What do icebergs, mice, and groups of three people have in common? They all relate to five of my favourite productivity tips (obviously!) – all taken from guests I have had on How I Work.

5 tips to get you working smarter

1. Create systems, not goals

Most of us are taught to set goals: “Write a book,” “Complete this project,” or “Learn Spanish.” But NYU Professor Adam Alter explained to me why this approach is flawed – when working towards a goal, you’re essentially “failing” until you finally reach it. Then, once achieved, we typically just set a new goal, putting ourselves back into a state of “failure.”

It’s the emotional equivalent of reaching an ice cream shop after a long walk, only to be told “Congratulations! Now walk to the next shop… which is even further away!” Instead, create systems – regular, repeatable processes that move you forward towards the end state (i.e. goal).

For example:

• Instead of “Write a book” → “Write 500 words every morning for an hour” 
• Instead of “Learn Spanish” → “Practice Spanish for 20 minutes daily”

The beauty of a system is that success comes from following the process, not just reaching an endpoint. When I applied this to my writing, setting a daily word count system rather than deadline-focused goals, my consistency improved dramatically and my daily sense of accomplishment skyrocketed. It’s like switching from an exhausting “Are we there yet?” marathon to enjoying the scenic route – with tiny victory celebrations every day.

How to apply it:

1. Identify something significant you want to achieve
2. Design a simple, repeatable system you can do daily or regularly
3. Set a mid-point review to ensure your system is moving you toward your desired outcome at an appropriate pace

2. Master keyboard shortcuts

We spend hours each day using our computers, yet most of us rely heavily on our mouse for navigating, which significantly slows us down. Rahul Vohra, founder of email software Superhuman, explains that when we use our mouse, our brain must coordinate complex mechanical movements of our elbow, wrist, and fingers. It’s like choosing to commute by unicycle when there’s a perfectly good bullet train available – technically it works, but you’ll arrive sweaty, tired, and wondering why everyone else got there before you.

Instead, learning keyboard shortcuts allows us to “play” our computer like an instrument, creating tremendous efficiency. Common shortcuts like Ctrl/Cmd+C (copy) and Ctrl/Cmd+V (paste) are just the beginning.

How to apply it:

1. Notice which actions you regularly perform with your mouse (composing emails, switching between applications, formatting text) 
2. Look up the keyboard shortcuts for these common actions 
3. Learn one new shortcut every day for two weeks 
4. Practice until each becomes muscle memory before moving to the next

3. Look for Groups of Three When Networking

Entering a room full of strangers at networking events can feel overwhelming – like being tossed into a sea of small talk. Yale Professor Marissa King has a brilliant (and research-backed) life raft. She explained that people don’t actually form “oceans” – they naturally cluster in small groups. Even better, we mostly talk in pairs (dyads), which means in any group with an odd number, someone’s always left hanging. That’s your cue – go rescue the awkward one.

How to apply it:

1. At your next networking event, scan the room for groups of three people (or any odd number) 
2. Identify the person who appears to be on the outer edge of the conversation 
3. Approach this person – they’re likely looking for a conversational partner 
4. Break off into a one-on-one conversation with them

4. Batch Your Meetings

Research from Ohio State University shows that if you’ve got a meeting coming up in the next hour or two, you’ll get 22% less work done. Why? Because it’s hard to dive into deep work when you know you’re about to be yanked out of it. ​Wharton Professor Adam Grant gets it – on teaching days, he lines up his office hours back-to-back like dominoes. And on non-teaching days? Not a single meeting in sight. Just pure, glorious silence for research and writing.

How to apply it:

1. Designate specific days or time blocks for meetings (e.g., Tuesday and Thursday afternoons) 
2. Keep other days or time blocks (particularly mornings if that’s when you’re sharpest) completely meeting-free 
3. When scheduling meetings, try to cluster them together rather than spreading them throughout your week 
4. Include small buffer times (5-10 minutes) between meetings to avoid running late

5. Beware the Iceberg Yes

​John Zeratsky, co-author of Sprint and Make Time, warned me about the “Iceberg Yes” – when we get dazzled by the shiny, exciting part of an opportunity (the tip), and completely ignore the massive chunk of time and effort lurking beneath the surface. It’s why we cheerfully say “yes” to things months in advance… then curse our past selves when the calendar reminder pops up. Turns out, we underestimate how long things take by 40–50%. Classic.

How to apply it:

1. When presented with an opportunity, identify all tasks required to fulfill it – not just the highlight moment 
2. Map out approximately how long each task will take 
3. Consider whether the total time investment is worth it 
4. Remember that saying “no” means avoiding not just the visible commitment but all the hidden work too

Want to learn more ways to transform your time? Check out Inventium

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