The most overlooked way to be more productive 

We raised over $37,193 for two amazing charities! Huge thanks to everyone who contributed and massive respect to Skillshare for also matching $10,000. This makes me so freakin happy. Proud to be a part of such a supportive community & to have sponsors that have our back. Thank you!!

Learning to take breaks is just as important as being productive. Burnout is no joke.

No one's gonna talk about the video-game animation metaphor Matt made in this video? Man, you gotta appreciate someone that goes through some top-notch after effects tediousness for the sake of his fans-mans just cracked a whole 'nother level of quality.

I made it for my own reference but here we go. I've listed every single thing he said. *1. Finding Balance* • have self awareness to slow down or to completely eventually burn out • pack each day with as much as you possibly can focusing on increasing productivity, above all. • don't ignore a proper rest *2. Push Yourself Across The Line To Find Out Where It Is* • do not do it over and over again • a day jam packed with tasks can be just as productive as a day of rest • incorporate rest: -create boundaries for your days, for your weeks and for your months i) Daily Boundaries - restrictions on what time you begin and end work each day ii) Weekly Boundaries - respect the weekend iii) Monthly Boundaries - look at how you can create boundaries and incorporate extended rest on a monthly or by monthly basis *3. Deep Break* • give time to detach yourself from everything i) get away from your home, city & office ii) limit screentime iii) keep your work at home *4. Build Up On Your Skills And Learn New Ones* • using skillshare Okay that's it. Good luck!

I'm from Finland, and here practically every family has a summer cottage. Some are livable all year round. I find weekends at our cottage are the best recharging times. We don't even have electricity, so really need to stay away from my phone (so that it has battery if really needed). Pure nature, a lake to swim in, food to grill and a sauna to relax and get clean in. Birds singing. Maybe fishing. That's how I keep my head in its place.

This video is shot-for-shot cinematography gold... and the advice is actually useful. Top quality content man, keep it up

Matt: I am minimalist Me: looks at his biceps Also me: hmmm

me after not doing any work for a month: *you’re right i do need a 4 day vacation*

If there's one thing med school taught me, is this: have a schedule, schedule your work time as well as your break time. Have a study/work routine and stick to it. It's impossible to be productive on the long run without a schedule and without breaks. Great vid matt, cheers from brazil

i really like this videogame-character pov style its so creative and i think it really helps to better understand the point you are making regarding limited resources (like hp or mp or generally stats if we're staying with the videogame analogy)

The way him and his girl are moving in the video game menu thing is hilarious 😂

Once I realized there will ALWAYS be more work to be done, I finally started to gain balance. huge difference in my overall mental health. keep up the great work!!

I so much needed to hear this, college life's no joke, especially when you're way past the line you were trying to find... burnout y'all

I remember when Matt was a youtuber on the rise with like 50k subs and now he’s out here continually making huge impacts in our various communities. Thanks Matt!

I made myself a victim of burnout a couple of years ago in my old job. I was young and didn't know how to say "no" so I got loaded up with work. I also defined myself with my work, which is a terrible thing to do, as I was feeling guilty 24/7 and constantly felt like I was failing in my job, which then made me work even longer hours, spending weekends, off days, sick days doing work, but they were unproductive too as I had by then already burnt out and couldn't churn anything out anymore. I could see my productivity and creativity drop and I even started becoming depressed. So yeah, burn out is real, don't go there, value your rest and you are definitely entitled to rest, no matter who you are and what level you are at.

One of your best videos Matt! Thank you for such a valuable video! Wishing you all the best in all that you do

Matt talking about burnout Me: struggling to study for 15min each day😣

The secret to his success is that his brain in located in his biceps that's why they're so big

“ I repeat, don’t go chasing waterfalls” 😭

The only two things in Matt's life that aren't minimalist are his google calendar and to-do list

I love how engaging Matt is when he speaks, he seems so genuine, I’d trust him with my life 🤣

'don't go chasing waterfalls', treat yourself to some TLC

That beard looking really cool on you Matt

"it's really important to respect the weekend" - that one hit hard. I have a full-time job and I work on my hustle on the weekends. But we still try to find time for family and friends

Matt, I'll be honest. You inspired me to start a youtube channel about self-development during the lockdowns. Because of it, I've been soooo productive and I'm already at 520 subscribers!!! I can't thank you enough ❤

"The critical part of a balance in life is choosing priorities. If you are trying to balance a family and a career, the choices are complex because both are important." Byron Pulsifer If you're into self-improvement, I'd love to get your feedback on my channel because I'm working hard to add value :)

Almost 5 years ago I've read the book of Gleb Arkhangelskiy (rus: Глеб Архангельский). He advised to plan your rest first of all. This idea changed my life. So I buy some tickets for a train or a plane I couldn't give back every couple of months, I buy some tickets for a theater, a cinema, a quiz game every week and I plan my rest in every day work... it helps me!

Rest is truly important. I am so glad that it's almost Christmas, it's the perfect time to pause absolutely everything. I'm just gonna enjoy the company of my family and try to get some deep rest.

Honestly figuring out how to rest is so hard

Jokes on you, I procrastinate, so I never burn out!

The best thing about my work is that it’s my hobbies which I turned into a career, so I do what I love all day and earn money with it. 👍

“Don’t go chasing waterfalls” Nice TLC throw in ✊🏾

Matt is a philosopher I feel like he just hasn’t realized it yet

Matt: "Keep your work at home" Also Matt: "Shows a video full of footage from his trips"

This put to words the exact issue I have with myself when it comes to being productive. When pushing to work as hard and effectively as we can, we often push so far that not only does our long term productivity go down, but the lack of energy also lowers a person's quality of life. Great video!

I was thinking of the book Essentialism as soon as you started talking about that getaway! Such a good life philosophy and so important

last year my wife and I had a daughter and I decided to take mondays off (unpaid) to take care of her, I can officially say I was more productive last year working 80% of the time than this year working full time. I was more rested, I was happier and I had way more energy, my motivation at work was higher and I achieved way more overall. I never suspected this before.

" Rest is as important as any other productive task in the long term productivity " 👏

Struggling with a strong burn out, which leads me to suit my job.... this video speaks so much to me

I wish that we all have such privilege to take those deep breaks. Enjoy Matt, life is not as blessed in every part of the world as it looks.

Why are the comments all cliché quotes when you're this early? 😂

Yes!! This is definitely true, even the Bible tells us this when it tells us to rest on the Sabbath!!:)

That's exactly the video I needed to see. I felt like always trying to get more work done. Stand up earlier and got to bed later, just to get more work done for school.So thank your for the video and the very true words. It helped a lot.

This was in my recommended after I woke up having slept only 4 hours because I worked until 3 am. Couldn't have come at a better time

We need to protect this guy with everything.

I really enjoy these videos - so authentic and in relation to aesthetic they are spotless! I particular like the game aspect of this particular one - so creative. A masterclass in how to RU-vid - so inspiring to so many!!

I often get burned out when I'm trying to be a perfectionist. I didn't want to waste a single second. Your video gave me a balanced view on that matter. Thanks heartily ❤

So true! I have suffered from burnout on numerous occasions! A rest is a requirement.

Me: I completely agree I need more sleep to be productive. Also me: watches this video at 2 am

„Matt - A Productivity Game“ - Now on iOS and Android, for free of course, no ingame purchases because minimalism

when i was in college, i had a very strict zero tolerance "no work after 6pm or weekends" policy. it makes your more efficient with your actual work time.

Breaks are KEY! We couldn't balance all we do without them. Schedule time to just do you and do it guilt free.

Lol we caught Matt with his pants down 😂

Do we work for and pay for all this convenience in order to live our lives, or do we live our lives in order to work for and pay for all this convenience?

I Love this energy. this is where i get the advantage while other people rest im at work every day. when I'm awake I'm working. Stay Hard

Matt, thanks for this. I just sent this to my entire team. Often the presumption is that the number of hours we put in are directly correlated to outcomes... this is a vestige of the Industrial Age approach to work. As our work has moved from being dependent on physical work to mental work, this linear link has broken down. Deep work is a great book, your chat with Jason on the ground up show was another great perspective on this. I was just on Dan Puder’s (MMA) show where we talked about the importance of time as a unit of life and balance. Thanks for focusing on these issues... truly going deep

Matt, thanks for inspiring me to create and get better every single day and huge thank you for the great idea to support Aboriginal Lives. I hugely respect the fact that you and Natalie decided to go also for an Australian charity. The issue is a global matter and I'm more than happy to support it. Best, Zlatin

Brilliant video! This is particularly true for content creators. Keep up the awesome work!

In a time like this where working from home has blended in with our life, so many of us have been struggling with work-life-balance. This video came at such a good time, thank you Matt and all that you do.

When he began to say that he breaks these rules too, I was literally thinking, “is he disciplined enough to follow all of this advice?” …. I appreciate his honesty.

Last time I was this early corona was just a beer.

Unfortunately, this works only if you are self-employed and economically stable.

Last month I learned a lot about myself. There was a suspicion that I was suffering from a more serious illness. This insecurity and fear meant that I had little motivation and strength to do anything. Now that the diagnosis came and it is comparatively harmless, the ideas and motivation come back. For me, the mental condition is the most important factor when it comes to productivity.

I have the total opposite of this problem. I am so great at taking breaks that I often don't even get started!

Bill Gates actually has a similar concept to what you call “Deep Break”. Bill goes to cabins twice a year and stays there for his biannual “Think Week”. He brings no form of technology or work and just reads books the entire time he’s there. It’s amazing how this resting/break method is evident in the life of such a significant person like Bill yet the hustle culture barely promotes any form of rest. Great video, Matt!

Matt: It's important to leave home and relax. Parents: Uh sure. We'll get right on that.

I am so happy to know that our world has god people like him who can use their popularity for great, generous causes and charities. Continue be yourself!! Support from Bulgaria!❤

I've learned that just as important as knowing what you want out of life, is knowing what you don't want. Unfortunately, we don't really learn the latter until we experience it. The first time you go through a burnout, or fall off a diet hard, or any other "stall" in progress, you figure out that the thing you don't want isn't so much nonproductivity, or the "stall" itself. The problem is that the "stall" is unavoidable. The stall isn't inherently unproductive though. What makes the difference is whether you control the stall or not. Control the stall, control everything. Great video as always Matt.

Productivity Galore - the gamification of life (with stats at 01:05 😄)! Really powerful message upon burnout 🔥 - take a break after reading this comment (maybe power-nap?)😂...

I started drinking coffee because of you such an inspiration❤️❤️

Been there, done that. People that say burnout is a joke haven't had it. And you usually get it because you follow outward expectations. Challenging your boundaries IS important sometimes, but choose your battles wisely. Not all challenges are worth taking.

THE QUALITY AND CREATIVITY OF THIS VIDEO MAKES ME SO HAPPY

*Matt Character level of biceps: +Over 9,000 points

I imagine that things that move faster tend to heat up. Eventually, they’ll get so hot that they will start losing mass and integrity. Regular cycling and cooling maintains longevity. If you take a mass of, say, one ton and move it through space to where it’s own atoms start splitting, eventually it will turn into a mass of photons. It will evaporate. But if it started and stopped, it would not become a mass of hot atoms. It would move as a singular object, for eternity,

Comparing productivity to video games is such a genius way of putting it

There’s an satisfying feeling cramming everything in one day and seeing it as a challenge! But yea it is destructive me mentally physically and spiritually

Matt: for weekly boundaries, it's really important to respect the weekend. The school board: haha, that's a funny joke.

LOL - "Don't go chasing waterfalls. I repeat, don't go chasing waterfalls."

100% - even with the lockdown, I decided to take 2 days with my email/notifications off to work on creative work. Now I feel like I’m back on track again!

Easily my favorite RU-vidr. You've changed my life. Thank you Sir for doing what you do.

Is it a requirement to drink coffee to be a minimalist

*Watching during my burnout phase*

That video game sequence was so cool!!! The filming and editing on that was next level. I wonder if he shows behind the scenes on how he creates stuff like that in his patreon?

For daily tasks, the Pomodoro method is extremely useful. The method is usually used for learning new skills but I found it very help on keeping me focused when working from home

Burnout is a STOP signal to pay attention to yourself, a “help mechanism”. We charge our phones every day. if you do not, they will turn off without asking. If you have burnout, thank the body and brain for the tip. Honestly answer yourself: what do I really want? Pause all urgent matters, take time for yourself without phones and the Internet.

Last time I came this early Matt liked my comment and so did everyone else.

That mini-map in the top right of the video-game bit was scarily accurate. Kudos for the fine details Matt

I found that when i travel, the best solution for a relaxing experience is to not have any plans. Just arrive at the location and wake up each morning to just see and do what you feel like. Yes, this also means "missing out" on sightseeing, to experiencing certain things in that location othes would want you to believe were essential. This has made my travels incredibly fun, and helped me understand to manage my "fear of missing out". You dont need to see and do what everyone tells you to, but rather focus on what matters to you. This rings true in most aspects of life, but i think the easiest first step to do that is when travelling.

Cant't imagine the efforts he took to edit that video

That mini-map is the most severe case of attention to detail in 2020.

Wait stop LMAOOA I needed to pause this video to comment on how I appreciate not only the video game analogy but the choose your player screen accompanied by the organic “bounce” of the player ❤️

Your channel is one of my favorites! One of the most influential things in my life for the past couple years. Thank you. You are funny, a great artist, and have a good viewpoint on life that encourages me!

New here but one of the only RU-vid recommendations that actually resulted greatly 😂

So I should just listen to the rivers and lakes like I used to?!

As a stay at home mom of two it is so hard for me to make myself slow down and take some time to myself. I am working on taking breaks and investing in more self care because I know it's important especially as a mom but it's hard. Thank you for the reminder and video!!

I swear to god I don't even care about productivity, it's just that your videos are sooooo well done and soothing

Matt: Walk away from life for 4 days to decompress Parents: *sips more coffee*

Never expected Matt to lift up his pants in an intro... there’s a first for everything 😅

I love how your videos are getting more and more engaging and the ideas you explain are put very well together, great job man!!

This past semester (before corona hit) I dedicated my saturdays completely to rest and just doing whatever I wanted and never did college work on saturdays and it honestly just made my weeks so much better. I felt like I was allowed to have fun, and wasn't overwhelmed because I knew that once saturday came around, I was able to take the whole day to whatever I wanted to do.