7 Productivity Tips to Implement Today
7 Productivity Tips to Implement Today
Set Specific Goals
I’ve talked about this so much already in other articles (See How to Set Goals and Achieve Them), but it deems repeating.
If you do not have specific, measurable goals you are working towards, with a plan of action to achieve them, your productivity will suffer because you won’t know where to start.
Take time to sit quietly every day and think what your dream life looks like, write that down, and take it from there.
Otherwise, you’re just wasting time, and time is of the essence when you were born to achieve great things.
I have a great goal-setting checklist that can help you stimulate ideas if you’re stuck here!
Schedule Out Everything…
I’m probably one of few people in existence with an old-school planner that is not digital. It’s just what works for me-I enjoy penciling in my plans and crossing them out when they are done. I also note next to each task how long I am committing to it.
Whether you have a digital or paper planner, the system works the same. I find it’s easier to plan out my day when I know how long I’m devoting to each task, how long I have to get that task done
Resources:
…But Don’t Gauge Your Productivity Based on Time Spent
It’s actually best to underestimate how long a task will take because it will create a sense of urgency to get that “thing” done, whereas giving yourself too much time might enable you to putz around and ultimately, waste precious time.
Be specific with your scheduling.
When I feel overwhelmed with my long to-do list with my blog, jotting down “Blog-4 hours” in my planner isn’t going to cut it.
I would put that down, but then I have a micro-list under that with the specific things I want to accomplish during those 4 hours.
Saying, “I did this thing for 4 hours, then I did this other thing for 2 hours, then I spent 3 hours on such-and-such” doesn’t mean much if you don’t have the results to show for it.
Resources:
- How to Create Your Perfect Daily Routine
- High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become that Way
- 5 Things Successful People Do Before 8AM
Know Your Priorities…
Learning how to be productive comes from figuring out what holds the most priority and do that first.
Then move on to the 2nd priority, etc. Chances are, many days you won’t get to everything you scheduled yourself to do, so tackle the most important tasks first. You can tack on the incomplete, not-as-urgent tasks to another day.
If those remaining tasks become the highest priority the next day, you can then do those things first.
There is an exception to this rule, however…
…But know Your Brain’s Productivity Schedule
Some people are early birds, some are night owls. Some people do their best thinking first thing in the morning, some do their best thinking late at night.
Figure out when your brain is at its most productive, and do those things that require the most of it at that time.
As I mentioned above, there is an exception to the rule with prioritizing.
Let’s say you’re a night owl, and your best thinking happens at 12 am. If your #1 priority on that day is what requires the best of your brain, then by all means, wait until 12 am to do that #1 priority.
Resources:
Create a Routine and Stick with It
I’m a stickler for my routine-without it, I’m completely thrown off my game, and I can’t function.
[Side note: I totally love my routine!]
Tips for creating a routine:
Wake Up and Go to Bed at the Same Time Every Day
When the time you wake up and go to bed is predetermined, you already know how much time you’ll have in the day to get things done. You’ll be able to schedule consistently.
If you get up at random times each morning, and you have items on your to-do list you were supposed to first thing in the morning, you may miss your chance.
Waking up and going to bed at the same time every day is a great way to own your days.
I personally believe in-and keep-a morning routine that is paramount to the success I’ll have in a given day. If I were to sleep through my alarm, my whole day would be thrown off!
Resources:
Plan (Healthy) Meals in Advance
When I was working my job in Corporate America, I used to prepare my lunches over the weekend, for the following work week.
I would always prepare light, nutritious meals that were simple-I’d make peanut butter and jelly, salads, and have soup on hand in my desk drawer-the kind you just add water to in a cup and heat in the microwave.
I’d also keep spare utensils and extra K-cups and condiments in my desk drawer as well, and a bottle of salad dressing in the fridge at the office.
When Monday morning came, I would just grab and go.
There are two reasons for this:
One, when you have food prepared and ready in advance, it saves you the time of having to go out and pick something up, or the time it would take to make a heavier meal.
Two, eating heavy or unhealthy during the day-when most of us need to be our most productive-will inhibit your productivity. There is nothing worse than coming back from lunch hour with brain fog because you ate a junky meal!
As a bonus, preparing your own food saves money!
Get Your Exercise
Not only is working out or even light exercise great for your body, it’s great for your brain.
Make a plan to develop an exercise routine 4-5 times a week, even if it’s for only 20 minutes a day.
I guess you can say I’m kind of an oddball that, for whatever reason, working out mid-day works best for me. I used to work out at the office gym on my lunch hour and come back feeling recharged, and in my work-from-home life, I do the same.
Find out what time benefits you the most, and schedule your exercise routine then.
Resources:
- How I Made Fitness & Nutrition A Lifestyle
- How I Made Walking 10,000 Steps A Day A Habit
- How to Make Exercise A Habit in 6 Steps
Read Personal Development Books or Listen to Podcasts/Audio Books
Learn how to be productive by engaging in personal development resources.
I talk about the importance of this in the 12 Habits of Successful People. People who are successful (and productive!) are consistently reading books in the personal development niche or listening to personal development podcasts and audio books.
The easiest way to fit this into your day is to listen while you’re driving, or carve out time-even if it’s just 20 minutes-to sit and read.
Resources:
I noticed I was much more productive while currently reading a personal development book because I was thinking about what I read and inspired to apply what I learned to my own life. Ditto for podcasts and audio books.
Designate a “Stopping Point”
…or as I call it, “closing up shop.”
Select a time when you are going to walk away from the computer (or whatever it is you’re doing) and stop for the day.
Spend time with family, pick up a book, watch your favorite Netflix series (or if you’re like me, play video games)-whatever it is you enjoy. Unless you absolutely have to use this designated time to get something urgent done, be consistent about your stopping point every single day.
It is imperative to enjoy down time to recharge and avoid burn out.
Productivity is huge, but when you’re burning the candle at both ends, it’s bound to blow up in your face and will be a major setback in the long run, so don’t go there!
Block Out Distractions
Our society thrives on distractions and multi-tasking, especially with the introduction of smart phones and social media.
Learning how to be productive demands blocking out distractions.
We all know distractions are an inhibitor to our productivity-but is multi-tasking any better?
Multi-tasking = constantly being distracted by the several things you’re working on at once, therefore inhibiting productivity and tacking on extra time to getting each of those things done.
Let’s say you have scheduled two hours to work on a specific project. You know the end result is to finish the project within those two hours. That means…for two hours, you’re going to do nothing else but work on that project.
Resources:
Keep the Momentum Going
When you exhibit self-discipline and implement the above tips, you are going to see big changes happen over time. You’re going to feel so motivated, you won’t want to stop.
So, don’t.
Build off the momentum of those success days, and keep going!
Before You Go
I hope you benefited from these tips for mastering productivity! What are tips that help you own your days? Leave a comment and let me know!
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