In this blog post, we’ll go over some of the most effective ways to improve your productivity and get more done in less time. You could use them at work, at home or at school – basically anywhere!
Are you feeling like you’re not getting as much done as you should? We’ve all been there. I used to think it was because life was so demanding and time-consuming, but then I realized that I just wasn’t taking advantage of some simple productivity techniques.
There are so many chances for us to optimize our days that I couldn’t possibly list them all in this post, so I’ll start with my favourite 8.
These are the tips that have helped me make the most of my time and get more done. You’ll notice that none of the tips involves making drastic changes to your life, but instead, they encourage small changes that can make a big difference.
8 productivity tips to turn your life around:
- Make todo lists
- Separate work and relaxation spaces
- Be wary of burnout
- Tidy up and declutter
- Forgive yourself if things go wrong
- Get specific in your goals and make them visible
- Surround yourself with like-minded people
- Remember that sleep is the most important break
Make todo lists
Having a todo list is one of the best ways to keep your life organized and productive.
You can write your todos on paper or on a computer, and they can be short or long. It doesn’t matter what form you use as long as it works for you!
A todo list not only keeps you focused on what you want to get done in a day, but they also help you deal with overwhelm as you can prioritize and plan your day out.
A lot of people find that having a shared todo list with their partner or coworkers helps them stay accountable. This way, both parties have access to each other’s responsibilities instead of just relying upon memory alone.
For a detailed look into using todo lists productively, read this post: The Ultimate Daily Todo List Strategy for Productivity
Separate work and relaxation spaces
If you want to be more productive, it helps to have multiple working environments. This is particularly important if you work from home for your 9 to 5.
The first area should be your office or home office. This is where all of your work documents and files will be stored, so it makes sense that this would be the place where most of your productive time is spent.
The second area is … everywhere else! This second area is for relaxation or play – not for working!
Working from home can quickly become stressful if the kids are always running around the house and interrupting with their demands for food or attention. Having an area in which no one else has access but yourself can really help reduce stress levels during busy times when family members are constantly trying to get in touch with you.
Ensuring you have at least some level of separation will help boost your productivity levels. I cover this tip in greater detail in this post: 5 Quick Productivity Tips for Working From Home.
Be wary of burnout
You work hard. You work long. You are getting so much done and smashing your goals and then … nothing. You hit a wall and just can’t do any more. This is likely caused by burnout.
Being aware of burnout is the first step in preventing it. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, it may be time to take a break.
It’s important to recognize that your mind can get as tired as your body. You can’t perform well in any aspect of your life if you’re mentally exhausted. So if your brain feels like mush, take some time off from whatever makes you feel that way and do something else entirely.
I am familiar with burnout myself, and I would hate to see anyone else suffer from it. If you think you may be approaching burnout, please read the following posts:
My Top 7 Tips for Avoiding Burnout and Stress
The Danger of The Hustle – Burnout is Real
Tidy up and declutter
If you are feeling unproductive then it’s the little things that can make a big difference. This tip definitely falls into this category.
Tidy up. This is a no-brainer, but it’s important to keep your workspace tidy and organized so you’ll be more productive.
The benefits of keeping a tidy workplace are obvious, but if you continue that habit into the rest of your life, you will find yourself less hassled and annoyed and will spend less time looking for things.
On top of tidying, give decluttering a try to boost productivity. The less you have, the clearer your mind will be. This goes for the digital world as well – a clear inbox and desktop make for a focussed mind.
Allow your mind to breathe and your productivity will grow.
Need a little help decluttering? I’ve got you covered in the below posts:
How to Declutter – 10 Helpful Tips
Forgive yourself if things go wrong
Not much will stop you in your tracks more than dwelling on your mistakes.
It’s not just a waste of energy – it’s also a distraction from what you need to be doing right now.
You can’t grow and work productively if you are constantly thinking about the mistakes you made, or the mistakes that you may make in the future.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t acknowledge our mistakes. Acknowledging our mistakes is how we learn from them and grow. But we must ensure that we learn and then move on.
Once we learn how to forgive ourselves we can let go of negative feelings so that they don’t prevent us from living our best and most productive life today.
Read more about this here: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Get specific in your goals and make them visible
The more specific your goals, the easier it will be to achieve them.
So, instead of saying “I want to spend less time on my phone” or “I want to read more books”, you could aim for something like “I will spend 25 minutes a day reading and turn off my phone during that time.”
Being specific with your goals leaves no room for interpretation and cuts down on wasted time.
After you have made your goal specific, it’s time to make it visible. Write it on a whiteboard, stick it on the fridge, or even make it your laptop wallpaper. Having your goals visible and in your face will increase your chances of sticking to them.
Surround yourself with like-minded people
If you’re looking to turn your life around, it’s important to find people who share your vision.
Look for others who are on a similar path as you and want to improve their lives in the same ways. You don’t have to hang out with them all the time (though this can be helpful), but just knowing that other people are working toward their goals and living their dreams will help motivate you when you’re tempted to quit.
Find like-minded individuals who have similar values and attitudes so that you can be positive influences on each other’s lives.
If you were to be surrounded by people who don’t share your vision, beliefs, and attitudes then you will be constantly fighting an uphill battle to keep on top of your own motivation and well-being.
And this counts for social media too, not just real life. Defriend or block the downers, look after yourself and push towards your goals.
Remember that sleep is the most important break
Sleep is one of the most important, and often overlooked, parts of our life.
We all know that we should take breaks during work, and most of us will probably know that sleep is extremely important. But it is always a good idea to remind ourselves and ensure that we are getting enough sleep.
Sleep is when our bodies restore themselves, when we subconsciously process what we’ve learned and experienced in a day, and when we recharge our batteries.
Consider this quote taken from sleepfoundation.org – “Some studies have shown sleep deprivation leaves people vulnerable to attention lapses, reduced cognition, delayed reactions, and mood shifts.” If that doesn’t scream anti-productivity then I don’t know what does!
If you don’t sleep enough at night, your productivity will be drastically reduced the next day. If you’re in a bad mood because of a lack of sleep (as most people are), then it will affect every aspect of your daily life: relationships with friends or family members, work performance, etc. You need to make sure that you get enough rest each night so that all these other areas can improve.
Conclusion
I hope that you’ve found these tips helpful. Give them a try and please feel free to let me know how you get on.
Remember, if you don’t see immediate results, don’t lose hope. Stick with these tips and you’ll see your productivity increasing. These 8 tips are easy enough to implement, but they do require you to keep with them to realise their benefits.
Lastly, remember that being productive doesn’t mean being busy all the time; take time out for yourself every day.
Thanks for reading
Iain McClafferty – The Five Year Mortgage
