done. There are countless tools designed to help you work smarter, not harder.

A study by McKinsey Global Institute found that 60% of all occupations have at least 30% of tasks that can be automated. By automating routine or mundane tasks, you free up valuable time for more important and creative work for you and even your staff!  Similar to what was mentioned earlier, make sure you identify repetitive tasks in your daily routine and use tools such as Meta Business Suite for example. In the Meta Business Suite you can connect multiple social media pages together under one hub to create, schedule, post and respond to messages from people reaching out to you on social media platforms.Taking advantage of tools such as this will help simplify your life and free you up for more complex tasks.

Batching Similar Tasks

Nothing like a productivity killer to slow your roll. Task-switching is one of those things that can really gum up the works. If you’re constantly switching between tasks, your brain may need to reorient itself, leading to a loss in efficiency. Lazy productivity capitalizes on the concept of batching or grouping similar tasks together to minimize the time wasted in flipping between them. 

How can you do this? Well, a good example would be to organize yourself in certain areas and handle them at certain times of the day. For example, instead of responding to emails throughout the day, set specific times when you’ll handle all your emails in one go. Now obviously if your boss reaches out don’t ignore it, especially if it’s something that requires an immediate response. This is more geared towards those things that come up daily that need your input or details to help those reaching out continue their flow of work. By concentrating on one type of task at a time, you’ll finish them faster and with less mental fatigue.

The Two-Minute Rule

Here’s a hack that that you can take advantage of. When a task comes in that you know takes less than two minutes, handle it immediately. This might sound counter productive when it comes to working smarter not harder, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not. Instead of letting small tasks pile up and become overwhelming, lazy productivity suggests knocking them out right away.

David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done, popularized this rule, arguing that if a task takes two minutes or less, it would take longer to organize and plan it than to simply do it. When faced with a quick task such as filing something or sharing a document/link with a co-worker, do it immediately. Don’t allow small tasks to accumulate into a mountain of unfinished work.

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

One of the smartest things you can do as a leader or professional is to delegate tasks. Lazy productivity recognizes that you don’t have to do everything yourself but it can also be used as a benefit to enrich the relationship of any employees that you supervise. Providing responsibility and growing your staff can help boost morale. Be careful not to mistake this as passing off all your work or just the hard work to your staff. That can give a very opposite result. Delegation allows you to focus on the tasks that truly need your expertise while freeing up time for strategic thinking.

According to Forbes, companies with highly effective delegators achieved 33% higher revenue. Again, delegation is not about passing off work; it’s about empowering others while optimizing your own time and energy. Identify tasks that can be handled by someone else and delegate them accordingly, especially if it involves something that a member of your team is looking to get experience with. Ensure that you communicate clear expectations, but resist the urge to micromanage.

Embrace the Power of “No”

While this might sound like career suicide, there is a method to this strategy. Saying “yes” to every request, meeting, or task might seem like a good way to show initiative, interest and hard work, but this can lead you down the path of overload and burnout. Lazy productivity advocates for mastering the art of saying "no" to tasks that don’t hold significant value in your productivity or effectiveness for the business.

Warren Buffet once said, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say 'no' to almost everything.” By focusing only on what truly matters, you can protect your time and mental energy. Before saying “yes” to a new commitment, ask yourself: “Does this task align with my main goals?” If not, politely decline or suggest an alternative. 

An important side note to this recommendation, do not confuse this with insubordination. This refers to additional tasks that arise throughout business growth. This does not apply to a task that your boss is requiring of you. Make sure you understand the difference or it will end in career suicide.  

Take Breaks and Recharge

Workaholics may not relate, but this is important. Taking regular breaks is a critical part of lazy productivity. Sounds backwards right? Well, studies show that the brain’s ability to focus diminishes after long periods of work. The Pomodoro Technique is a popular time management method that involves working for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break, to maintain a level of mental sharpness and avoid burnout.

According to research by DeskTime, the most productive people work for 52 minutes and then take a 17-minute break. Breaks give your brain a chance to recharge, leading to better performance when you jump back into work. Try scheduling regular breaks into your workday. It can be easy to get lost in your work, so to make sure you stay on track, simply set a timer to remind yourself to step away from your desk periodically.

Focus on Results, Not Hours

The goal here is to get the best results you can without slaving over a ridiculous amount of hours. The traditional 9-to-5 workday often creates the illusion that the time you spend at a desk equates to productivity. That may not be the case for most people though. According to an article listed on Inc.com a study showed that workers are only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes of an 8-hour workday!

Instead of focusing on how long you work, focus on what you’re trying to accomplish. Set clear goals and track your results. This shift in mindset can help you prioritize high-impact work and avoid busywork. Heck, you may find by doing this the day will go by even faster! Shift your focus from how long you’re working to what you’re achieving. At the end of the day, take a look at what you’ve accomplished and start setting up what goals you want to hit the next day.

Conclusion: Lazy but Smart

This isn’t about cutting corners or about being lazy at work. This is about being strategic in how you manage your time and energy. By focusing on the more complex and difficult tasks, automating or delegating the simpler ones, and protecting your mental health and energy through breaks and time management, you can accomplish more while doing less.

In the end it’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter.