How many times have you wished there were more hours in the day because a crucial job or task needed to be completed?
We often talk about working smarter instead of harder to be more productive, but what, exactly, does that mean?
If you find that your to-do list keeps growing and you’re falling further behind, these tips can help you get more done without working longer hours.
The Miracle Morning
by Hal Elrod
⏱ 14 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Proven Ideas That Help You Become More Productive
Instead of getting more things done, the first step of being more productive is to focus on the right tasks. That means you need to organize your priorities while avoiding distractions.
The following principles can help you reach for the success you want without burning out in the process.
Plan every effort you make.
It might be tempting to keep your business plan in your head. During the early days of a startup or freelancing opportunity, it feels like a time and money saver to focus on progress from your perspective.
If everything is in your head, how can anyone help you?
Business plans aren’t just for investors! Even if you work solo, this organizational effort helps you get your thoughts straight while helping you clearly communicate ideas to others.
The fastest way to start getting more done is to delegate. Unless you can communicate expectations through a cohesive plan, you’ll either have to do it all yourself or receive outcomes below your expectations.
Work to your strengths.
Instead of trying to fix every weakness right away, look for people who have already mastered the skills you are missing.
You can get more done every day when your schedule focuses on your strengths.
That doesn’t mean you should ignore your weaknesses. It is vital to schedule time each week to learn new skills and discover new ideas.
Recognizing when it is time to work and learn new skills with a mentor can help you get more done.
Do what you love.
When you work to earn a paycheck, it feels good to provide for your family. Most people in this position also report low levels of job satisfaction.
If you don’t love what you do, every moment you’re working makes you think of something better you could be doing.
When you love what you do, it doesn’t even feel like work most days!
What is important to you right now? What are you passionate about? It helps to think about what you want to accomplish personally and professionally to determine your career direction.
Once you’ve identified your priorities, select one to be your primary focal point. You’ll discover that it won’t even seem like work when you take these steps.
Build a support network.
Everyone might say that you’re a jack-of-all-trades, but no one can be an expert in every conceivable subject.
Even if you prefer to work alone, you need a support network. Networking allows you to harness the strengths of others to develop a higher quality outcome for what you do.
The only problem is that you must have authentic relationships with others for this effort to be successful.
Superficial relationships have a “what’s in it for me?” attitude. When you genuinely care for the people with whom you work, their issues become your problems.
Although it is more work, by networking, you’ll create a community that can help you accomplish more by making use of everyone’s diverse experiences and skills. Work to find people from all levels that have already reached their definition of success, so you can learn from their perspectives.
Stop multitasking.
It might seem like you’re getting more work done by tackling multiple projects at once, but the opposite is what typically happens.
Although some individuals can handle the juggling act, most people lose time when switching between tasks.
The productivity loss for each change can be as high as 15 minutes. That means you could lose an hour’s worth of productivity by switching between four different projects!
Now imagine that you’ve had to swap between those four projects three times during the day. That means you could lose up to three hours of total productivity.
What could you accomplish with that lost time?
If you want to get more done, you need to remove distractions from your working area. That also means the boundaries you set must help you resist procrastination. More complicated tasks can get broken into smaller chunks, so that you can work toward milestones instead of feeling overwhelmed and giving up.
It’s always easier to stay productive when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Leave yourself some breadcrumbs.
Have you ever worked on something and found that some research was needed to complete the task? When you came back to the project, had you lost track of where you were?
This issue is common, and it leads to a lot of wasted time. That’s why learning how to leave breadcrumbs can help you be more productive.
Instead of struggling to remember your initial train of thought, you can see the new starting point and immediately get back on track.
Are You Ready to Get Some Work Done Today?
Instead of reaching for caffeine to force yourself to work longer, the best way to get more done is to start with a full tank.
If all you do is work, you’ll eventually wear down. Everyone needs rest to recharge their batteries.
Have you ever noticed that it is much easier to stay productive after a long vacation or an exciting weekend? That happens because you come back to a project rejuvenated and with a full tank.
Even if you can’t get away from everything right now, you can unplug for one day a week. Avoid checking social media, email, or working. When you come back, you’ll be ready to get more done without working longer hours.
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