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- Issue No. 128: 4-day Workweek is More Productive than 5
Issue No. 128: 4-day Workweek is More Productive than 5
“Right Sleep” Might Trump More Sleep According to New Study
Productivity Express
Issue No. 128
The Best in Evidenced-Based Productivity
for Freelancers, Small Business Owners & Founders
Helping You Work Smarter and Live More
The Rundown
Boredom Is Key for Improving Your Productivity
New Study: “Right Sleep” Might Trump More Sleep
How the Pandemic Changed Marketing Channels
Major 4-day workweek study suggests that when we work 5 days we spend one doing basically nothing
Afternoon slump was replaced by the Tripple Peak Day
New AI video editing features
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🔥Quote/Prompt
Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.
Use the quote as a writing or thinking prompt to finish your week strong.
A bit from mine:
(posted in our Doer Entrepreneurs Free Community — off social media)
Question: Do you ever make a mistake, and then if you're being honest with yourself, your dwelling on said mistake created more of a drop in your productivity or business than the original mistake?
Yeah, me too.
If you said you have NEVER done that, well, I'm skeptical, but congratulations. 😉
I love this reminder that YES we ALL make mistakes but what matters most is […]
Did someone forward this to you?
📈Performance
For entrepreneurs and busy individuals, the idea of boredom might seem counterproductive. However, it turns out that boredom can be a powerful tool for enhancing productivity.
Key Insights:
Trigger the recall of pending tasks. When you allow yourself to be bored, your mind relaxes and you may find yourself remembering tasks that you've been meaning to complete. This could be the perfect time to tackle those tasks that have been on your to-do list for a while.
Spark creativity. When your mind is idle, it has the potential to generate innovative ideas. This could lead to the creation of new projects, businesses, or even revolutionary concepts that could transform your work or business.
Enhance relationships. When you're bored, you're likely to seek out social interactions. This can be a great opportunity to connect or reconnect with clients, colleagues, or vendors, potentially leading to new projects or collaborations.
Provide perspective. It allows you to take a step back and assess your business or work situation. This reflection time can be used as motivation to break free from a rut and set new goals for the future.
Quality of sleep may be more important than quantity for cognitive function and overall health, according to a recent study. "Right Sleep" varies for each individual and is influenced by various factors.
Key Insights:
Optimal Sleep Varies: Too much sleep can be as harmful as too little. Biphasic sleep, sleeping in two phases, could be beneficial.
Napping and Quiet Wakefulness: These can offset cognitive impairments from short nighttime sleep. 30-60 minutes is optimal for most and even meditation can help offset sleepless nights and impact cognition and heart health.
Societal Norms Influence Sleep: Sleep patterns are affected by societal expectations about bedtimes, wake times, and attitudes towards napping.
Light Affects Sleep: All light types can impact sleep. Artificial light can disrupt natural sleep-wake cycles but can also help control sleep patterns.
Self-Awareness is Key: Sleep studies may not accurately predict individual responses to sleep schedules. Understanding personal sleep patterns and needs is crucial.
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⚙️Optimization
The Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped marketing channels, leading to five key trends: channel expansion, enduring face-to-face channels, increased social media use, the rise of direct-to-customer channels, and the underutilization of gamification.
Key Insights:
Expanding Interaction Options: Companies have increased the number of marketing channels they use by 61%. Action: It is a good time to evaluate and expand to platforms where your target audience is active.
Face-to-Face Channels Remain Relevant: Face-to-face channels persist despite digital transformation — or perhaps because of the inundation of it (digital fatigue). Action: Maintain or expand face-to-face channels to capitalize on this and learn about customer behavior.
Social Media as a Sales Platform: 45% of companies use social media for sales including the DMs for answering questions & interacting with customers. Action: Leverage social media for direct sales, using features like Instagram's in-app checkout.
Direct-to-Customer Channels on the Rise: In 2023, 24% of companies added a direct-to-customer channel. Action: Consider adopting D2C channels to gain firsthand customer insights and control the customer experience.
Gamification is a Missed Opportunity: Only 4.8% of marketers use gamification like fun rewards for shopping even though it’s expected to grow 237% overall in 2025 — don’t miss the train! Action: Explore integrating gamification into marketing strategies to increase customer engagement and loyalty.
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⏲️Time Management
A comprehensive study by 4 Day Week Global reveals that a four-day workweek can be as productive as a five-day one, with additional benefits to employee health and job satisfaction.
Key Insights:
Productivity Maintained: Workers can complete the same workload in 33 hours as in 38.
Well-being Enhanced: Six months of a four-day workweek led to less burnout, better health, and increased job satisfaction.
Revenue Grows: Companies saw a 15% increase in revenue during the four-day workweek trial.
Challenges Exist: Transitioning to a four-day workweek can present logistical challenges and may not suit every employee or business model.
Microsoft's research reveals a new "triple peak day" work pattern, characterized by a third productivity peak in the evening, emerging in the era of remote and hybrid work.
Key Insights:
Flexibility is key: The "triple peak day" pattern shows that employees value the ability to adjust their work hours according to personal needs and responsibilities.
Work-life balance matters: While the third peak offers flexibility, it can also blur the boundaries between work and personal life.
Communication is crucial: As work hours become more flexible, clear communication about availability and expectations is essential.
Leverage technology: Tools like Microsoft Teams and Outlook offer features that can help manage after-hours communication. For instance, scheduling options allow users to delay the delivery of messages to more convenient times.
Consider the type of work: Some tasks are better suited for non-traditional hours. Autonomous tasks that don't require immediate group input can be done during the third peak, allowing for more focused group work during traditional hours.
Support during transitions: As work patterns continue to evolve, provide support and guidance to your team. Regular check-ins and modeling sustainable work practices can help ensure a smooth transition to new work patterns.
💻Tools & Technology
One of our favorite video-editing tools, Descript, just released some awesome new features. If you aren’t familiar with this tool, it is a video-editing tool that lets you edit video similarly to editing text and if you generally prefer writing, it’s a godsend.
Check them out:
Regenerate: An AI redo button — did a car horn honk right when your interview guest said the best nugget? Descript claims Regenerate will fix this and loads of other hiccups both figuratively and literally.
Eye Contact: If you prefer to read a script or look at the screen while recording, this feature will make it appear you were looking into the camera the whole time.
🔒Inner Circle: Events & Announcements
Announcement: Wonky Week ENDS Monday! (Events are BACK TO NORMAL 9 AM PT, 5 PM London, 6 PM Europe)
Bonus week: Do 8 Hours of Work in 4: Double Your Productivity in 1 Week Action Booster Sprint! Start here
Monday: {EU Time} Work ON Business. Theme: 3️⃣ Sales & Marketing RSVP here
Tuesday: Work ON Business. Theme: 3️⃣ Sales & Marketing RSVP here
Monday/Friday: Goal Setting + Plan Your Week Party
Accelerators: Nov 8 is your Office Hours RSVP here
We will soon be adding Referral Perks — Refer now to start earning! 👇
As a reminder, you’re getting this twice-weekly newsletter because you opted in to receive awesome productivity and systems tips through one of these methods:
Doer Entrepreneurs, Doers Express Newsletter, Productivity Stacks, Success by Rx, ClickUp Facebook Group, Productive & Successful Translators Facebook Group.
If you’re not interested in improving your and your business’s productivity so you’d like to break up, that’s definitely a bummer. But, you can always use the unsubscribe link at the bottom if you do not want to get these tips — but keep in mind I am hyper-focused on making these twice-weekly emails as valuable as possible.
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I hope you found this valuable!
Wishing you much productivity!
- Jenae :)
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