2967: 3 Things I’ve Been Doing to Increase My Productivity (That You Haven’t Heard Before) by Kalen Bruce of Money Mini Blog

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 2967 3 Things Ive Been Doing to Increase My Productivity That You Havent Heard Before by Kalen Bruce of Money Mini Blog, and I'm Justin Malik

[00:00:13] Welcome to Optimal Living Daily, OLD or Old, the show where I read to you from articles that I think are amazing with permission from the authors So that was get right to the post as we optimize your life

[00:00:26] 3 Things Ive Been Doing to Increase My Productivity That You Havent Heard Before by Kalen Bruce of Money Mini Blog, dot com I'm a walking productivity experiment. I like to try new things and find new ways to increase my productivity

[00:00:46] Then I bring you the results and let you decide whether or not to implement these things in your life I've been doing 3 new things that I've really been working to make my life more productive And actually all 3 of these are saving me money too

[00:01:00] These are kind of random but brilliant and you won't find these all over the internet like most tips Here's what I've been doing 1. James Bond Showers You may have read about the benefits of cold showers, but have you heard of a James Bond shower?

[00:01:16] I first read about them on the art of manliness and this is how they work 1. Turn the water on to hot temperature 2. Wash your hair and your body like normal 3. When you're ready to rinse, turn the water to cold 4. Turn off the shower, step out and feel amazing

[00:01:38] So why are these showers so awesome or more importantly why are they so productive? Well there's several reasons to take cold showers, I'm not going to bombard you with the information you can get all over the internet

[00:01:49] But here's what I have noticed since I started taking James Bond showers or cold showers in general I feel more alert, my energy levels significantly increase for hours I spent less time in the shower since the water is cold

[00:02:04] Therefore I save money by using less water, especially less hot water This may be a mind game but they seem to put me in a good mood I feel better overall when I take them and it's still this way after several months I can't recommend them enough

[00:02:20] Just try it a few times and see if you notice a difference If you do, well you're welcome If not, just go back to your regular old boring hot showers 2. Activating caffeine If you ever ingested caffeine while you were sitting down and remained sitting down

[00:02:39] You probably noticed that it didn't do much for you Sure it may keep you from falling asleep But it most likely didn't make you feel any more energetic There's a reason for this Caffeine has a much stronger effect when you start moving after taking it

[00:02:55] If you wake up and get caffeine in one form or another Try doing a quick set of jumping jacks or going for a brief run or a brisk walk You'll notice almost immediately that caffeine basically activates Here's how well this has worked for me

[00:03:12] I used to drink 2 cups of coffee each morning Then it went to 3, 4 And I ultimately realized I had a problem at 6 cups It wasn't the coffee's fault, it was doing its job But I was just sitting there drinking an entire pot of coffee

[00:03:28] So it wasn't getting the full benefit Now I've changed two things First, I bought an amazing Aeropress coffee maker Which is super cheap, easy to use And only takes a few minutes to brew Next, I started consuming only one cup of coffee

[00:03:44] Granted there'll be a little more caffeine in coffee made with an Aeropress But I started doing 10 minutes of exercise soon after I finished my cup Not only does this mean I'm consuming less coffee and caffeine

[00:03:56] But I'm also saving money by not buying as much coffee in the first place Exercise can increase the effects of caffeine And I highly suggest taking caffeine before your workouts However, you don't want to overdo it Too much caffeine before an extended workout

[00:04:12] Can rapidly increase your heart rate to unsafe levels So bottom line, don't be an idiot And number three, eating the same meals I recently started a new diet to lose a few pounds And to write about the results I'm a walking experiment, remember

[00:04:29] Well so far I've lost 17 pounds and I'm just now in my fourth week Also I'm feeling great while doing it I'm tracking all my results And I'll be writing about it soon But for now I just want to go over the productivity part of this diet

[00:04:45] Eating the same meals over and over again It seems that most successful dieters who planned to lose fat And or gain muscle have had the best results By eating the same meals over and over again This works in a few ways to make me more productive

[00:05:02] One, meal time decisions I literally only have to think about what I'm going to eat When I cook my meals which is only a few times per week I can cook in bulk since I know I'll be eating the same few meals again and again

[00:05:15] Two, less cooking time Since I'm cooking in bulk I only spend a few hours each week in the kitchen Not only am I not having to decide what to eat But I can cook my food faster in general

[00:05:28] It just takes cooking a few meals to have my food for the entire week And three, it saves me money Buying food in bulk is a common tip for saving money But often it doesn't make sense

[00:05:40] Especially if the food is going to go bad before you use it When you're eating the same meals over and over You can buy in bulk and know it will get used You just listened to the post titled

[00:05:56] Three Things I've Been Doing To Increase My Productivity That You Haven't Heard Before By Kaelin Bruce of MoneyMiniBlog.com Thank you to Kaelin for this one Some simple tips that you might want to incorporate I love having meals planned

[00:06:11] That's something my brother encourages over on the optimal health daily podcast But if you're going to repeat them Might as well do a little bit of research And try to make them as well rounded as possible Because if you make, I don't know, a basic pasta for example

[00:06:27] And you're eating that for every dinner There's a decent chance you're missing out on maybe protein Or fruits or veggies And then repeating that over and over again could lead to some deficiencies And vitamins or minerals

[00:06:42] So putting it in an extra few minutes to plan it could make a big difference And as for cold showers I generally agree Even five seconds of cold water could work But for me it's more of a once in a while thing instead of every time

[00:06:57] I feel like the effects aren't the same when it's done over and over again Kind of like meal planning Maybe variety will help here Also I'd encourage you to check with your doctor before trying cold showers Because it might not be best for some

[00:07:10] And same goes for caffeine But see what works for you Hopefully there's something in this one that sparked an idea for you Have a great Friday and start to your weekend if you're listening in real time And I'll see you tomorrow Where your optimal life awaits