Campfire #45: Five habits that save me 10+ hours of work per week as a senior product designer

A few weeks ago, a client mentioned something about my working speed. Here's a snippet of that conversation.

This might be an interesting topic to explore because this is not the first time clients have mentioned to me the speed of delivery (without losing the quality of work).

Many people I've mentored struggled with getting things done quickly in their work, so sharing some habits that save me over 10+ hours of work per week might be helpful.

Throughout my career, I've read almost every book on time management. Here are five habits I have found to be the most impactful in getting things done fast (without breaking the quality).

Five habits that save me 10+ hours of work per week as a senior product designer

1. Cinema mode
2. Task batching
3. No meeting day
4. Plan the day ahead
5. Regular reviews

Cinema mode

I don't remember where I heard this term, but it stuck with me a few years ago, and still, it makes a lot of sense.

Remember the last time you went to the cinema to watch a movie? You prepared to sit and watch it for about 90 minutes straight. Now, can we apply the same approach to our work.

Yes! Some of you might be familiar with the term "deep work," coined by Cal Newport in his book. He states:

This is our economy's most valuable skill and has become increasingly rare. And if you can master it – you'll achieve extraordinary results.

Essentially, the cinema mode habit involves setting aside dedicated blocks of time during the day for focused work without distractions. This can be especially important for product designers who need to concentrate on creating and refining designs. You can avoid multitasking and increase productivity by focusing on one task at a time.