10 Ways to Be More Productive This Week
Productivity is something that is never ending, something that we can always improve and get better. And if you're like me, you may often find yourself rushing to hustle throughout the day, but feel like there are still ways you can be even more productive.
So, we can talk about productivity all that we want, but productivity doesn't really work if we are not working to make ourselves more productive.
You have to take the time to actually plan to be productive, you have to make an effort. But if you don't make that effort because you feel like you don't have enough time, you actually end up being less productive. You're investing time to get more time back.
If you don't feel like you're hitting your schedule every single day or your to-do list, and you find that by Friday everything is so backed up, maybe one of these 10 tips will help you…
#1 Be intentional - Plan and have a schedule. This seems like a no-brainer, but I'm not talking about just scheduling your appointments or meetings. Schedule your whole day and make sure to give yourself windows for flexibility, because we all know the unplanned will happen at some point or another.
#2 Separate Personal & Work Life - If you’re working from home, create a space that is only for work. When you work, put your personal phone calls and texts on silent so only the important work stuff comes through. If you can keep a separate line for business, even better.
This is really important because distractions take a lot of time away from your day. Even if something takes just a minute or two, to be completely derailed and then get refocused again, eats up a significant amount of time. What’s more effective is setting aside 15 minutes after your task to deal with personal things, or setting aside an hour or two after the whole day to deal with personal things.
#3 Limit Your Activities - Learn to say no. I know that can be a tough one because life is amazing, however, once you become aware of and limiting what you fill your time with, you will become more productive and effective at meeting your goals.
This approach will naturally create more space in the schedule, rather than having time leak in different areas that are difficult to maintain awareness of.
#4 Eat Your Biggest Frog - Doing the most difficult thing first is the best way to get the weight off your chest. You are easily more productive because once the most difficult task is complete, the rest is easy and the day tends to sail smoother.
#5 Be Realistic - Hard working idealists, like you and me, tend to look at the day in perfect theoreticals and the truth is, that just never happens. There's always something that comes up or takes a little bit longer than anticipated. The best way to address this is to leave buffers between activities so you gain a realistic time perspective on your tasks.
#6 Eliminate the unnecessary - You’re likely aware of this, however, I’d like to challenge you to refine your actions even more. Maybe there are certain discussions that pan out longer than necessary, or thoughts that can be contemplated at another time of day.
If your actions aren’t contributing to your life values, goals, or the scheduled necessities, remove it. It doesn’t mean removing everything. But it begs you to ponder if it really does serve you.
#7 - Get Good Sleep - I know I sound like a broken record, but when you prioritize sleep, you set yourself up for success because you have a clear head, you good energy, and you feel good… and that's going to power you through your day. Everyone knows terrible sleep equals feelings of sluggishness and lack of motivation.
Now I know some of you have the perfect evening routine, but what you really need to be doing is pushing your bedtime up and not thinking so much once you’re in bed. Review your sleep hygiene, keep a notepad and pen near your bedside, and leverage sleep tools to improve the quality of your sleep.
#8 Don’t Skip Breakfast - It's really easy to run out of the door with coffee and a bagel, or go to Starbucks to get something quick and easy, but cheap nutrition only furthers taxation on your system without actually supporting what your body needs to have clarity, sharpness, and focus.
I'm not saying don't drink coffee, but just make sure you get good nutrition at the top of your day as well. Skipping the nutritious food might be convenient and delicious, but that is asking for an inevitable crash and burn. So, save those quick coffee runs for emergencies only.
#9 Have Fun - How does fun contribute to productivity? Most of us need a little fun and entertainment to find balance between grinding all day and having something to look forward to. The problem is that we derail from being productive to give attention to distractions all in the name of “taking a break”.
When we are not fully immersed in present, genuine enjoyment we aren’t going to recharge or gain the hormone benefits we usually do when we’re truly having fun. So it’s better to take intentional pomodoro breaks throughout the day and then schedule deliberate space for ample amounts of fun on a regular basis.
This is more than just a tip, it is key, because without any fun - you will face an inevitable crash and burn.
#10 Get Daily “You Time” - This is the time where you get to ask yourself, everyday, what do YOU need. This is the time to recenter, recharge, and reinvigorate your mind and body… whatever that means to you. Too often, we go-go-go without slowing down to ask: What keeps us going? It’s no wonder it’s all to common for people like you and I to lose steam and motivation.
Get honest about what truly recharges you and makes you feel refreshed, alive, renewed. You can feel it balance your mood and mind. You want to discover what that is and make sure you do that at least 30, if not 60 minutes a day.
It will change your life.
For myself, the second half of this list has been the most powerful in creating the most productivity in my life. You have to think about the way you approach and organize all of the different facets of your to-do’s and how they quantify when you take inventory. Looking at your life and at all the specifics that create the bulk of time inventory, what you do on a daily, weekly basis, is what's going to make the biggest difference.
It does take a little extra time, but it’s sure worth the investment and the productivity output in the long run.