This morning routine will save you 20 hours per week

This morning routine will save you 20 hours per weekThis morning routine will save you 20 hours per weekThe traditional 95 workday is poorly structured for high productivity. Perhaps when most work was physical labor, but not in the knowledge working world we now live in.Although this may be obvious based on peoples mediocre performance, addiction to stimulants, lack of engagement, and the fact that most people hate their jobs now theres loads of scientific evidence you cant ignore.The Myth of the 8 HourWorkdayThe most productive countries in the world do not work 8 hours per day. Actually,the most productive countries have theshortestworkdays.People in countries like Luxembourg are working approximately 30 hours per week (approximately 6 hours per day, 5 days per week) and makingmore moneyon average than people working longer workweeks.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThis is th eaverageperson in those countries. But what about the superGoal Be as healthy as possible.Obstacle eating bad food.If-then if Im tempted to eat unhealthy foods in an impulsive and non-planned manner, then I will immediately drink a big glass of water and do 20 jumping-jacks.It doesnt really matter what your pre-planned response is, so long as you consistently do it. By consistently following through, youll create small wins. Small wins build self-respect and confidence, thus lowering your need for willpower. Small wins and confidence solidify the decisions youve made, giving you increased inner-knowing that you absolutely will achieve your goal.Another key reason that confidence lowers the need for willpower is that the more confident you get, the more you genuinely DESIRE better results. At the heart of willpower is not actually knowing what you want. Indeed, you may actuallytotenstill desireeating bad food, for example. Thus, youre at continually battling within yourself.This is a horrible yet common way to live.Most people do not know what they truly want. They dont know how to make decisions. They havent learned how to build genuine confidence. Most peoples lives are a constant back-and-forth of indecision and lack of clarity. Yet, decision and clarity go hand-in-hand are not actually hard to build. They are skills.You start with one simple one. And watch the ripples grow and success compound.As you become more confident and mature as a person,your desires fundamentally change. You stop wanting stuff you used to want. You start wanting to succeed. You start loving yourself enough to win at life. You start seeing a much bigger picture for yourself. You realize increasingly more that you are the one painting the picture and actually have been the entire time.Rather than being disappointed by your previous choices, youre increasingly grateful for what your life is. You see increased vision and potential in everything around you.Dont Forget to Psychologically Detach andPlayResearch in several fieldshas found thatrecovery from workis a necessity for staying energetic, engaged, and healthy when facing job demands.Recoveryis the process of reducing or eliminating physical and psychological strain/stress caused by work.One particular recovery strategy that is getting lots of attention in recent research is calledpsychological detachment from work.True psychological detachment occurs when you completely refrain from work-related activitiesand thoughtsduring non-work time.Proper detachment/recovery from work is essentialfor physical and psychological health, in addition to engaged and productive work. Yet, few people do it. Most people are always available to their email and work. Millennials are the worst, often wearing the openness to work whenever as a badge of honor. Its not a badge of honor.Research has found that people who psychologically detach from work experienceLess work-related fatigue and procrastinationFar greater engagementat wo rk, which is defined as vigor, dedication, and absorption (i.e., flow)Greater work-life balance,which directlyrelates to the quality of lifeGreater marital satisfactionGreater mental healthWhen youre at work, be fully absorbed. When its time to call it a day, completely detach yourself from work and become absorbed in the other areas of your life.If you dont detach, youll never fully be present or engaged at work or at home. Youll be under constant strain, even if minimally. Your sleep will suffer. Your relationships will be shallow. Your life will not be happy.Not only that, but lots of science has foundplayto be extremely important for productivity and creativity. Just like your body needs a reset, which you can get through fasting, you also need to reset from workin buchung to do your best work.Thus, you need to step away from work and dive into other beautiful areas of your life. For me, thats goofing off with my kids.Stuart Brown, the founder of theNational Institute for Play, has studied the Play Histories of over six thousand people and concludes playing can radically improve everything from personal well-being to relationships to learning to an organizations potential to innovate. AsGreg McKeown explains,Very successful people see play as essential for creativity.In hisTED talk, Brown said, Play leads to brain plasticity, adaptability, and creativity Nothing fires up the brain like play. There is a burgeoning body of literature highlighting the extensivecognitiveandsocialbenefits of play, includingCognitiveEnhanced memory and focusImproved language learning skillsCreative problem solvingImproved mathematics skillsIncreased ability to self-regulate, an essential component ofmotivation and goal achievementSocialCooperationTeam workConflict resolutionLeadership skill developmentControl of impulses and aggressive behaviorListen toBrain Musicor Songs onRepeatIn her book,On Repeat How Music Plays the Mind,psychologist Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis explains why listening to music on repeat improves focus. When youre listening to a song on repeat, you tend todissolveinto the song, which blocks out mind wandering (let your mind wander while youre away from work).WordPress founder,Matt Mullenweg, listens to one single song on repeat to get into flow. So do authorsRyan HolidayandTim Ferriss, and many others.Give it a try.You can usethis websiteto listen to YouTube videos on repeat.I generally listen to classical music or electronic music (like video game schriftart music). Here are a few that have worked for meOne Moment by Michael NymanMake Love by Daft PunkTearin it up by GramatikTerras theme from Final Fantasy 3Duel of Fates from Star WarsStop crying your heart out by OasisReady toUpgrade?Ive created a cheat sheet for putting yourself into a PEAK-STATE, immediately. You follow this daily, your life will change very quickly.Get the cheat sheet hereThis article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals t hat will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people