Two new productivity experiments for February: Drinking only water, and working 90-hour weeks

by | Jan 31, 2014 | Productivity Experiments

Takeaway: In February I’m tackling two new productivity experiments: Drinking only water for the entire month, and working 90-hour weeks.

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As I write this I’m in the process of capturing all of my thoughts from my productivity experiment to work on Spanish time for a few weeks. I should have something up on Tuesday, but in the meantime I’m also getting ready for the productivity experiments I’ll be tackling in February!

Here are two huge experiments I’ll be taking on for the month:

1. Drinking only water for the entire month

I love tea, coffee, and even the occasional gin and tonic, so this experiment might be the most difficult one I’ve tackled for AYOP so far.

Every single day in February I will only drink water, no exceptions. I’m dreading this experiment, because I rely on caffeine for energy, and non-water drinks (like tea) for enjoyment. That said, I’m excited to see what results the experiment has on my focus, attention, energy levels, and more.

But yeah, I’m bracing for impact on this one.

2. Working 90-hour weeks

I want to dive deep into the effect your working hours have on your productivity, so in February I’ll be alternating between working insane hours one week (90 hours), and then working reduced hours the next week (20 hours). I typically invest about 50 hours every week into AYOP, so I’m excited to see how exceedingly long and exceedingly short hours affect my productivity.

Here’s my schedule for February:

  • Feb 2-8: Work 90 hours
  • Feb 9-15: Work 20 hours
  • Feb 16-22: Work 90 hours
  • Feb 23-March 1: Work 20 hours

I’m nervous-excited about jumping into both of these experiments, but you bet I’ll share everything I learn along the way with you.

By alternating between working insane and non-insane weekly hours, I should be able to isolate and properly measure the effects of both experiments.

Written by Chris Bailey

Chris Bailey has written hundreds of articles on the subject of productivity and is the author of three books: How to Calm Your Mind, Hyperfocus, and The Productivity Project. His books have been published in more than 40 languages. Chris writes about productivity on this site and speaks to organizations around the globe on how they can become more productive without hating the process.

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