Trouble STAYING productive? Productivity hacks

[@doctorkhalid]

Anyone else watching this while procrastinating...yes you! :))) Great content btw.

[@GrizzlyThatHawk]

"A time savings of 60 seconds to 1 minute." Me: Calculating.......

[@insanejughead]

Thanks, you gave me a reason to watch this video twice.

[@theoriginalaz]

I will never ever fail to be amazed by the quality, editing, colour grading and pacing of a D Britt vid #BOOYAKASHASHASHA

[@D4Darious]

You'll get there sooner than you know. Keep hustling Brutha.

[@theoriginalaz]

@@D4Darious Thanks fam!

[@daedalus_20v]

My hack: *not getting in my own way **_when things are already working!_* Often for me, writing is like trying to solve a 1000-piece puzzle. I know the image I'm trying to create, but I'm having trouble putting it all together. Sometimes, though, on rare occasions, writing is like coasting down a hill on a bike. It might not be the steepest hill in town, but if I'm careful I might be able to ride this thing all the way to the bottom! So on those days when the mojo _is_ flowing, I make sure I don't let things like formatting stop me! Forget the slug lines, forget the spacing, forget the character's names, DO NOT stop to check the dictionary or thesaurus for that word you're not sure about, and for Kubrick's sake don't answer that damn text! There will be time for all of that later, I promise. For now, *ride the bike as far as it will go.* With enough momentum, it may even take you somewhere you never thought possible...

[@HybridM3dia]

I feel that writing my goals down on a white board and having it in sight keeps me both focused and accountable because I have to look at it many times per day. Additionally, waking up earlier has helped by giving more time to do things.

[@torchproductions6617]

I was literally sitting on my phone with my screenplay in front of me.... Think this is a sign

[@TheStarkz]

Have you completed your screenplay yet?

[@torchproductions6617]

@@TheStarkz I've completed two over the course of summer. Still rough drafts but I see the potential

[@TheStarkz]

@@torchproductions6617 Cool! I hope it goes well! 👍😊

[@torchproductions6617]

@@TheStarkz thank you very much :)

[@Austin-xu9ty]

SAME

[@Muthuvel.B]

"The hardest enemy to conquer is the one you see every morning in the mirror". 👌👌👌

[@AllThingsFilm1]

Great suggestions. One thing I started doing to motivate myself to get the first draft of a script out, was that I blocked out the whole story by writing scene headings for each scene. With a logline under each scene heading. It was a technique I heard from a Film Courage video. I did that with a short film I was writing, and two days later I finished the first draft. Before that, it took me eons to complete any ideas much less a first draft. So, yes, simply your tasks and magically they become easier to complete.

[@goodboyhasan8747]

this is intressting can you explaine more please?

[@JamesFullelove]

Pomodoro technique works well : 1. Select a task to be done. 2. Work on it for 25 mins then have a 5 minute break. 3. Repeat step 2 3 more times. 4. Have a 25-30mins break

[@Vader417]

I do it too! So useful!

[@Cassiearan]

GREAT CONTENT!! Let me just share to these quotes that I like, "Focus on being productive instead of busy." -Tim Ferriss and "Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night."

[@juliano3435]

Over the course of the first three months of this year, I wrote a 27-page screenplay. The one thing that helped me stay in that concentrated headspace was what I surrounded myself with. I never could focus on just writing in front of my two computer screens and the constant access to the internet and all of it's tempting distractions. So, I set up a cozy writing corner in my room. Two seats, a small table and a laptop without internet connection. That's all I saw for those three months. It was the most productive I've ever been.

[@blacktokyo]

The greatest time saver? You! Always getting to the point. 🙌🏾✊🏾

[@jerryfoo1]

Complexity is the enemy of execution. Love that!!!

[@InvalidationX145]

Honestly, man? I watch nearly every video you put out. But I had to favorite this one. Lots of good little nuggets in this for creatives everywhere, from filmmakers to writers to painters and beyond. Perfect. And you know I'm already on that email list bruh bruh. Looking forward to when your sound course comes out! Hope things are going well on your end fam, sure sounds like it even throughout these times. Looking forward to the next one. Peace!

[@awofilms]

This is straight facts, especially complexity. The way we handle things is as complex as the task itself. Not even just films, this goes for every task we want to do.

[@CamberFilmSchool]

Batching is definitely where it's at! Just finished editing 3 KZbin videos in about 2 hours after recording them all over about an hour last night. Good to go for 3 weeks!

[@Vader417]

Hey D4Darious! I do this tactic called THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE Choose a task. Set 25 minutes on a stopwatch/eggtimer. Do the task. Take a 5 minute break. Repeat. Changed my life! THIS WILL IMPROVE CREATIVITY AND PRODUCTIVITY. You're one of my fav youtube tutorials and you make filmmaking fun to learn!

[@TheodoreGimeno]

I have found to be more productive when actually allowing myself to take breaks and some time away from things once in a while. In fact, I will then mentally incorporate those moments in the 'working' process because truly, the time you spend away from work allows you then to be more efficient when you get back to it. I believe that your productivity starts with the way you perceive the things you do with your time. So, if you can become more flexible with those expectations you set for yourself, then you'll realise you're often doing the right thing: it's all part of the process. Good luck to all. Thanks for the tips bro! Love the videos as per usual! T

[@wagerstar5053]

I can relate with this. Taking breaks helps with efficiency.

[@moneytri2525]

I've been trying to refine my system for a bit now. There's still some fat that needs to be trimmed off but yeah having this idea in the forefront of my mind really keep me on track and provide me with steady growth.

[@tilix4]

Learning to code saved me a looooooot of time. Every task I do more than twice knowing I'll have to do it again, I spend time coding something. It might feel like it's a time loss but after that, I thank code to exist.

[@BillyTheSheep22]

"Complexity is the enemy of execution" that's great. Some other productivity tips that have helped me: ** Always know what specific task is next ** I have a harder time starting work when it's a nebulous "I need to work on my project". I find it easier to jump in when it's a more specific "I need to finish writing this specific part". This helps so much that whenever I'm working, I never stop when I've completed a task. I stop when I'm mid-way through a task. That way the next time I can sit down to work, what to do next is obvious, it's to finish what I last ended on. This helps get that initial inertia going, which to me is the biggest obstacle to turning an hour of free time into an hour of completed work. ** You'll never come upon free time, you have to make time ** I see a lot of creatives put the impetus of getting stuff done on waiting until they have time to do it. The problem is humans are so good at filling their schedule. Like a goldfish growing to the size of their container. You'll never get projects done if you wait for that, you have to look at your current schedule and SACRIFICE something (don't sacrifice sleep). One less TV show, one less game with friends, one less night out a week. You cannot create time, the only way to get your thing done is to take time away from something else. Unfortunately. ** Always try new habits, make sure to take time to analyze if your current habits are working ** - I will come across a good productivity tip (like for example, never have a zero day. Make sure you get at least a little bit done every day even if it's 5 mins) and I will try it, and it will work great... for a while. But then, after a month, my body has adjusted to it, and has found a way to satisfy the specific conditions of the habit while getting the least amount done. Now I'm ONLY working 5 minutes a day 7 days a week and I'm getting less done than I was before. Humans are really good at adapting to situations, you have to constantly cycle in new tricks to keep tricking your body into working. And you have to occasionally take a moment and audit yourself, and cycle out tricks that no longer work.

[@RustyBrown_]

Writing is reinforcement. I try to write, by hand, a list of actions (things I need to get done) for my projects. It’s a form of accountability that works - and checking things off shows (visually) accomplishments. The lists don’t have to be long. This helps to manage like things in groups, and the small feed into the large. Keep rockin, D! -Rusty.

[@barefootuptomysoul]

He's feeling old LMAO... He's in his 30s ROFLMAO... Thank you for the laugh, Darious. I enjoyed this one. I enjoy all your videos.

[@benparilis1081]

Thank you for being an inspiration to me for 7+ years I appreciate you.

[@MattFaris]

I love that description of "Right, start by charging the batteries..." I feel my energy sapped by the list of things that I have to do, but the minute I start moving it shifts. Love that idea of the system too - a quick set up gets you into doing what you love to do - it gets you creating! That sound course sounds really interesting so looking forward to finding out more about it!

[@AdrianLoganLive]

Just want to say thank you. Your content has really helped me take my youtube videos and quality to the next level. Been following you for about 2.5 years. Keep inspiring

[@StylishDTailors]

That table is dope man. Nice change of pace!

[@D4Darious]

Tryin' ta keep it fresh Bruh-bruh lol 🙏

[@LycanVisuals]

Wow what timing. My procrastination habits are horrible.

[@Monoperty]

Thanks Darious! It's great to know I'm not the only one that struggles. There is so much to learn when creating online content. My Tip: Learn 1 new thing at a time and keep pushing forward. Aim to improve your content by just 1% at a time. Avoid going down a rabbit hole of just learning and not doing. 👍

[@ponodude101]

This is a great video, not only for the topic of filmmaking, but productivity in general. Breaking things down into simple tasks and doing what you feel like you're able to on the day is such good advice. Pushing yourself past your current limit will just make things worse.

[@eugenemleblanc]

You make really the best videos about film biz. Thanks

[@nintendokings]

preach it man. Here's a good one I've learnt. It's about *habits*. If you are in the habit of [insert good non-procrastinating routine], you will be able to do it with little resistance. Whereas if you are in the habit of doing nothing until the deadline is around the corner (like me), it will be tough to break that habit. There is no one life-hack that will fix this. But if you keep making schedules etc and work towards incorporating productivity as your habit, you'll get there. As you said, it's a battle. Especially with my/our (I'm 26) generation, we are used to having instant-entertainment at the tip of our fingers at all times (phones). I find I struggle even to make time to watch a long movie, whilst the same day I probably wasted 2 hours reading/watching crap online. Max Joseph's video on Book Stores made me think more about habits. It's one of the best KZbin videos I've seen, I highly recommend it if you want to get more done in the day.

[@EvanKiddFilms]

Grouping like tasks together is the BEST. I have been doing this for years and regarding doing several KZbin videos at once when that sweet setup takes time it just makes sense. Plus for me it takes a video to really get into the groove when I make YT videos. Love it. Great tips man.

[@D4Darious]

Thank you for voicing you opinions on this Kidd.

[@Nulyweds]

The five second rule really works for me! As well as going for low hanging fruit. Doing fun work is really good at tricking you into doing proper work 😅

[@friendlyfilmz]

I feel this so hard. Another thing that worked for me is writing To Do lists. When I organize my list, it feels like part of the work is already done. Part of the inertia is removed just by decking the order of tasks to tackle.

[@eluanevangelista7836]

man, it had been a while since i last watched one of your videos, but every single time that i do its so fucking motivational i just had to comment this, i admire your work, thanks and keep hustling

[@BilalAzeem]

when im unmotivated im usually hesitant to watch ur new vids cause u make the whole process look so easy but it was nice to see that u go thru the same creative barriers in this. plus the tips really helped!!

[@anythingbutcoffee5211]

Those are amazing tips, thank you so much! The "low hanging fruit" is a great one, that helps me a lot, too. I split bigger tasks into RIDICULOUSLY small ones if I don't want to do them because most of the time I'm afraid by how much I have on my plate. That way every small step seems achievable and much less scary and I get a good feeling if I can cross my baby tasks off one by one.

[@clutchpowers3229]

Nice consistency man!!!

[@alessandrodimilla8450]

Dude, Just a Quick Word, I really apprecciate you a lot! You made me go into videography for real, and cinema sets. Just thank you.

[@thelovehandle8228]

Great video with honest dialogue (also nice touch with the animations)! I find the key to hitting my rhythm is taking pressure of myself to consistently be working. I don’t pass judgement on myself if I have unproductive moments because I understand that they are time bound. Therefore I know if I have a lull I’ll also likely have a surge soon after!

[@WhiskeyQuests]

Pretty much what you said. Split everything up throughout the week. Write and set up one day, recording and review footage and import everything into post, next day edit edit edit, next day thumbnail and upload, tag and schedule. Take a day off or two and do it all over again. This of course like many others is done at night after I spent time with the family after my day job 😅

[@funebure]

The part about taking an hour to setup... it hurts.... low hanging fruit, good advice, also helps to hear about the creative struggles of creators you usually watch so this is appreciated, it's strangely inspiring thinking "It's just not me and my defective brain" so it helps to push forward

[@TheBlackCollective]

Thanks for the suggestions. Doing work in small batches helps a lot.

[@JayJFrog]

Every morning I take 5-15 minutes to write down what I have to do as a kind of brain dump. Then I prioritize them by categories A are must do B are should do and C are would be great to do. Then I estimate the time i think it will take to do them and block this time in my calendar. I took this time management technique from a book called the unemployed millionaire. Hasn't made me a millionaire yet but it does help me to get things done. Great content as always.

[@MoeBass]

Sooooo inspirational!! You Rock Darius!! Keep 'em coming!! (You got this!)

[@gregjones7196]

As always coming with that needed advice!! Can't wait for that course!

[@ShallieDragon]

Great tips! A lot of these echo some of the advice I've discovered as part of receiving an ADHD diagnosis. I'm going to share this video with my ADHD support group, I think they'd find it valuable.

[@NoodlenutStudios]

Sometimes its just about setting up that camera and shooting something. It might not turn into anything but keeps your eye open for possibilities. Also, browsing stock footage sites helps keep my creative juices flowing. Its not so much what I see, but more of what I don't see that makes me thing of what I could potentially shoot.

[@D4Darious]

Thank you for sharing NN studios

[@jimwoodswrites]

Good reminders! I always find that having some music on in the background helps and trying certain tasks to certain locations can help too. The focus triangle: same task, same tool, same time. In some ways, I guess you could say even that is a system of sorts.

[@rachaelccamp]

Great insight, as always! A process I’ve adopted to help manage my energy is allowing myself to be done when my tasks for the day are complete, rather than getting started on the next day’s to-do list.

[@jj.flores]

My guy, I love your channel so much. Everything is always so amazing and your style is so unique and personal, and I really appreciate it.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

I think the biggest thing that helps me keep it going is chatting with friends who are in the same boat. I find their work inspiring, and it makes me want to keep up- it's a sort of friendly creative rivalry if you will. (Think Pokemon rivals, not like I wanna punch you in the face rivals lol) Always happy to see one of your vids in my feed.

[@D4Darious]

Chatting with peers helps. Gotta agree with that one.

[@greenbeat8799]

Always, always so helpful. Thanks for this.

[@DTrecording]

In part due to covid, I'm separated from my "system" I built and not having access to all the things I had to motivate creativity is incredibly challenging. I feel directionless without my system and gear. I do a lot more music than video, so I would always have a mic ready, guitar amp record ready, keyboard easily accessible. (99% of my studio is currently in another state). But it does make me value those things and make me excited to come back to it when I can.

[@oyska_g2985]

I literally had a discussion with my mom about this last night. I had a huge problem with motivation and today I saw this video and it was just what I needed. Thank you

[@derrickkay]

D4 you the 🐐 when it comes to everything video. You always dropping gems. 👏

[@BekzhanAmantayev]

This will be very much helpful, especially now, when i'm in a rut. Thank you, D4!

[@saidcisneros2933]

Thank you for this! I'm still working on my procrastination problem with film. Loved the vids. Keep it up =)

[@TheThompson425]

I always teach my children that laziness is your greatest foe and you will fight him every day of your life. Defeating them means a happy productive life. Getting defeated means failure. My kids come up to me at times and tell me they defeated laziness.

[@aditya7428]

I'll tell your what works for me. These grey transitions!

[@lucacaramani8833]

Thanks so much for everything darious! You helped me so much the past few months, thanks so much!!

[@centurialinc]

Loved it! I needed to hear this. Keep it up man. Looking to get back into the game soon. Best Matt

[@RJinspire]

Just came across your channel and it's worth subscribing to when one is a solo travel vlogger, loved your film production work

[@andylausupremacy6478]

For most of us, especially myself, it's actually fairly difficult to be productive when working from home. due to the lockdown going on in most countries for the past month or so! Your tips, you made it look sooooo easy AF bro! LOVED IT

[@itsgreg72]

I was in the process of editing out a shoot I recently did ( my first one). Felt exhausted by the thought of how much it was going to required until I saw this. Now I can breathe realizing, Im making life harder than it has to be. Preciate the vid. Came right on time.

[@galaxyfilms1757]

Thanks I’m 11 and I’m making short films. I also do movie reviews. These videos really help make my short films better. You and film riot are great

[@warrensaunders]

Always love your content. Feeling more motivated already. Thanks 👍

[@jaaaybento]

I’m glad to see how far you’ve come with this channel. These videos are dope and I look forward to watching. Btw your tips on how to mic people really helped me out.

[@averagealice8877]

I’ve honestly never heard of some of these techniques before and they sound really useful! Thanks!

[@D4Darious]

Thank you for watching.

[@Blamethecomic]

When I was really productive , I would shoot videos the night before and schedule them for the next day. This would take the pressure off of shooting and uploading in the same day. I would also feel at ease

[@BasicFilmmaker]

Solid!! 👍👍👍 The law of inertia redefined. Thou who does not initially get his a** in gear, never gets anything done. 😁

[@johnkirk480]

This sonds a lot like the book The War of Art. Its a great short read to help with motivation. I read parts of it to help me get back on track when procrastinate. On another note, I can't wait for the sound course! Sound has always been my biggest worry, its one of the the area I know the least about.

[@unboringmyself]

yeah, i guess we are all in the same boat, I also did a video about it a couple of weeks ago sharing my techniques to avoid procrastination. but sometimes i wonder why are we all trying to be more productive when maybe we should actually be ok with how much we already do. 50 years ago people were not this obsessed with productivity and they did thinks and achieved goals too, you know?! maybe we should just lower our expectations and enjoy life a bit more!

[@MadamGarfield]

"the war against the self" yes, this is the story of my life

[@ronjonathan3450]

Same with Homework... Helped me a lot bro keep up the good quality 👍

[@chriscossin]

Just wanted to thank you for this video Darious. Also, you’ve helped me believe in myself and inspired me to keep going in film when I’ve been at my lowest. Thank you 🤘🏿

[@aberforth2276]

Great advice man, thanks a lot

[@documentaryinprogress]

"The hardest enemy to conquer is the one you see every morning in the mirror." 🙌

[@laureven]

I work on software / or learn programming, but this video is 100% for me :) Thank You ...this is so nice You upload this video exactly when I needed it most :)

[@mattip1000]

Very helpful my man. Also the sound is amazing!

[@lorrainechittock]

BATCHING, omg, you're a star. So correct.

[@DayDay360]

Thank you bro🙏🏾 I appreciate the videos you make

[@gpl4908]

Thank you!!! I needed to hear this...

[@flooblybub]

Currently procrastinating on my project by making another project so that's how my Lockdown is going.

[@taisiyaostapova8193]

When I find myself tired, but i understand that i have so many things to do, but just don't wanna, I try to find one task, that i prefer to do now, like if i am sad, I play music, 'cause it makes my emoshions smoother. Or i just choose something, that i haven't done longer, means if i tired of editing, i choose to do something in another area.

[@solar-monk]

God bless you man. Thank you.

[@chacourthomas8625]

I already know this is gonna be 🔥💥

[@alejoparedes2388]

This helped me more than I thought it would. Thank you, D.

[@dominicstonekaiser9161]

Love you dude and you have always put good content in front of me subscribed!

[@ErikThureson]

Great advice Sir! Well done.

[@shreeshayelameli]

I use a to do list with a procrastination counter at the bottom. I count all the times I procrastinated and for how long, quantify the number and put that on the counter. I try everyday to make that number as low as it can be. It’s a slow process, but it seems to be working.

[@D4Darious]

I like this.

[@spurzstudios]

Love the Task Batching tips

[@samuelpatchett684]

D4, you seriously have everything it takes to create the master class academy of non film school film school! You’re presentation is always 110% on point, your craft is amazing, you’re an excellent orator and you have a very dedicated YT following. I’m a 110% amateur wannabe film maker. You have taught me so much for FREE. You’ve provided information that I absolutely would have paid for if I knew it was quality instruction upfront. Since I “know you”...I’ve seen what you can do, seen what you’ve taught not just me but hundreds of thousands of others...I’d definitely pay for your instruction. I’m saying all of this because I feel like maybe you need to hear it. I’m signed up and waiting for the sound course but brother I hope you take it to the next level. I think you could make some serious $$ and be earning every cent because your content is just that great. Also...MERCH! Where’s the merch?! I think your community would be thrilled to support you via D4 merch. I would. Keep up the awesome work. Love and appreciate your YT work. Love and respect your film work.

[@extremefilm]

Nice, always good hearing chat on motivation as its always motivating haha:) Eating healthy keeps my mind clear and makes me more motivated, bit of a tangent there but works:)

[@LottacamStudio]

Dope video..my exact way of thinking! i also made a promise to myself years ago to do at least one creative thing every day..could be anything as long as it's creative..still works..

[@ivanmp5810]

For people who need to visually batch things, I would recommend Coggle. or just write it down on a notebook

[@maxboucher]

These new videos are FIRE!!

[@Zuluisms]

This was incredibly helpful! Thank youuuuu

[@jonny_gage]

great video , I won't to stop procrastinating on my goals!