Have you ever noticed how some people seem to accomplish so much in so little time?
Of course, even the most successful people in the world still have the same number of hours in the day as everyone else – it’s simply how they use them that makes all the difference.
Just by changing your approach to time management and productivity, you can get more done in a week than most people do in a month.
To learn how to check out the list of life-changing productivity tips we’ve compiled below.
Take Advantage of the 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule dictates that 20% of the work you do in a day produces 80% of your results. In other words, there is always a task or collection of tasks that are going to have a much bigger impact on what you accomplish in a given day than the other 80% of the things on your to-do list.
By pinpointing this 20% of your most important work and focusing on it heavily until it is finished, you can ensure that you are putting the majority of your time and energy toward the tasks that will have the biggest impact on your overall productivity.
Set Micro-Goals
Setting goals
Setting a goal to complete the project is fine, but it may seem overwhelming. Instead, try setting a goal to complete the first step of the project. For instance, you could set a goal to read through a document.
Once you accomplish the first micro-goal, congratulate yourself and move on to the next one.
Micro-goals are, by nature, easy to achieve, yet they still provide a sense of reward and accomplishment when you reach them. By breaking large tasks down into small micro-goals, you can complete your work one step at a time and feel accomplished every step of the way.
Smarter Faster Better
by Charles Duhigg
⏱ 10 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Avoid Multitasking
Multitasking is most often seen as a positive activity. It shouldn’t be. You might be able to give two different things 50% of your attention and effort, but no one can give two things 100% of their attention and effort.
If you try to multitask, either your productivity, the quality of your work, or both are going to suffer. You’re always going to be better off committing all of your focus on a single task until that task is complete.
Make a To-Do List
Every day, before you dive into work, start by writing down a list of things you want to accomplish that day. Creating such a list is a great way to organize your priorities each day, but in addition to helping keep you organized and on-track, a physical to-do list can serve as a motivating factor as well.
There’s something satisfying about scratching off an item off of your to-do list, and this simple action can serve as a powerful motivating factor that will help keep you at your most productive state.
Take Breaks
Taking breaks to be more productive may sound somewhat counterintuitive, but the truth is that a few short breaks can make you much more productive overall
Every few hours take a few minutes off. Get up and stretch, step outdoors, grab a coffee, or do whatever you need to do to catch your breath and reset your energy. Think of it as a pit stop in a race – you’re not losing time, you’re just refueling so you can continue performing at your best.
Avoid Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts are fuel for procrastination. The more negative thoughts that you have about a task, the easier it becomes to procrastinate.
It’s important, therefore, to recognize when you are entertaining negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. When you have a task to do and start thinking about all of the reasons why you don’t want to do it, push those thoughts aside and switch your focus to the way completing the task will benefit you.
If you can adopt a more positive frame of mind about your work, you won’t be nearly as tempted to procrastinate.
Develop a Beneficial Morning Routine
The early morning hours when you first wake up are the most critical hours of the entire day since they set the tone for how the rest of your day will go. Rather than rolling out of bed and heading straight to work, take advantage of the morning hours to get yourself in a productive mindset.
There are a lot of beneficial ways to spend the early morning. You could do some reading, meditate, exercise, have breakfast with your family, or anything in-between. The point is to start your day off with something that energizes your mind and body.
More often than not, productivity is merely a frame of mind, and the morning is your opportunity to get into that productive mindset. Develop a beneficial morning routine, and you’ll likely find that the rest of the day goes smoother as well.
The 5 Second Rule
by Mel Robbins
⏱ 10 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Break Large Tasks Down into Milestones
Checking tasks off of the list of things you have to do can be very motivating in and of itself, and motivation is a crucial ingredient in the recipe for productivity. When working on a large and time-consuming task, tapping into the motivation that comes with finishing a task isn’t quite as easy.
In these cases, try breaking your large task down into much more manageable milestones. In addition to providing you with motivation-boosting milestones that you can reach along the way, breaking large tasks down in this manner can also help make them seem much more manageable.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Not everyone is in a position to delegate a portion of their tasks to others. If you can take advantage of it, though, delegation is one of the simplest ways to be more productive.
If you have a team of employees working under you, take advantage of what they have to offer by responsibly delegating tasks to them. An important quality of a good leader, after all, is the ability to make the most of other people’s skillsets and delegate tasks in a way that maximizes productivity.
Related: Is Your To-Do List Holding You Back? (7 Reasons Why)
Find Your Peak Hours
Everyone has peak hours where they are at their most motivated and productive state. For some, these peak hours may be the early morning hours when few other people have risen.
Others may find themselves groggy and unmotivated in the morning and may instead do their best work later in the afternoon or night. Whatever your peak hours might be, highlight them and try to get your most important work done in these hours when you are at your best.
Get Some Sunlight
Aside from the view that they provide, there is a good reason why offices with windows are in such high demand; numerous studies have shown that being exposed to natural light is a great way to improve a person’s motivation and productivity.
If you aren’t fortunate enough to work in an office that enables you to let some sunlight into your workspace, try going for a walk when you need a break. However, you go about it, getting a little sun is sure to make you more productive.
Declutter Your Workspace
A cluttered workspace hurts productivity in a couple of significant ways. For one, too much clutter in your workspace can slow you down and force you to spend more time searching for the items you need.
Perhaps more importantly, a cluttered workspace has a psychological effect as well, making it more challenging to motivate yourself to focus on the task at hand. If you are looking for how to be more productive, starting with a clean and organized workspace is an excellent place to begin.
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