Use the “One More One” Trick When Your Productivity Slows
After writing about productivity and organization for over a year, I understand better than most that the vast majority of work productivity advice you’ll receive asks you to plan your day carefully , planning out the exact type and number of tasks you do. going to do, and be diligent to the point of almost belligerence – literally . I also know better than anyone what works for me personally, and it usually doesn’t seem all that thorough.
Yes, careful advance planning helps many people and helps in many different situations, but there is no universally effective method for increasing productivity. If challenging routes aren’t for you or you’re simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of items on your to-do list, there’s a much simpler and straightforward method you can try. It’s the “one more thing” approach, and it’s one of my favorite productivity hacks because it works so well in a variety of situations.
What is the “one more thing” approach?
I borrowed the title “another one” from a Reddit poster that mentioned this technique in this way, although I’ve already done it myself without naming it. In the video, the author explained how they prefer to break down their tasks into small parts and then constantly push themselves to complete “one more” mini-task before stopping.
The example used in the video is about emails: when you have a lot of messages to sort through and respond to, it can be challenging. If you use the classic technique and schedule time on your calendar just to get them all done, you’ll be faced with the harsh reality that there are dozens of pieces of correspondence demanding your attention. This is demoralizing and may even cause you to procrastinate, which will only make things worse in the long run. But if, instead of setting a time or amount, you just get to work and force yourself to handle “one more” email at a time, you’ll feel motivated every time you cross one off the list. If you feel enough energy to continue, well, you only need to do “one more.”
There are plenty of examples where this will be effective. As I discussed this concept with my colleagues this morning, Lifehacker’s senior health editor Beth Skwarecki noted that she does something similar at the gym: She asks herself, “Can I do one more rep?” or “Can I have one more minute?” and that makes her move. And in fact, this is the strategy I use most often in the gym: It’s overwhelming to realize you have 17 minutes left on the treadmill or eight reps with a heavy weight, so don’t think too far ahead. Can you make another one? And can you do another one after this? And after that?
Why “one more” is an effective productivity strategy
All big problems are actually made up of smaller ones, and when looked at individually, those smaller problems aren’t that difficult. Writing a 10-page essay is an overwhelming task, but thinking about it one paragraph at a time isn’t so bad. Every time you complete a small part, you feel good about it. You gain a boost of confidence and are ready to do it again.
This approach works best for tasks that aren’t particularly urgent, so use a system like the Eisenhower Matrix to figure out which of the tasks on your to-do list can be completed this way.
However, while you can use “one more” for one-off tasks, it can also work when you break complex tasks into smaller components. Even when you’re working on something big, you’ll feel a small sense of accomplishment and reinforce the feeling that you’re expending energy on a larger task. Especially when it’s something you don’t really want to do, like working out or cleaning , that kind of small-minded thinking can keep you from burning out. If a project is stressing you out, break it down into its smallest components and just do one without worrying about how much time you have. Keep using another one until you run out of time or until you’re done.
As a proponent of this approach, I will note that while it is nice to gradually solve these mini-challenges, eventually you will reach a point where the answer to the question “can I do another one?” it’s a “no”. When this happens, allow yourself to just stop for a while. The goal is to boost your motivation and confidence, not demoralize you, so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get it all done without taking a break.
When I’m at the gym, I might do “one more” minute on the elliptical until I can’t, and that’s okay. Breaks are fundamental to maintaining productivity, so give an honest answer to the question: “Can I take another?” actually guide you.