Thread by @itsKostasOnFIRE

I turned my 9-5 to a 12-hour workweek with these 10 simple steps

Here's what I did

/THREAD/

1. Negotiated full remote work

By getting to work full time from home I save time from

• Commuting
• Chatting in the kitchen
• Attending pointless meetings

I simply work only the necessary hours that I need to get the job done

2. Value Over Time

I agreed with my boss that the metric for my performance should be the value I create not the hours I work

That way I can have a flexible schedule as long as I

• Meet the deadlines
• Communicate timely
• Satisfy the clients' needs

3. The Pareto principle

This principle also known as the 80/20 rule, says the following

80% of the output comes from 20% of the input

I focus on executing 2-3 key tasks that have the most impact on

• The client
• The project
• The company
• My performance

4. The Eisenhower Matrix

This matrix divides tasks into 4 categories based on urgency and importance

a. Important & Urgent = Do it now
b. Important & Not Urgent = Schedule for later
c. Not Important & Urgent = Delegate to a subordinate
d. Not Important & Not Urgent = Delete

That way I always make sure that I devote the majority of my time to high-value tasks

Being productive does not offer anything of value if you are being productive by finishing unimportant and meaningless tasks

Being effective and creating an impact is more important

5. Parkinson's Law

This law states that work expands to fill the time allotted

I break down each project/task into smaller parts and set strict deadlines

Deadlines should not be more than 2 days ahead for each part

6. Removed time wasters

Many tasks and "rituals" of the office environment are complete time wasters

I check my email only twice per day

If a meeting does not require my input and is of low value to me I simply put it on speaker or headphones while I do other tasks

7. Set boundaries

Working from home with a flexible schedule can easily turn your 9-5 into 7-21 if you have no boundaries

• No emails after 16:30
• No meetings after 16:00
• No work during weekends
• Meetings should have a clear agenda and be less than 1 hour

8. Organization

90% of the time wasted in an office environment is to figure out

• Who did what
• What's the latest version of a file
• Where are you supposed to put files and documents

Being organized is very critical to avoid wasting time on tedious tasks

I simply

• Keep track of deadlines and deliverables
• Have a consistent folder structure for all projects
• Keep track of all tasks and the person they are assigned to

That way I avoid unpleasant surprises that will require working overtime to meet a deadline

9. Documentation

Equally important to being organized is being meticulous with documenting your work

You have to constantly document your

• Input/Output
• Assumptions
• Processes
• Feedback

Especially when projects last for months or years

This might take more time in the beginning but it will save hours when you have to go back later and remember what you did

10. Automation

My rule for automation is the following

If I have to repeat a task more than 2 times, I need to automate it

I spend more time at first creating a robust process

But I save countless hours in the long run, where I simply push a few buttons to run my tool

To summarize:

1. Negotiated full remote work
2. Value Over Time
3. The Pareto principle
4. The Eisenhower Matrix
5. Parkinson's Law
6. Removed time wasters
7. Set boundaries
8. Organization
9. Documentation
10. Automation

These are the 10 frameworks and principles I have utilized to turn my 9-5 into 12 hours of work per week

That way I have more free time to myself and my side projects

/END/

If you liked this thread click below and retweet the first tweet, and follow me to stay updated

https://twitter.com/itsKostasOnFIRE/status/1392467851714330626?s=20

Check below my master thread with all my threads on

• Finance
• Investing
• Stock market history

https://twitter.com/itsKostasOnFIRE/status/1345790210441928708?s=20