PRODUCTIVITY LESSONS
Six productivity hacks inspired by video editing
Break it down, get the job done.
I’m spending a lot of time editing videos at the moment for an online course.
I have about 50 videos, ranging from 5 to 15 minutes in length. This equates to about two months of editing. Proooawww. That’s loads.
Each time I load up a video, part of me buckles at the task ahead.
First pass… trim the botched lines.
Second pass… trim the fat.
Third pass… remove the ‘blue’ screen and add text, diagrams and animations.
It can be daunting.
My breakthrough
It occurred to me one day, that once you hit a rhythm, the process becomes a lot easier. And the truth of it is, this rhythm and system can be applied to other areas in work to help you become more productive.
#1 Prepare
The videos have many common elements, such as the backgrounds, colour treatments and sounds. If you arrange these in a template file it makes everything that follows much easier.
Work tip:
Get the tools you need and prepare your workspace. That might be finding the right space to do work, ensuring that you have done your homework or simply turning off Slack.
#2 Start
The hardest step is the first one. Once you’re rolling, the job becomes much easier. Procrastination is the enemy of progress.
Work lesson: Start 😉
Starting can be hard. And oftentimes the later in the day it gets, the more likely you are to put it off to the next day. That’s why I keep it ‘zen before ten’ and try and bash out some quality work first thing, no emails, no distractions.
#3 Break it down
If you’re in the mindset of “Dang, this is two days of slog, and I still have 40 videos to go” the job is going to seem tough. But if you break the clip into chapters, they’re much easier to deal with. (In Premiere, wielding a one minute sequence is also logistically a bit easier too.)
Some science:
I defer to Andrew Huberman who explains in multiple podcasts (this one is best) that rewarding yourself for micro successes en route to a bigger goal creates a favourable brain state whereby your dopamine is crushing your epinephrine. Essentially, dopamine can keep you going for the long haul, whether that’s Hell Week, an ultra marathon, or nailing 50 videos.
Quick anecdote:
If you have ambitions to become a Navy Seal, at some point you will encounter Hell Week, seven days of constant beastings and little sleep. Those who become fixated on the end will struggle, but those taking it a step at a time will much more likely succeed. This is because the idea of one week’s constant beasting is untenable, but running to the next sand dune is manageable.
Work tip:
Congratulate yourself on jobs well done. You could try writing down three achievements before your lunch break or at EOP.
#4 Micro reviews
Loads of stuff can go wrong editing a video… You can move clips by accident, double paste an effect, have a channel turned off and so on… Hence, a quick export now and again is a worthwhile precaution.
Work tip:
Share your work before you go too deep. If I’m writing thought leadership I like to share my outline with a peer before the real work begins.
#5 When the flow stops, stop
Work tip:
Sleep on it and be sure to prime your subconscious. Priming your subconscious is purely to think a little on your problem before bed. What you’re hoping is that your brain will work on it during your sleep. (Place a pen and paper by your bed in case inspiration strikes!)
#6 Sign off with fresh eyes
I watch every video through to spot mistakes. If I’m not present when I do this, I may as well have not bothered. And, to make it worse, if I do bother when I’m not fully concentrated, I’ll have to re-check it sometime in the future — a double use of time.
Work tip:
Proofread on fresh eyes. Although sometimes I like to proof listen on fresh ears! That’s right, you can get Chrome plugins that read your page to you. So rather than read, listen.
That’s a wrap!
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