Time management

How Optimizing Your Workdays for Focus Can Help You Do More in Less Time

December 7, 2022 by Eva Keiffenheim

Staying productive, sane, and healthy as a solopreneur.

Source: Salzburg Global Seminar // Katrin Kerschbaumer

The first six months of working self-employed felt like a constant struggle between doing too much and barely enough.

Nobody sets your priorities or boundaries. You’re maximum self-reliant.

I felt guilty when I wasn’t working and stressed when I was.

It took me more than a year to benefit from the freedom and impact that can go along with it. Two and a half years in, I feel at peace with my workload most of the time.

Below are the mind shifts I took and tools I use to spend only a couple of hours at my screen each day.

1) Understanding that Working Less Doesn’t Equal Laziness

Are you sometimes judging yourself for not doing enough?

Societal structures have shaped our thoughts about productivity, rest, and enjoyment.

The working world values busyness and working for long hours. Rest, pleasure, and play are often equated with laziness. No wonder we often measure our worth by how much we achieve.

It took me years to unlearn this belief and untie my self-worth from achievement.

My grandparents were World War II survivors and peasants in a rural 800-village. My parents worked hard to offer my sister and me a childhood with more opportunities and prosperity than they had experienced.

For a long time, I felt guilty just thinking I wanted to work less than my parents. Their words always echoed inside my head:

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
(Was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen.)
Work hard, play hard.
(Wer abends lange feiern kann, kann morgens auch schaffen.)
“You can’t make something out of nothing.”
(Von nichts kommt nichts.)

It took me years of inner work, which included psychotherapy, rapid transformational therapy, and psychedelics, to feel my self-worth even in unproductive times.

I now know and feel (most of the time) that I AM ENOUGH — just in being, no matter what I do or don’t do.

This led to major behavioural shifts. I no longer sacrifice my health and relationships for work. I won’t wait for retirement to do what I really want to do. And this all doesn’t mean I’m lazy. It just means I no longer need productivity to feel worthy.

And yet, I want to have an impact on what I do. So apart from this inner work, I changed a couple of things in my working days to do more in less time.

2) The Key to Doing More in Less Time

Energy levels change during the day. The longer I sit, the slower I think. Writing an email at 5 pm might take thrice as long as writing it at 10 am.

I used to think the more hours I put in, the better the results. And I know so many people who brag about working long hours. But time spent is only one part of the equation.

High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)

You can spend eight hours with zero focus and not produce any high-quality work at all.

I decided to optimize for focus, thereby reducing the time I needed to produce my desired outcomes.

But building focus takes time.

I started with a single 20-minute block daily. I increased the duration to three to four 50 minutes blocks a day.

You won’t believe what’s possible if you work with a complete focus for four uninterrupted hours each day.

As Tim Denning wrote: “As much as it sounds like clickbait, 4 hours of deep work a day can be enough for most people to finish all their work.”

On most days of the year, I work up to four hours a day at my computer.

There are exceptions, though; weeks with time-sensitive client work while running my cohort-based online course, where I am back at 50-hour work weeks and many weekdays on which I don’t work at all.

3) The Things I Stopped Doing to Get Everything Done in Four Hours a Day

If you only have four 50-minute intervals a day to get your work done, there are some things to unlearn and deprioritize.

I no longer have my phone at my desk. My phone is in a different room. I enable flight mode until I’ve finished my focused work intervals.

If I have thoughts that require a phone, I write them down to do it after the in-depth work sessions (e.g. using the tan app for sending bank transfers, texting a friend about something etc.).

I don’t do online meetings except with my direct clients and those who work for me. I ask for or prepare prioritized agendas for weekly check-ins.

I “grab virtual coffees” audio-only over a walk in the park.

If you look at my calendar, you will barely find more than three hours of meetings in a week.

I don’t talk to people when I’m in focus mode. People around me know that if I wear my headphones, they can’t speak to me until the next break.

I don’t use messaging apps on my computer. I don’t have the WhatsApp application, and I’m not logged into LinkedIn, Facebook, or Slack.

I disabled all notifications on my computer and phone.

I don’t ever get notifications on my computer. I’m writing this in Manila, where I am visiting a friend and classrooms in the Philippines.

4) The Tools I Use to Maximize Productivity

There are only a couple of tools I use every day.

Headspace is the first app I use in the morning. I open the app on my old phone (while my real phone is still in flight mode in another room) and meditate for 10 or 15 minutes.

When I meditate, I follow my breath — inhales and exhales. The goal of meditation isn’t to get rid of thoughts. Thoughts are the weights in your mental gym. Your job is to return your attention away from them and back to your breath.

You can land a prestigious job, earn tons of money, and find a wonderful partner — if you don’t change your mind and the lens through which you look at life, none of it improves your well-being.

You’re truly happy when you silence your inner chatter. You feel content when you stop judging what you’re experiencing and just experience.

Happiness is a by-product of complete presence, and meditation is one entryway into this presence.

Once I get to work and deep focus, I rely on three tools — noise-cancelling headphones, the free beFocused apps to schedule 50-minute intervals, and the free BlockSite extension that prevents me from visiting my distraction sites.

I start my workdays with the most thinking-intense task, which often includes some form of creation (writing concept notes, papers or articles).

Readwise and Roam power this creation process (more here).

My newest extension to this powerhouse is the Reader App by Readwise. It allows me to read through RSS feeds and newsletter subscriptions and manually save documents in one beautiful interface. All highlights get synched to my Roam.

The Reader App is still in private beta mode, but anyone who signs up at Readwise through my link (even free trial users) can get access.

I often end my work hours by providing feedback to people who work for me. For that, I use a free project management tool called Clickup.

And that’s when I’m done with using digital tools (apart from my Kindle and a sports aggregator app called MyClubs). In the afternoon, I travel, read, meet friends, or learn something new (e.g. DJing this year).

Conclusion

The above advice doesn’t apply to most people on this planet.

I’m a cis-gender woman in a Western European Country where a single income can afford rent, food, and travel. I am privileged, and most of what I have achieved is not due to hard work or focus but rather my privileges.

But if you read this and can afford a $5 Medium subscription, you might be similarly privileged. In this case, the above strategies and tools can help you spend less time working on a laptop if you want to.

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How a Zero Maintenance Roam Setup Can Save You Hours Every Week

November 17, 2022 by Eva Keiffenheim

This is how I currently write and research my articles.

Tools like Roam and Obsidian can cut your research writing time in half and increase productivity.

In essence, these tools are online workspaces for organizing your knowledge. Unlike in linear structured note-taking apps, such as Apple notes or Notion, in Roam and Obsidian, each note represents a node in a dynamic network, which allows you to discover and connect ideas beyond folder structures.

When I first learned about Roam, I watched and read every tutorial I could find online, studied Sönke Ahren’s how-to guide, researched coaches, and hired one.

I optimized for Roam for the perfect Zettelkasten structure, with different notes for different purposes and a clear tagging system.

And while I enjoyed learning about the system, my motivation to actually sit down and do the note-taking work soon decreased. Writing permanent notes felt like a self-serving activity, unlinked to any creative outcome.

At one point, I stopped.

At least, I thought, I stopped.

It wasn’t until a couple of months later, writing an article on the metaverse, that I discovered I still get most of the benefits with zero maintenance.

My Roam now runs on autopilot. And it still gives me most of the benefits for writing, but with zero maintenance. Here’s how.

I’m not paid by Roam or Readwise for writing this. I pay $15 and $8 a month for their services. Free alternatives for Roam include Obsidian, RemNote, Amplenote, TiddlyWiki and Org-roam. I’m unaware of free Readwise options (except for importing highlights manually or setting up the automations yourself).

My Roam Set-Up For A Curated Search Engine

The entire setup works without me spending a minute organizing my notes.

Before, I dedicated half an hour every day to optimizing my Roamkasten. Now, all I have to do is what I love — read inspiring books or articles, and highlight anything I find valuable or noteworthy.

Anything I highlight from one of the below sources will be imported to Roam via a service called Readwise.

Created by Eva Keiffenheim via Canva // Screenshot of Readwise.io

Roam is now my curated personal search engine. It only contains highlights from books, articles, websites, and PDFs, which I found valuable.

This setup works on autopilot. I needed about 20 to 30 minutes to register setup up Readwise to import from my Kindle, Medium, Twitter, and Highlights from the web.

How I Use Roam in My Writing Process

When I start to write an article, I first select an idea from my idea board in xTiles.

My idea board in xTiles (Credit: Screenshot by Eva Keiffenheim of xTiles)

Once I select an idea from the board, I type the idea name and first title idea in my daily notes.

I then use my headline template to write ten headlines and CoSchedule to optimize for the best one.

How I start writing an Article — Source: Author

To create a headline template, I use the following structure:

• TemplateName #roam/templates
     • [[Template Title]]
            • Your template's content

Here’s what my current headline practice template looks like:

• Headline Template #roam/templates
     • Headline Practicer #headlines
            • 1.
            • 2.
            • 3.
            • 4.
            • 5.
            • 6.
            • 7.
            • 8.
            • 9.
            • 10.
      • https://headlines.coschedule.com/headlines
      • great examples

Under the bullet “great examples”, I collect inspiration for recent headlines I read and loved and some more general advice, like this one from Wes Kao.

Source: Cohort-Based Course Accelerator by Maven

Once I have the headline, and before I start writing, I type the hashtags and keywords related to the article.

Let’s say I write about different types of knowing. I’ll type in all tags related to that idea (e.g. #knowing and #knowledge). I then the right-side panel and search for linked and unlinked references that are relevant.

I drag anything relevant into the article, link unlinked references, and sometimes add more keyword tags to very interesting ideas.

How I search for Tags within RoamResearch — Source: Author

So when I type in a keyword and check for references and unlinked references, Roam will provide me with all sources related to that keyword — all in one place.

This looks a lot messier than the neat Zettelkasten structure. And it’s definitely incomplete. But it works really well for me.

I don’t need to spend a minute on maintaining Roam, but still get most of the benefits (all resources I highlighted that contain the keyword).

After I’ve written my article in Roam, I go to this site and change the markdown formatting to medium-friendly text.

How I format written text from Roam to Medium — Source: Author

In Conclusion

At one point, given speed, pricing, and security restrictions, I switched to Obsidian. People love Obsidian. And while I understand why, I didn’t like it and switched back to Roam.

Whether you use Roam, Notion, Obsidian, or your journal doesn’t matter at all. The best personal knowledge management system is the one that’s most helpful for you — freeing up your time while providing you with what you need.

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7 Easy Ways to Tame Your Inbox and Save One Hour Every Week

July 3, 2021 by Eva Keiffenheim

Make the most of asynchronous conversations.

Emails kill productivity. They point your attention towards random tasks and distract you from focused work.

A McKinsey analysis showed we spend around 2.6 hours a day reading and answering emails. Data analysis from RescueTime revealed we check e-mails every 6 minutes.

If you spent the same time playing an instrument, you’d soon be a musician.

But for your inbox, the opposite is true — the more time you spend on e-mails, the less effective you become. That’s why inbox-driven workdays are a source of anxiety and stress.

Luckily, there are quick fixes you can use to tame your inbox and reclaim your attention. Here are seven things that help you become an effective email manager and save you hours every week.

1) Don’t use tags or folders

Managing your mail with folders is 9% slower than searching with keywords and 50% slower than searching for names.

When you archive your emails in different folders, you add an unnecessary step (deciding which and where to stare emails). Instead, use the search bar to find what you’re looking for (e.g., “from:hello@evakeiffenheim.com”).

Don’t create folders to deal with emails later. Instead, answer and archive directly, or reschedule the mail to reoccur in your inbox. Here’s how it works for G-Mail.

2) Follow the single touch rule

Many professionals keep e-mails in their inboxes (200 on average). But even if you only reread the subject lines from some of them, your brain will restart thinking about the issues.

Re-reading e-mails equal brain waste.

Instead, have a bias towards action. When you read an e-mail, always archive, delete, reply, or reschedule. Don’t let any mail you read linger in your inbox.

3) Anticipate the next move

As a project manager, checking your e-mails once a day for 20 minutes doesn’t work. 90% of a PM’s work is communication.

I currently lead an entrepreneurship education project. On busy days, I receive 60 and send 50 emails (this doesn’t include my personal and work e-mail account or replies to The Learn Letter).

Email statistics from my project management account for June. (Source: E-Mail Meter)

This got me thinking — is there a better way to reduce e-mail volume and stop information overload? There is. Here’s how.

Before you press ‘send,’ ask yourself which questions your recipient might have. Add the answers in your mail. When you anticipate your reader’s questions, you save time for both of you.

“To RECEIVE less email, SEND less email.” — Jeff Weiner

4) Delete the mail app from your phone

I used to check my email when walking up the stairs and while waiting in a line. But unless you’re working for an atomic plant, nothing is so urgent it’d require your immediate attention.

When you want to build muscles, your body needs rest days. Your muscles recover, and your nervous system regenerates. The same goes for your brain.

To get maximum focus during your working hours, you want enough time away from work. Plus, boredom brings benefits.

Deleting the mail app from your phone will prevent you from disrupting your break time.

5) Pause your inbox for most of your day

Compulsive inbox checks don’t go well with focused attention. Some reports suggest it can take people up to 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus after an interruption.

“You can’t get meaningful things done when you’re constantly going start, stop, start, stop.” — Jason Fried

I protect my focus is by using the pause add-on for Gmail. New emails only enter my inbox only during specific times. Alternatively, you can use BlockSite for Chrome to block your email provider during specific time frames.

Don’t be among the workers who check their mail every 6 minutes. Installing inbox zero and scheduling dedicated e-mail response windows can help.

7) Create calendar invites with a single click

Even if you use a scheduling tool like Calendly or Chilipiper, creating calendar invites is sometimes inevitable.

Luckily, you can save a minute each time using this built-in Gmail feature that converts an email into a calendar appointment.

All you need to do is clicking on the three dots and select ‘Create event.’ Then, Gmail will distill the information from your e-mail and add them to the email fields.

7) Use Parkinson’s Law to get more done in less time

According to Parkinson’s Law, “the work expands as to fill the time available for its completion.” You can use this principle for you.

Set a timer for 25 minutes and aim for inbox zero. Try to beat the clock. Repeat this twice or thrice a day. Making your email inbox a game against time will help you become more productive.

Final Thoughts

Sivanathan said in his TED Talk: “You cannot increase the quality of an argument by simply increasing the quantity of your argument.”

In a perfect world, everybody would follow this rule, and email would be more concise.

But until we’re in our perfect world, you can use the tips from above to become more effective at managing your e-mails. Thereby, you’ll save one hour every week.

Want to feel inspired and improve your learning?

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7 Tools That Make Working From Home More Productive

June 1, 2021 by Eva Keiffenheim

How you can focus on what matters.

Maximizing productivity doesn’t mean minimizing leisure. Working more hours doesn’t equal getting more done. It just means you spend more time working.

Productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing less. It’s about blocking distractions so you can focus and get things done.

Here are the tools I use every day to make most of my work time. Every single one can help you overcome procrastination traps, maximize focus and enter flow states.

1) Notion for Weekly Reflection and Planning

If you don’t set your agenda, somebody else will. Without a weekly reflection, it’s easy to be busy without doing what matters.

David Allen, a productivity guru and author of ‘Getting Things Done,’ writes: “The Weekly Review will sharpen your intuitive focus on your important projects as you deal with the flood of new input and potential distractions coming at you the rest of the week.”

I use the free version of Notion for my Sunday review. There are a few things I tick off to make the most out of my work week:

Plan my week in Google Calendar (including food and sport).
Review last week’s tasks in my Bullet Journal and set goals for the next week.
Empty my E-Mail inboxes to zero (reply, delete, or schedule).
Clean my Mac desktop and downloads folder to zero.

This end-of-week review takes me around 60 minutes. While a weekly review might feel like an additional burden, it’ll make your workweek more intentional and productive.

2) Your Phone‘s Flight Mode

Ever wondered why you get much work done on long-haul flights? It’s because no call, no message, no notification can distract you.

I tried app-blocking with apps like Freedom or Forest. But what worked best is charging my phone in flight mode outside of my bedroom.

My phone is in flight mode from 8 PM to 12 PM. I’ve been using this schedule for half a year, and it’s the single most effective productivity booster.

3) Noise-Cancelling Headphones for Flow States

Three hours of creative flow might be all you need to improve your career. Flow states helped me make a full-time income from writing by writing 12 hours a week.

And the best thing — flow feels like joyful, easy work.

Yet, flow is fragile. Noises like a knock on the door can break it.

When interruptions are flow state’s enemies, noise-canceling headphones are its alley. Once you put them on, it’s just you and full focus on the task ahead.

Whenever I want to get into flow, I put on my headphone, pick one song from my playlist, and listen to it on repeat.

4) Site Blocker for Distraction-Free Productivity

How often do you check social media? Whenever I faced a difficult thought, I’d check Gmail or LinkedIn.

I felt my behavior was in the way of great work, yet I couldn’t manage to change it. Red notification badges and infinite scrolling made me crave the next dopamine rush.

Compulsive social media checks will make your thoughts bounce around like a ping-pong ball. A study from Irvine University found it takes 20 minutes to refocus after distractions.

Chamath Palihapitiya, former Facebook executive, says: “We were not evolved to get social approval being dosed upon us every 5 minutes.”

For better productivity, fix your environment. If you don’t want to get distractions, use a site-blocker. I use this free chrome extension to block LinkedIn, Facebook, and Mail from 9 PM to noon.

5) Use FocusTimer to Practice Deep Work

Focused and uninterrupted creation time is your secret weapon to maximum productivity. Cal Newport coined the term Deep Work as “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit.”

To unlock deep work and get more done in less time, you need practice. Learning to focus feels hard first. That’s why you want to start small.

After learning about deep work four years ago, I started with a single 20-minute block a day. Gradually I increased the duration. Now I’m at 3×50 minutes with 10-minute breaks in between each deep work session.

Once you can focus for more extended periods, your work’s quality and quantity improve.

To schedule these sessions, you can use any timer. I use the free BeFocused Timer for Mac. You can adjust the duration for breaks and deep work sessions.

6) Delete Any Messaging Apps from Your Devices

Instant messaging, including e-mails, can be addictive. I checked my email when walking up the stairs, waiting in a line, or waiting at a red light.

I disabled all phone notifications for more than three years and stuck to my flight mode schedule. Still, I found myself checking work-related apps like Gmail and Slack.

Nothing is so urgent it can’t wait until your back at your desk. When working from home, your computer is always within reach. Don’t take work-related communication with you on the couch or to your bed.

To get maximum focus during your working hours, you want free thinking when you’re not sitting at your desk. Deleting these apps from your home will prevent you from compulsive e-mail checks.

7) Virtual Co-Working with FocusMate

Focusmate is virtual coworking that helps you get things done. You work side-by-side with another worker somewhere across the globe.

You sign up and schedule your desired focus hours. When the time comes, you log into your account and turn on your video camera. You greet each other, communicate your goals for the session, mute your mic, and start working.

The tool can improve your productivity with accountability, commitment, and implementation intentions.

If you ever feel like you procrastinate too much, it’s not because your lazy or unmotivated. Often procrastination is caused by distraction. These tools helped me find focus and get things done. I hope they do the same for you.

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5 Proven Ways You Can Use Notion to Organize Life and Work

May 23, 2021 by Eva Keiffenheim

Productivity, life-long learning, relationships, and much more.

I’ve been using Notion almost every day for the last year, and it has supercharged my creativity and organization.

Notion went live in 2016 and has since become a popular note-taking and organization tool with 4 million users in 2020. Here’s how I use it to improve my productivity, health, and organization.

1) Unlock the Power of a Weekly Review

If you don’t set your agenda, somebody else will. Without a weekly reflection, it’s easy to be busy without moving the needle. Productivity consultant David Allen wrote:

“The Weekly Review will sharpen your intuitive focus on your important projects as you deal with the flood of new input and potential distractions coming at you the rest of the week.”

Here’s how I use Notion to prepare for a productive and healthy week.

This end-of-week review takes me 60 minutes every Sunday evening. While a weekly review might feel like an additional burden, it’ll help you become more aware of how you live and spend your time.

2) Supercharge Your Learning with This List

Continuous learning is one of the most powerful habits you can build. Naval Ravikant once said:

“The most important skill for getting rich is becoming a perpetual learner.”

While life-long learning pays great dividends, many people stop learning after school. They don’t know how to learn or where to start.

A great motivator to continue learning is a long list of stuff you’ve always wanted to know more about. Similar to a want-to-read shelf, your want-to-learn list creates urgency. You’ll feel there’s so much you’re curious about and only limited time left to pursue your dreams.

Here’s how my want-to-learn list in Notion looks like.

Notion Want to Learn List (Source: Eva Keiffenheim)

Don’t worry if you start with a blank page. Repeatedly ask yourself what you want to learn to find the answers. You’ll go through the world with a beginner’s mind, and the list will grow organically.

You can then specify what you want to learn. When I click on ‘Playing the Guitar’ I’m directed to an overview page with 30 songs I want to learn. The emojis indicate whether I’ve started practicing the song (🌱), can play chords and rhythm (🌿), or even sing along while playing (🌳).

Notion Guitar List (Source: Eva Keiffenheim)

3) Get Inspired by Your Favorite Recipes

I used to be a lousy food planner. I always thought about what I wanted to eat when I was already hungry. I checked the fridge but then felt uninspired. Often, I settled for a mediocre random meal.

Thanks to my recipe collection, things changed. I included pictures, and they help me figure out what I’m craving. On Sundays, I drag the necessary ingredients to my shopping list.

I filter the recipes by duration, seasonality, course, or theme. When friends come over for dinner, I have an easy time finding meals to cook.

4) Offer Gifts that Improve Your Relationships

People have always exchanged gifts to show appreciation and improve interpersonal bonds.

Even though birthdays, religious traditions, and consumerism have kept this tradition alive, most of us struggle to give decent gifts. We have a lot on our plate, and finding a present can often feel like a burden.

I love delighting other people, yet I’ve been guilty of gifting random souvenirs.

Since I read Scott Stockdale’s idea of using spreadsheets, I became a better gift-giver. Here’s how the idea list looks like in my Notion (I changed the names and ideas because some of my friends will read this):

Notion Birthday Present Ideas (Source: Eva Keiffenheim)

Whenever I spend time with friends and have an idea for a gift they might love, I write it down. It helps me take the focus away from what the gift says about me to what it means for my friend.

5) Keeping Track with Your Ideas and Plans

Another way I use Notion is to track my ideas and plans. One strategy I borrowed from Janel is to use an idea hub for my newsletter editions.

Each Wednesday morning, I’ll browse through the following list, where I store everything that might be worth sharing with my subscribers.

Notion Newsletter Idea Hub (Source: Eva Keiffenheim)

All you need to do is note down any idea you come across into this table, then move your idea into a newsletter issue.

If you don’t run a newsletter, you can still use Notion to keep track of the projects you’re working on. Here’s how I use a simple kanban board for one of my bigger projects

Notion Kanban Board (Source: Eva Keiffenheim)

What I Don’t Use Notion For

There are a few things I don’t use notion for. Either because it lacks functionality or because there are tools that better fit my needs.

Idea Management. I stopped using Notion as an idea management tool. Instead, I switched to Milanote. The user interface helps me become more creative.
Food shopping. I don’t like the Notion App. Instead, I switched back to Google Keep. It syncs more reliably with my partner’s account, and the mobile version looks cleaner.
Personal Knowledge Management. For my creative workflow, I use a Zettelkasten note-taking system within RoamResearch. Through networked thought, it helps me build a second brain.

My outdated Readwise Notion connection. (Source: Eva Keiffenheim)

Final Thoughts

Use these proven ways to organize your life and work. The effort is worth it: you’ll save a lot of time and feel in control.

Here’s how to do it:

Create a weekly review process.
Elevate your learning with a want-to-learn list.
Eat your best meals thanks to your recipe collection.
Give better gifts.
Tracking your ideas and plans.

Instead of feeling discouraged by all the ideas about what you could do with Notion, enjoy experimenting at your own pace. Keep what works for you, and screw the rest.

Choose one or two new ways until you find a pattern that helps you on your journey to health, wealth, and wisdom.

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The Creator’s Guide to Optimizing Your Day for Productivity, Focus, and Health

April 15, 2021 by Eva Keiffenheim

Make your time work for you.

When I started working for myself a year ago, I felt bombarded with suggestions on structuring my days. I was overwhelmed by conflicting advice and struggled to find a balance between hustle and rest.

This is the article I wish I’d had when starting to work for myself. I skipped the self-help fluff and distilled what made my days such a massive force for achievement and joy.

The following structure helped me earn a consistent +$5K monthly income, generated through writing, podcasting, and consulting.

You may not like all of these suggestions, or you might have great routines for some areas. If so, skip the paragraph. Your life, your rules. This article has only a single purpose: helping you, dear creator or solopreneur, getting smart at building your thing and excelling at whatever you’re doing.

The ten building blocks of creator days. (source by author)

A morning routine to set you up for success

Many people talk themselves down when they don’t check all of their morning routine boxes. I was the same. Unless I did oil-pulling, drank a glass of warm water, took a cold shower, meditated for at least 15 minutes, journaled about my dreams, visualized my goals, and practiced 20 minutes of yoga, I felt like a failure.

When a routine feels like an obligation, it misses the point. There’s not the perfect routine. Your morning routine is less about what you do than why you do it. Design a routine around your goals.

But this doesn’t mean you need to follow the same pattern every day. If you get up and feel like going for a walk, do it. If you don’t feel like journaling, skip it.

The best results often come from a combination of structures and intuition. Adjust your routine to your needs, and wants and don’t judge yourself on checking the boxes.

Probing questions to ask yourself:

What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
Which activities help you get excited for the day?
Are there any habits you can do to feel fresh and awake before you open your laptop?

A calendar setup that will make you thrive

If you ever feel like you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them, it’s likely because your calendar isn’t set up for success.

As a creator, time is your most valuable resource. To make the most of it, learn to master a respectful no and use time blocking.

Time blocking is a simple productivity trick people like Elon Musk use. While a to-do list shows you what you need to do, time blocking reveals when you’re going to do it.

The technique works because it’s designed for focus. When you work towards one goal at a time, you are more productive than splitting your attention across various projects.

Plus, when you know you have time set aside later for checking messages, you’re less likely to give in to hooking mechanisms and random e-mail checks.

A time-blocked week in my calendar (Source: Eva Keiffenheim).

My high-level priorities include writing, reading, eating good food, moving my body, and client work. These time blockers are non-negotiable. Even in a work-intense week, I won’t skip the sports and food blocks because that’s how I keep my balance.

When you see in your calendar the time that’s blocked for existing projects and your thinking time, you’re less likely to say yes to other people. You take ownership of your time. Y

“In this day and age you cannot call something distracting unless you know what it’s distracting you from.”

— Nir Eyal

Probing questions to ask yourself:

What’s the proportion of calendar events you created vs. events other people invited you to?
Which meetings can be replaced by a call, an email, or a shared document?
How can you integrate time-blocking to focus on your high-level priorities?

Deep work is your most valuable skill

If you can create three focused hours of uninterrupted creation time, you solve most of your time management issues. Because once you’re in deep work and focus on one thing for an extended period, you produce your best work.

Cal Newport says Deep Work is “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit.”

From an 8-hour workday, how much do you really work? Your best work does not emerge from the total time spent but from the intensity of focus. Here’s the equation:

High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)

To get into deep work, choose a space free of distractions. Then, determine how much time you’ll devote to the task ahead. For a start, aim for 10–15 minutes. After a few days of deep work, your ability to focus on one task will increase.

Probing questions to ask yourself:

How much time do you do deep work during a day?
Do you protect your deep work sessions with time blocks in your calendar?
What’s your deep work structure? (Will your phone be off or on? Will you let yourself check the internet? How will you measure a session’s success (pages read, lines coded, words written)?

Cultivating helpful phone habits

If you’re like 80% of smartphone users, you check your device every morning within the first 15 minutes after waking up.

By checking your phone early in the day, you condition your mind for distraction. Notifications and messages will make your thoughts bounce around like a ping-pong ball.

Throughout your day, your morning behavior repeats itself. By checking your phone too early in the day, you won’t produce any deep work. You’ll get distracted and lose focus again and again.

According to this study from Irvine University of California, it takes 20 minutes to refocus after distractions.

As a self-employed creator, you have the ultimate freedom over your days. No boss can schedule an unproductive meeting at 9 AM. Protect your time by cultivating smart phone habits (pun intended).

My phone is in flight mode from 8 PM to 12 PM. I’ve been using this schedule for half a year, and it’s the single most effective productivity and health booster. It helps me focus on my tasks and makes my mind calm down.

Probing questions to ask yourself:

Do you control your phone, or does your phone control you?
Do you charge your phone at a place you don’t see it?
During which hours do you want to be available for calls and other people’s requests?

Quality breaks you need to take every day

Did you ever finish your workday realizing you haven’t moved away from your chair for the past 4 hours? In our work culture, many people see breaks as a luxury. But to find long-term joy in your workdays, you need them.

Luckily breaks don’t need to be complicated. A study compared break lengths of 1, 5, and 9 minutes, and even the shortest break made workers feel better.

To take regular breaks, I use Be Focused. The timer starts in 50-minute intervals for my writing sessions and reminds me to take a 10-minute break. When it rings, I stop whatever I’m doing and move away from my screen.

This is how what I typically do during my breaks: Drink a cup of water. Make a tea. Practice the guitar for a few minutes. Dance and shake to a song. Take a short walk outside. Puzzle. Prepare lunch or dinner. Sit down to meditate. Clean the bathroom. Stretch. Take a long walk outside and call a friend.

The list is endless. Your breaks might look completely different. But take them. Scheduling meaningful breaks inside your days will help you enjoy your workdays and prevent you from overworking.

Probing questions to ask yourself:

How often do you take breaks during a working day?
Have you scheduled breaks in your calendar?
Do you have non-negotiable playtime for undirected exploration?

Focus on learning and knowledge expansion

Knowledge is power. That’s why learning can improve any life. Yet, only very few people make learning an ongoing habit.

No life skill can earn you greater dividends than learning how to learn. We can’t expand our time, but we can expand our minds. Learning is the virtuous circle that can help you create the life of your dreams.

Reading is the easiest way to learn every day. Books are to the mind what exercise is to your body. They make you discover truths about the world and yourself. Page by page, they help you live a happier life.

Reading is liberating. Freedom means choosing from a set of options. The more options you have, the freer you are. But most people don’t know about all their options. And that’s where reading kicks in. It helps you explore options you never knew existed.

So, read outside of your specific field. Say less and ask more and better questions. Let curiosity guide you to learn something new.

I reserve time to read books, newsletters, listen to podcasts, take online courses, join learning communities, attend educational conferences, and take notes after exciting conversations.

“The most important skill for getting rich is becoming a perpetual learner. You have to know how to learn anything you want to learn.”

— Naval Ravikant

Probing questions to ask yourself:

Which three skills do you want to learn this year?
What’s the ratio between spending time on social media vs. learning something helpful?
Does your calendar reflect your learning goals? Do your learning activities align with your goals? If not, how can you adapt?

Unlock the power of reflection

“Most people are other people,” Oscar Wilde once said. “Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.”

Whenever I have a spare moment, I try to fill it. I listen to podcasts, read books, have a conversation with my beautiful boyfriend, answer messages, or hop to the next task in my bullet journal.

And while these activities can be enjoyable and add energy to my life, they have a marginal return on thinking utility. After a certain point, every additional minute of doing decreases the ability to think for yourself.

When we’re so busy doing, we don’t spend single second thinking. Entire days go by without a single deep thought. At the end of your life, you realize you’ve lived the life of others.

“We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.”

— John Dewey

Before learning from Warren Buffett, Bill Gates said he had every minute packed and thought that was the only way you could do things. Bill concludes Warren taught him the importance of giving himself time to think and reflect.

Reflection is the active decision to think about your past. Researchers define reflection as the intentional attempt to synthesize, abstract, and articulate the key lessons taught by experience.

I integrate reflection every Sunday. They are the most valuable 60–90 minutes I spend every week. Here’s how my Sunday reflection checklist looks like:

My weekly reflection in Notion (Source: Eva Keiffenheim).

Probing questions to ask yourself:

Do you have a daily, weekly, and yearly review in place?
Do you block time to think about what you achieved instead of moving forward?
Do you have a habit of asking yourself after each completed job “what went well” and “even better if”?

Design your environment for desired behavior

I long believed that I need motivation and willpower to adopt new habits. But both resources are limited. When I first read the following section by James Clear, I realized I overlooked one of the most critical factors in building desired behavior:

“Our behavior is not defined by the object in an environment but by our relationship to them. In fact, this is a useful way to think about the influence of the environment on your behavior. Stop thinking about your environment as filled with objects. Start thinking about it as filled with relationships. Think in terms of how you interact with the spaces around you. For one person, her couch is the place where she reads for an hour each night. For someone else, the couches where he watches television and eats a bowl of ice cream after work.”

When you design the right environment for your desired habit, you link the habitat to the desired habit. That’s why it makes sense to design an environment around the person you want to become.

If you want to write every day, your environment’s essential elements are a computer, site blockers, noise cancellation headphones, and a distraction-free place to write. That way, you turn into the architect of your reality.

“If we do not create and control our environment, our environment creates and controls us.”

— Marshall Goldsmith

Probing questions to ask yourself:

Is your physical workspace supporting you? (screen at eye level, daylight, a healthy seating position).
Is your digital workspace setting you up for success? (which apps are installed, do you use site-blockers, tools to manage your knowledge)
Do you keep your phone and distractions away during your deep work session?

End-of-day shutdown rituals

If you work in an office or co-working space, you can skip this. Your natural shutdown ritual is leaving the building and heading home.

If you, however, are among the 50% of people in the US who work from home, a shutdown ritual is crucial for your mental health.

After a full day, it’s challenging to calm down and get ready for the evening. In the early days of my self-employment, I found myself working until late. Sometimes I replied to mail or watched online courses when I knew I should be calming down.

This works if you do it once in a while. But after a few days working long evenings, you have to search for the energy and enthusiasm to create great content. A shutdown ritual will improve your remote work productivity.

“A shutdown ritual is a set routine of actions that you perform at the end of each work day to finalize your day and signify that your work day is done.”

— Cal Newport

A great shutdown routine ensures that you review incomplete tasks, goals, or projects and you confirm that you have a plan you trust for its completion, or you wrote it down somewhere you’ll see it at the right time.

Your end-of-work-day ritual can have different elements: updating all to-do lists, review the calendar for tomorrow, writing a plan for the next day, closing every tab on your computer, leaving your working desk.

Before dinner, I take 5–10 minutes to go through my Bullet Journal and review the daily log. I tick off To Do’s, move them to the next day, and add items with a look on my weekly goals and my calendar. I close all computer windows and leave my desk.

Consciously ending your workday gives you a beautiful feeling that everything you needed to do is done or schedule.

Probing questions to ask yourself:

Do you wrap up your day and plan for the next one?
How do you know your workday is over?
What reminds you to start your shutdown ritual? (time, feeling, alarm)

Evening routine

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 45% of Americans state poor or insufficient sleep affected their days at least once in the past seven days.

But even if you’re among the lucky ones who fall asleep quickly, a proper evening routine can improve your focus, well-being, and health.

As with the morning routine, there’s not the perfect evening routine. Do whatever feels good for you.

My evenings vary, but most include some of the following activities: having a friend over for dinner, foam roll, guitar practice, calling a friend, cooking, talk to my fiancé, or go for a walk. The only constant thing is that I put my phone into flight mode and go to bed around 9 PM.

Probing questions to ask yourself:

What helps you sleep better and relax?
Which activities do you enjoy in the evening?
What’s the last thing you want to do before sleeping?

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How to Make Your Time Work for You

November 13, 2020 by Eva Keiffenheim

6 key principles for making the most of your time on this planet.

Plenty of people spend their time as if they’d never die. They say yes when they should be saying no. They get dopamine shots from social media instead of fostering deep human connections. They chase what they haven’t instead of enjoying what they have.

“I wish I could, but..” is one of the sentences you hear them say often. They waste their time on low-quality activities that don’t add happiness or meaning to their lives. And yet, you hear them complain about lacking time to pursue the things they always wanted to do.

As best-selling author Grant Cardone wrote:

“Most people have no clue what they are doing with their time but still complain that they don’t have enough.”

Many people could live better lives (if they made their time work for them), but instead, continue to repeat the same patterns all over again, which leaves them feeling unhappy, ineffective, and stuck.

But what if you made your time work for you?

How would that change your life, your relationships, your future?

What things and people would you say no to?

What activities would start doing?

1) Schedule Health Blocks in Your Calendar

When asked what surprised him about humanity the most, the Dalai Lama once said:

“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

In our current economy, self-worth seems to be tied to productivity. Sitting curled up in a desk chair and answering emails is worth more than going to a yoga class. Making phone calls during our lunch break looks better than taking the time for a proper self-cooked meal. I used to feel guilty and unproductive when I cared for myself.

But prioritizing work over health is toxic.

We only have one body to live in. When it breaks or stops to function, we downgraded our life. That’s why putting your health first is one of the most important time management principles.

How to do it:

Schedule regular walking and stretching breaks.
Plan time slots for grocery shopping, cooking, and eating.
Block out non-negotiable time for sport sessions a week in advance.

2) Set Achievable To-Do Lists

Many people confuse to-do lists with wish lists. They write down any item that would love to have resolved without factoring in the time it takes. At the end of the day, they feel drained, restless, and anxious. In moments like this, it’s valuable to keep Shery Sanberg words in mind:

“You can only do so much. There are five more projects you want to do, but you pick the three that are really going to matter, and you try to do those really well, and you don’t even try to do the others.”

Don’t even try to do the others. You’ll soon realize life is more fun if you set realistic expectations. Instead of rushing after unachievable to-do’s, start living life at your own pace. Your life, your rules.

How to apply it:

Include time estimations after listing the to-do item.
Differentiate between must-dos and nice-to-haves.
Find fulfillment in knowing what can’t get done today will be done tomorrow.

3) Stop Prioritizing Work Over Relationships

Ryan Holiday, the guy that was hired by Benjamin Hardy and Tim Ferriss to improve their books, wrote recently:

“Many relationships and moments of inner peace were sacrificed on the altar of achievement.”

We fail to acknowledge that work-related achievements won’t make us happier or healthier. We cancel friend meet-ups because of tight work deadlines, skip a family call to complete another task, or skip vacation altogether.

While many of us think fame, fortune, and hard work will bring us happiness, science proves us wrong. Robert Waldinger, psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School analyzed the longest study on human happiness. Having high-quality social connections is the best ingredient for long-term happiness. According to the study, good relationships even elevate our mental and physical health.

How to apply it:

Initiative regular meet-ups with the people you care about.
Postpone your work instead of social appointments.
Keep in mind that relationships, not achievements make us happy.

4) Reflect on Your Day Before Falling Asleep

One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to time is only looking forward. By not pausing to reflect, they don’t reap the lessons learned from past experiences. In a book on learning, neurologist Doug Larsen and neurosurgeon Mike Ebersold write:

“Cultivating the habit of reflecting on one’s experiences, making them into a story, strengthens learning.”

And Jack Mezirow, a former professor at Colombia University, adds:

“By far the most significant learning experience in adulthood involves critical self-reflection — reassessing the way we have posed problems and reassessing our own orientation to perceiving, knowing, believing, feeling and acting.”

How to apply it:

Every evening, before falling asleep, ask yourself:

What went well today?
How could I have spent my time better?
What strategies will I use tomorrow to use my time wiser?

5) Stop Saying Yes When You Should Be Saying No

We often forget that every ‘yes’ means a ‘no’ to a million other things. By saying no to 95% of all requests, you’ll make your ‘yeses’ a lot more meaningful.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

— Warren Buffett

How to apply it:

Remember that every “yes” means a “no” to a million other things.
Browse through respectful ways to say no and choose your favorite ones.
Know that saying no will become easier every time you do it.

6) Spend Less than One Hour on Your Phone

For a decade, I was among the 80% of smartphone users who check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up. I started every morning with thoughts about the news, my inbox, and other people’s social posts.

Our phones evolved to life-shortening devices that take our time without consent. Engineers did a great job of designing apps that capture our attention for as long as possible. Mechanisms like infinity scrolling, pull-to-refresh triggers, social validation cues, and push notifications to keep us glued to the screen.

Without realizing, many of us spend hours every day in front of your phone screen. Time that’d be better spend on meaningful activities. Since I limited my screen time to one hour a day, I reached my goals. And if I, a former tech-addict, can do it, so can you.

How to apply it:

Charge your phone outside of your bedroom.
Use flight mode whenever you do deep work.
Delete mail and social media apps (you’ll be faster from your desktop).

The Bottom Line

Making your time work for you doesn’t need to feel hard or exhausting. There are no complex techniques you need to master.

All it takes are six simple principles:

Schedule non-negotiable health blocks in your calendar.
Aim for achievable To-Do lists.
Make your relationships matter more than your work.
Reflect on your day when lying in bed.
Say no to things that dilute your focus.
Minimize the time you spend on your smartphone.

Your life your rules. Choose the ideas that resonate with you and screw the rest. Eventually, you’ll find a pattern that helps you maximize your time on any day.

And, remember what Steve Jobs said about his time on earth:

“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

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29 Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Save You One Hour A Day

September 13, 2020 by Eva Keiffenheim

To boost your productivity, stop using your trackpad.

Most people waste hours of their lives because ⌘+C/V is the only shortcut they use. I was one of those people and made time-wasting gestures like

using the trackpad to switch between active windows instead of ⌘-tabbing
scrolling the page instead of pressing the space bar
using the cursor to open a new browser window instead of using ⌘ + T

You might question whether such tiny actions will make a difference in your life. I promise they will.

You’ll bring a 3-second action down to a 1-second action. And because you repeat those actions hundreds of times each day, you’ll save an hour a day.

This advice primarly applies to Mac Users.

Navigate Through Your Browser In Lightspeed

Much of the work at our laptops takes place within a browser. And while the discussion on Safari vs. Chrome will likely continue forever, these browser commands work for both browsers.

⌘ + L

This one is so simple but so impactful. We’re continually visiting new websites and wasting our time with manual cursor navigation.

With ⌘ + L you select the address bar (the place in your browser where you type in any web address). Then, start typing the website you’re looking for, and select the right suggestion using the up/down arrows.

⌘ + T

This one opens a new tab for you. You can use this one anytime you want to open a new website inside of your existing browser window.

Once you opened a new tab, make sure to use ⌘ + L to type in your web address (instead of using your trackpad).

⌘ + N

This shortcut opens a new tab in a new browser window. I use this one anytime I start working on a new task.

Again, once you opened a new window, make sure to use ⌘ + L to type in your web address (instead of using your trackpad).

⌘ + ⇧ + T

This is a life-saver. It’s the ⌘+Z of your browser. It will open a tab you recently closed.

Whenever you accidentally closed a window, make sure to remember this shortcut.

⌘ + Option + ► or ◀

Navigate to the next and the previous tabs. This one is really powerful if you work with one monitor. It’ll guide you to the different windows in your browser, saving you three seconds each time you use it.

If you’ve never used this one, try it out now. You’ll be astonished about its simplicity and speed.

⌘ + 1…8

This one is also for tab navigation. You’ll navigate to a tab # (count form the left). For example, ⌘ + 1, will take you to the first tab in your browser.

I prefer to use the previous shortcut because I don’t want to use my brainpower to count which window I want to open. The only time I use it is when I am writing in a text document.

There are other ones like Ctrl + Tab or Ctrl + Shift + Tab to navigate between the tabs, but I’ll ignore them. It’s enough to know one option and stick to it.

⌘ + ⇧ + N

This opens a new private window for you. Yet, don’t confuse incognito windows with data privacy.

Still, this shortcut is useful when you’re searching for something you don’t want to appear in your browser history.

⌘ + Y

Open and close your browser history. This one is practical if you’re researching a lot. It’s way faster than clicking on settings and navigating manually to your history. ´

Spacebar

When you press the spacebar while reading, you’ll move your window down one screen. This one replaces endless scrolling.

Whenever you’re reading a text but are too lazy to scroll, you can use this one.

⇧ + Spacebar

This is just the opposite shortcut to the previous one. It will move your window up one screen.

⌘ + R

This is how you can reload a page. I only use ⌘ + R if a page isn’t loading, or if I need to sign up somewhere that needs meticulous timing.

Use These Shortcuts To Boost Your Writing Speed

Working at a screen makes you a daily writer. Whether it’s e-mails, text files, or presentations — you write all the time. Here are ten powerful shortcuts for text navigation and text selection.

Text Navigation

When using these shortcuts, you’ll navigate through your text like a writing ninja. Here are my five personal favorite time-savers when it comes to maneuvering within your text:

⌘ + Left Arrow ◀

Jump to the beginning of a line.

⌘ + Right Arrow ►

Jump to the end of a line.

Option + Right Arrow ►

Jump to the beginning of the current word

⌘ + Up Arrow ▲

Jump to the beginning of the entire text.

⌘ + Down Arrow ▼

Jump to end of all text.

Text Selection

Apart from navigating within a text, you’ll also need to highlight specific passages. This is powerful, while proofreading, researching, or editing.

The great news is you don’t need to remember new combinations. It’s the same logic as for text navigation. You just add a shift key to the above shortcuts.

Here are five shortcuts that will allow you to select words, lines, or entire documents quickly.

⇧ + ⌘ + Left Arrow ◀

Select text to the beginning of a line.

⇧ + ⌘ + Right Arrow ►

Select text to the end of a line.

⇧ + Option + Right Arrow ►

Select text to the end of the current word.

⇧ + ⌘ + Up Arrow ▲

Select text from the current cursor location to the beginning of all text.

⇧ + ⌘ + Down Arrow ▼

Select text from the current cursor location until the end of all text.

Basic Commands for Your Mac

Lastly, here are some basic commands you can use on your mac and multiple other programs.

⌘ + Z

Undo. This is the command we’d love to have in real life as well. By pressing ⌘ + Z you can undo what you just did. This shortcut will save your ass.

It works for many programs: Whether you’ve accidentally deleted a file, applied a video filter you don’t like, or erased pages of carefully crafted writing.

⌘ + W

Close. This is a universal keyboard shortcut for closing whatever window or file you currently have open.

⌘ + Q

Quit apps. When you click the red “x” in the top-left corner of an application window, it does not only take way too much of your precious time.

In fact, macOS won’t actually close the program altogether. Instead, it will minimize the app to the dock. By using ⌘ + Q you’ll quit your programs.

⌘ + ⇥

Switch between programs. Using ⌘ + ⇥ allows you to save time every time you switch between different programs.

Spotify → Browser → InDesign. Instead of searching for windows with your trackpad, this keyboard shortcut allows you to flip between apps without your hands leaving the keyboard.

⌘ + M

Minimize the front window. While ⌘ +Q was the shortcut for your red button, this one is for the yellow one. It won’t close but minimize your front window.

⌘ + P

Print. Simple and straightforward. Whether you’re in your browser or in a text document, this keyboard shortcut will open the print settings.

⌘ + A

Select all content. This one makes you select everything that’s one specific page. It’ll save you scrolling and highlighting.

⌘ + F

Find a word within the opened file. This shortcut allows you to quickly jump down to a specific part of a website or long document when you know what you are searching for.

Practice & Use What You Need

The best articles only improve your life if you apply what you read. Here’s how you can integrate the new shortcuts into your life:

write down your five favorite new commands on a piece of paper
place that physical paper next to your keyboard
keep it there for five days until you feel like you internalized the shortcuts

You don’t need a productivity coach to use your time effectively. Instead, you can save an hour a day by being smart about your keyboard.

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14 Respectful, Yet Effective Ways to Say No

August 22, 2020 by Eva Keiffenheim

“Very successful people say no to almost everything” — Warren Buffett

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

— Warren Buffett

We all know focus leads to greater success. Yet, most people dilute their focus by saying yes when they should be saying no.

Whether we are driven by the fear of missing out or by the urge of pleasing others, saying yes too often weakens our personality.

The more often you say yes to something, the weaker your yes becomes. The more projects you take on, the fewer your available energy for every single of those projects.

To make a change in the world, you must learn to say no.

And while the first no seems daunting, it’ll become easier every time you say it. Just like anything in life, saying no is a skill you can learn.

And once you have a repertoire for “no’s” at your disposal, you can adapt and use them for your needs.

Here are 14 curated ways to say no with instructive examples on when to use them.

1. Thanks for reaching out. I appreciate the thought, but my priorities are elsewhere.

This no is clear and concise. You can use it for any casual invite or idea. When you feel the urge to help, you can also offer an alternative solution.

For example, if somebody is asking you for advice, point them towards a book you like, an article you wrote, or a podcast episode you recorded.

2. This sounds super exciting, but unfortunately, I can’t find the time.

The key to an effective “no” is not to get lost in over-explaining. Every extra justification will weaken your no.

Instead, make a straightforward statement. By saying you can’t find the time, you won’t open the room for negotiation.

While in truth, “can’t find the time” is a more respectful way to say, “I don’t find it important enough,” most people won’t question your reply.

3. I’m flattered you considered me, but regrettably, I’ll have to pass this time.

This one is my favorite “no” to hear. I got it countless times from speakers I requested while organizing a startup conference in Vienna.

I love it because the prase shows appreciation and leaves the door open for future opportunities. “This time” implies there might be the next time.

It’ll be more comfortable for the opposite person to accept your “no” when you leave the door open for future collaboration.

4. No thanks, I won’t be able to make it.

This one is short and requires confidence. The shorter your “no,” the harder it is to say. A brief, gracious “no” takes practice.

But once you dare to speak it out loud, you’ll be able to repeat it the next time.

5. Regrettably, I’m not able to. I can‘t set aside the time needed.

While still short, this way to say “no” demonstrates you thought the option through. It’s a great combination of logic and empathy.

You assessed the time that’d be needed to complete the ask and measured it against your available time. This “no” is a logical, thoughtful conclusion.

Yet, the use of “regrettably” demonstrates your empathy. You would have loved to, but you can’t.

“The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.”

— Lin Yutang

6. No, but I know someone that might be a fit for that. I’ll email you their information.

This one shifts the focus from your reply to a new person. This one works great when you don’t have a respectful reason to say no.

You let the other person know you can’t while still offering an alternative solution.

Instead of worrying why you said no, your counterpart would shift the energy towards the new option on the table.

7. I wish I could help you out, but already committed to other projects. I’ll let you know if something changes.

This phrase shows your competence. It demonstrates you’re clear about your priorities. At the same time, you offer empathy as you state you wish you could help.

It shows your yes is a hell yes. It shows when you say yes to something; your commitment equals 100%.

By briefly explaining your why the other person will understand and accept your respectful no.

“Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all.”

— Peter Drucker

8. Thank you so much for asking. Can you keep me on your list for next year?

In this case, you say “no” without actually saying no. It indicates you can’t find the time this year but would be interested next year. You leave the door open and let the other know that you want to help.

Still, to get your help, the other side needs to check-in at another point. There’s a high chance the second check-in will never happen. At the same time, the other person will keep you in good memory because of your willingness to help.

9. I am unable to say yes due to commitments that leave me unavailable until the end of the month.

This is a combination of the previous answers. It combines a time-bound aspect with a reason why you can’t say yes right now.

Again, make sure you don’t overexplain. Doing so suggests that you feel guilty about the refusal. Instead, keep your response straightforward.

I got this “no” many times when asking young professionals to volunteer as mentors for kids who are the first in their family to study.

It’s a great way to say no, as you give back the responsibility to act to the person asking. Now, it’s in my hands to follow-up after the month.

10. I’m learning to limit my commitments.

While this might sound unprofessional coming from a 40-year old business owner, it’s a great phrase for a person early in their career. It shows that you’re learning.

By stating you’re trying to learn here, you’ll trigger a supportive reaction from the other person. By accepting your “no,” the other individual feels they helped.

11. No, I’m not the best fit for it.

You want the project to be successful, but you’re not the right person to help. You made a valid point by demonstrating that you have the best intention in mind.

I was grateful when a potential speaker for our conference sent me this response. Better, to know beforehand that a person is not the right fit than when it’s too late.

12. No, sorry, sounds great, but I’d rather not.

This is borrowed from Ryan Holiday. Again, this one takes some courage as you don’t offer any explanation for your “no.”

To be honest, I still need some practice before I dare to use this one, so I can’t give you any insights on your counterpart’s reaction.

“Always Think About What You’re Really Being Asked to Give. Because the Answer Is Often a Piece of Your Life, Usually in Exchange for Something, You Don’t Even Want. Remember That That’s What Time Is. It’s Your Life, It’s Your Flesh and Blood, That You Can Never Get back.”

— Ryan Holiday

13. I’m going to say no for now. I’ll let you know if something changes.

Again, this one leaves the door open. Yet, you only get back if something changes.

As a default, the other person will not hear from you again. Thereby, you don’t set unrealistic expectations. In case you get back, the other person will be delighted as she didn’t expect it.

14. No, thanks.

Short and effective yet challenging to master. Remember that a clear “no” can be more graceful than a vague or noncommittal “yes.”

Firm but friendly boundaries lead to greater satisfaction in your life.

Finally, here are common ways how NOT to say no.

I only say yes to very select opportunities, and unfortunately, this doesn’t meet my criteria.
Deed. No empathy here.
Let me think about that.
This “nay” is a very weak answer. Neither yes, nor no.
I’d love to, but I’m already overcommitted.
It sounds like you can’t prioritize and don’t have your shit together.
I’m going to have to exert my NO muscle on this one.
Don’t make a “no” about yourself. The request is about the other person.
No, sorry, I’m not taking on new things.
Instead of demonstrating focus, this makes you sound narrow-minded.

Practice Saying No

Saying no is a skill you can learn. And, when delivered with respectfulness and tact, a “no” can be the fastest way to success.

Remember that every “yes” means a “no” to a million other things. And by saying no to 95% of all requests, you’ll make your “yeses” a lot more meaningful.

Choose your favorite phrases, try some of them, and skip the rest.

By using them, you’ll, step by step, reclaim your focus and find yourself on your path towards a happier, wealthier, and more meaningful life.

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