Why ‘Monk Mode’ is the Ultimate Productivity Hack
With the advancement of technology, we can no longer avoid browsing stuff online or engaging in time-wasting chats. Even with time management tools, we still feel pressed for time. Furthermore, while distractions provide a welcome break from our hectic life, they undermine our capacity to concentrate. You must devote your efforts and time to vital tasks and abandoned ambitions at some point. But how exactly?
Monk mode, which went hot on TikTok this year, has been a long-standing fad amongst entrepreneurs and self-help gurus. According to Google Trends statistics, searches for monk mode have surged regularly since 2004, and they are on the rise again this year.
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The popularity of the phrase “monk mode” on social media could correlate with the publication of Jay Shetty’s book “Think Like A Monk” in 2020. Shetty, a prominent podcaster and author with 12.6 million Instagram followers, writes about his time as a monk and how it helped him train his mind to focus on the book.
What Is Monk Mode?
Monk mode is a period of increased focus, perseverance, and productivity during which you commit to finishing a task. In monk mode, you take on the solitude and self-discipline habits of monks. Being in a monastic state has become famous for self-improvement in modern times. It is defined as an endeavor to cope with depriving ourselves of all events and activities by achieving emotional control while pursuing our growth goals.
What Can Be Achieved In Monk Mode?
If you want to complete or come closer to a specific goal, learning monk-mode tactics will help you obtain a better knowledge of how to get there. The practice of monk mode is designed to help you become a better version of yourself by assisting you in gaining clarity of thought.
Monk mode’s core structure is based on three I’s:
Introspection: Introspection sharpens your attention. It entails looking inward to explore your feelings and thoughts. As a result, you learn more about yourself and your personality. It forces you to recognize and accept your flaws.
Isolation: Giving oneself some space and freedom to recognize your flaws, ambitions, and goals is what isolation entails. It is isolating oneself from other responsibilities.
Improvement: Improvement is the creation of a plan of action to address what needs to be done.
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Going into monk mode at work means removing yourself from short-term activity to gain long-term growth. The reason for this is that these brief tasks occupy a significant amount of your time while providing little to no gain in your market value or, in other words, diminish your productivity. Monk mode at work increases productivity by:
- Reducing your social time;
- Avoiding wasteful activities; and
- Keeping you from continuously browsing social media prevents you from lazily sitting.
How To Create A Monk Mode Plan?
Monk mode is comparable to fasting in which it can be practiced for a short period (30 days or fewer) or an extended period. You may discover that as time passes, you get more adept at prolonging the timeframe for which you practice monk mode. Yet, longer periods can produce superior results. Generally, you should practice this for at least 1-3 months. A monk mode strategy is determined by the exact goal you want to achieve and the time you believe it will take you to accomplish it.
Generally, you should practice this for at least 1-3 months. A monk mode strategy is determined by the exact goal you want to achieve and the time you believe it will take you to accomplish it. When developing this plan, two aspects must be considered: time and intensity.
Hourly: setting aside time each day for in-depth work.
Weekly: pick a day of the week or a weekend to isolate and go into monk mode.
Seasonal: going into monk mode for a few months and then returning to normal for the rest of the year.
Intensity is how far you want to push yourself. For example, cutting off all forms of socialization is an example of high intensity, but cutting off minor activities such as partying is an example of low intensity.
Pick A Goal
You must choose a high-ticket productivity goal that can only be reached by eliminating certain components of your lifestyle. This could be producing a book, submitting 300 job applications, meeting a sales goal, launching a new business, or gaining more clients. Try not to multitask or accomplish too many things at once; instead, concentrate on a single goal. Keep it basic to avoid being overwhelmed.
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Track Your Progress
A large calendar is ideal for this. For each day that passes, make an X on the calendar. The physical markings aid to demonstrate to your mind and body that what you’re doing is effective. Write down what you did that day, such as how many applications you submitted, how many blog entries you wrote, and so on. This allows you to concentrate and maintain your focus for a longer period.
Keep Yourself Disciplined
Monk mode is difficult to master. Every day, you must choose to control yourself so that you do not waver. Certain habits are difficult to break, but to make progress, you must commit to the task at hand. Typical habits to abandon to acquire monk-like zen are:
Gaming and social media, wasted enjoyment (cable television/movies), socializing and partying, bad dietary habits, and personal relationships that are new or unhealthy.
Conclusion
The entire ‘monk mode’ concept works because it requires you to work. It increases your productivity, which you can then apply to everything you wish to improve. It is a recommended approach if you want to make a significant change in an area or develop a work strategy. But once it’s finished, take some time to relax and recover. Celebrate your victory by going out and having some fun!
