While mastering productivity will never be a piece of cake, there are plenty of tricks that really help. Paying attention to what you eat, sleeping 8 hours a night and exercising regularly are the basics. Healthy body, healthy mind. But let’s take a look at 5 easy things that we can change when it comes to our work habits and increase that productivity straight away!
Start with that thing you don’t like 🤓
One may argue, “why would I ruin my day first thing in the morning”? But the truth is, you have full focus and energy when you start the day (no, that doesn’t mean wake up at 5). By crossing the thing you dread most of your list first thing in the morning, you’ll get an excellent feeling of achievement. You also know that from that moment on, things can only get better. It’s an effective way of making sure that you won’t postpone your project for another day...because let’s be honest, we’ve all been there.
Shortcuts are your friends ⏰
We bet this isn’t the first time you hear work smart, not hard. While there’s no shame in working hard, working smart will definitely help you save time and getting things done quicker. An essential step in working hard is knowing efficient shortcuts. As long as your end result is the same, don’t shy away from little cheats and tricks that can get you there in no time.
Let’s say you’re a writer and tend to spend a lot of time creating content, and just as much editing it. There’s a belief that the longer you work on a piece, the better or more successful it will be. However, that’s not always the case - and using a 30-minute interval for free writing + 20 minutes for editing will lead you to great productivity levels, and maybe the best piece of content ever. Of course, this doesn’t apply in all cases but look around your own tasks and you’ll surely find one that can use a shortcut.
Small steps over huge achievements 👟
Having a big project to tackle may sound super exciting, but also highly overwhelming. When there are 1000 things to be done, you have no idea where to start, nor does it look like you’ll ever finish! A common thing that highly productive people do is always break big projects down into small, achievable milestones.
Don’t think about having to put together a detailed annual report by the end of this month. Instead, you have 3 days to figure out January - and you take it from there. One step at a time always wins the race, and also doesn’t mess with your anxiety levels.
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Multi-tasking is a myth ❗
Okay, not exactly a myth. You can multitask (yes, both men and women). But that doesn’t mean that you should, not when you’re looking to boost productivity.
The idea that taking care of 10 things at the same time will be quicker is plain wrong. You may think or feel like you’re covering multiple topics so nothing gets left behind. However, nothing gets properly done either. You’re probably going to look back at half of the things you “fixed” today because your mind slipped on to another topic or you got distracted. The result? Wasted time, slower rhythm, and probably a good amount of frustration.
Focus on 1 thing at a time. If by the end of your workday you got 9 out 10 things done well, you’re in a much better place than getting 10 things done okay-ish.
Get bored smartly 🧘
This one may sound weird - how is getting bored productive in any way? It isn’t, but it’s definitely not avoidable. Some work just takes a lot of time, a lot of attention, and isn’t always your favorite thing to do. Chances are, at some point you simply get bored, can’t focus, and need a break. It’s only human and you should listen to that instinct.
How you take that break is a really important habit that can influence your productivity. Taking a quick look at social media is highly probable to turn into a longer break than you intended or needed. You plan to read a post or 2, but then you open the comments section, then you have something to say, then Karen answers back...you know how it goes.
Give your mind and body a rest when you’re bored or need to get away from work. Go for a short walk, a quick workout or get comfortable with doing nothing. You’ll feel much more recharged after this, and your mind will actually be clear.
There you go, 5 habits that highly productive people follow for success 🌈
The word productivity itself can be scary and sounds like a lot of work and discipline, but with one step (or habit) at a time, you’ll surely get there! Meanwhile, make sure you don’t lose any time on tasks that could be done with a tap or in a second - like banking.
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