--- title: How to Be Efficient: Dan Ariely’s 6 New Secrets to Managing Your Time description: It’s hard to be efficient. Sometimes it feels like the world doesn’t make any sense. Sometimes youdon’t make any sense. And sometimes it feels like... canonical: https://time.com/3577076/be-efficient-secrets-to-managing-your-time/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-11-11T14:11:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T08:00:59.305Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How to Be Efficient: Dan Ariely’s 6 New Secrets to Managing Your Time og:description: It’s hard to be efficient. Sometimes it feels like the world doesn’t make any sense. Sometimes youdon’t make any sense. And sometimes it feels like... og:url: https://time.com/3577076/be-efficient-secrets-to-managing-your-time/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt338a7750ead789f4/6987681aa988ca42bb6aaa81/clock.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Pocket watch og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How to Be Efficient: Dan Ariely’s 6 New Secrets to Managing Your Time twitter:description: It’s hard to be efficient. Sometimes it feels like the world doesn’t make any sense. Sometimes youdon’t make any sense. And sometimes it feels like... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt338a7750ead789f4/6987681aa988ca42bb6aaa81/clock.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How to Be Efficient: Dan Ariely’s 6 New Secrets to Managing Your Time by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Nov 11, 2014 2:11 PM CUT  Pocket watch Pocket watchGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Nov 11, 2014 2:11 PM CUT It’s hard to be efficient. Sometimes it feels like the world doesn’t make any sense. Sometimes youdon’t make any sense. And sometimes it feels like it’s all a conspiracy. As we’ll see shortly, these are all, in a way, true. [Dan Ariely](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/03/interview-nyt-bestselling-author-dan-ariely-talks/ "undefined") is the king of irrational behavior. Not that he’s more irrational than you or I, but he’s studied an impressive amount of it. Dan is a behavioral economist at Duke University and the New York Times bestselling author of three wonderful books: 1. [Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061353248/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061353248&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined") 2. [The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061995045/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061995045&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined") 3. [The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone—Especially Ourselves](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062183591/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062183591&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined") Most recently he’s turned his attention to the irrationality of how we use our time and has helped create a new smart-calendar app, [Timeful](http://www.timeful.com/ "undefined"). What’s great is the data from [Timeful](http://www.timeful.com/ "undefined") is helping us learn things about what works and what doesn’t as it relates to productivity. I gave Dan a call to hear what he had to say about how we can improve time management, how to be efficient and how to get more done. ## **1) The World** **_Is_** **Working Against You** This isn’t a conspiracy theory and a tinfoil hat isn’t required, but we are spending more of our time in environments that _have their own agendas_. Billboards and TV ads want you to buy. The links on the internet encourage you to click. Notifications on your smartphone beckon you. **Our default is now a constant, aggressive chain of siren songs from our environment.** Here’s Dan: --- > “” --- If you followed every directive from your surroundings these days you’d quickly be broke, obese, and constantly distracted. It’s like we’re surrounded by scheming thieves: thieves of our time, thieves of our attention, thieves of our productivity. **And how do pickpockets steal your stuff? Distraction.** Here’s Dan: --- > “” --- (Short on time? Skip to 5:35 to see how easily distracted you can be.) **Not having a plan, goals or a system in today’s world is dangerous because the default isn’t neutral.** (For more on what the most productive people do to reduce distractions, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/ "undefined").) So what does this mean is the first big step to productivity? ## **2) Control Your Environment Or It Will Control You** We can’t control our environment everywhere we go, of course, but we have more control than we usually choose to exercise. **If you banish distractions and control your calendar you can make sure your environment is ripe for productivity.** Here’s Dan: --- > “” --- **What does research show the most productive computer programmers have in common?** It’s not experience, salary, or hours spent on a project. **They had employers who created an environment free from distraction.** Via [Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307352145/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307352145&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- **Research shows** [**distractions make us stupid**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/10/productivity-ninja/ "undefined")**.** **Your surroundings should** [**make the things you need to do easy and the things you shouldn’t do hard**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/04/whats-the-most-effective-way-to-change-you-be/ "undefined")**.** **What happened when Google put M&M’s in containers instead of out in the open? People ate 3 million less of them in one month.** Here’s Dan: --- > “” --- (For more on how the most organized people stay on track, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/most-organized-people/ "undefined").) Okay, so you need to manage your environment. How do you manage your calendar? ## **3) Write Everything Down** We all know how fallible our brains can be yet we routinely trust ourselves to remember and follow through on things. Bad. What did research from the [Timeful app](http://www.timeful.com/ "undefined") tell Dan? 1. Most people don’t write down the things they need to do. 2. When you do write things down, you’re more likely to follow through on them. **If it’s important, write it down.** [**Reminders**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/most-organized-people/ "undefined")**,** [**post-its**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/04/post-it-notes/ "undefined")**, and** [**calendars**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/schedule/ "undefined") **are all good tools.** [Stanford professor Jennifer Aaker](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/02/happiness-aaker-meaning-interview/ "undefined") points to research showing that **your calendar can make you happier:** **Take the things that make you happy and energized and schedule them more often.** Sound stupidly simple? Research says we don’t do it enough. Here’s [Jennifer](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/02/happiness-aaker-meaning-interview/ "undefined"): --- > “” --- (For more on how to schedule to-do’s like a pro, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined").) So you’ve written down everything that needs to get done. Should you just run down the list in order? Absolutely not. ## **4) When You Do What You Do Is Key** All hours are not created equal. What did Dan’s [Timeful](http://www.timeful.com/ "undefined") research show about our most productive hours? **You have a window of 2-2.5 hours of peak productivity per day, starting a couple hours after waking.** Here’s Dan: --- > “” --- Those are the hours when you should be working on your most cognitively demanding tasks. The big projects. The stuff that really moves the needle. **But what did Dan find that most people did with those hours?** **Email and Facebook.** You need to guard those hours for important tasks. Designate that part of your day as “[protected time](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/01/success-and-happiness/ "undefined").” And Dan’s findings line up with other research. I’ve posted before that [**2.5 to 4 hours after waking is when your brain is sharpest:**](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H1UEP4/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H1UEP4&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20&linkId=O3E3KE3MUVL5LAVW "undefined") --- > “” --- When I [interviewed](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/increase-willpower/ "undefined") willpower expert [Roy Baumeister](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143122231/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0143122231&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined") he said that **early morning is also when you’re most disciplined:** --- > “” --- **In** [**studies of geniuses**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/05/genius-work-habits/ "undefined")**, most did their best work early in the day.** (For more on the schedule very successful people follow, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/schedule/ "undefined").) So you need to shape your environment and protect your peak hours. What should you avoid doing? ## **5) The Four Horsemen of the Productivity Apocalypse** Dan’s research found 4 things that were the biggest time wasters: **1) Meetings** We all know how meetings waste time and multiply like rabbits. The solution? [**Schedule your work time on your calendar**](https://medium.com/@monteiro/the-chokehold-of-calendars-f70bb9221b36 "undefined")**. Have a presentation to work on? Block out hours for it.** If people try to put a meeting there, you can say you have a conflict. You do. Your work matters. **A calendar should be a record of anything that needs to get done — not merely of interruptions like meetings and calls.** **2) Email** Most people simply spend too much time in their inboxes to accomplish anything of substance. Here’s how to [stop email from taking over your life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/10/how-can-you-stop-e-mail-from-taking-over-your/ "undefined"). **3) Multitasking** Put aside the distractions and do one thing at a time. Across the board, [multitasking lowers productivity](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/09/stay-focused/ "undefined"). **4) “Structured Procrastination”** What’s structured procrastination? It’s doing little things that give us the_feeling_ of progress instead of [deep work](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") that _really_ makes progress. Here’s Dan: --- > “” --- Avoid these four and you’ll see an [80/20 style](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/ "undefined") jump in your productivity. (For more on work-life balance, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/03/work-life-balance/ "undefined").) So you are making progress. You’re more productive during the day. But we all get tired or bored. What’s the best thing to do then? ## **6) No, You Don’t Need An Email Break** You tell yourself you need an email break, and that you’ll be rejuvenated and work better afterward. Problem is, that’s just not true. **Getting your head into and out of your work takes time. Switching tasks has cognitive costs that reduce efficiency.** Here’s Dan: --- > “” --- **In fact, research shows that frequent email checks can temporarily lower your intelligence** [**more than being stoned**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/how-do-frequent-emails-and-texts-affect-produ/ "undefined")**.** Constant emailing reduces mental ability by an average of about 10 IQ points. For men, it’s about three times the effect of smoking marijuana. Via [Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061771295/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061771295&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- Some of you are already saying: “_But I have to check email!_” Yes, you do. But probably not that often. As [Cal Newport](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") says, “**Shallow work is what stops you from getting fired. Deep work is what gets you promoted.**” And email is shallowest of work. We got men on the moon [without email](http://calnewport.com/blog/2014/10/04/how-we-sent-a-man-to-the-moon-without-e-mail-and-why-it-matters-today/ "undefined"). And email can wait while you get the important things done. (For more on how the most successful people manage their time, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/manage-their-time/ "undefined").) So Dan has a lot of tips for us. How do we pull all of this together and be more efficient? ## Sum Up Here are Dan’s tips: 1. **The world is not designed to help you achieve your long term goals. Passivity is not going to get you where you want to go.** 2. **Control your environment or it will control you. Optimize your workspace for what you need to achieve.** 3. **Write the things you need to do down on your calendar. You’re more likely to do what you write down.** 4. **You have about 2 hours of peak productivity, usually early in the morning. Protect those hours and use them wisely.** 5. **Meetings, email, multitasking and structured procrastination are the biggest time wasters.** 6. **No, you don’t need an email break. Switching tasks reduces effectiveness as your brain transitions. The more you do it, the less effective you are.** You don’t need to account for every minute. You don’t need to agonize over wasted seconds. It’s just about improving. And none of us are infallible. When I asked Dan about work-life balance, what did he say? --- > “” --- So nobody’s perfect. But with Dan’s tips we can all get better at managing our time. **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-be-efficient/ "undefined")**_._** **Join over 127,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") [6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/ "undefined") [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3577076/be-efficient-secrets-to-managing-your-time/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3577076/be-efficient-secrets-to-managing-your-time/"},"headline":"How to Be Efficient: Dan Ariely’s 6 New Secrets to Managing Your Time","datePublished":"2014-11-11T14:11:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:00:59.305Z","description":"It’s hard to be efficient. 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