Most people would say going out and having fun is the greatest feeling in life. I would argue that feeling productive is the feeling of moving in a direction that aligns with your goals is simply put, unbeatable.
Ever since I started a YouTube channel, I realized that the more useful the information I offered, the better the video would perform. From this simple analysis of offering useful information, I realized that the human brain is designed to crave accomplishment and worth. People want time hack, insider tips, and really any advice that can potentially improve their life.
These will help you in both the workplace and in your personal life. Do you have a report due for your boss in one week? Or do you want to gain a following on YouTube? Whatever it may be, these 10 ways can boost your productivity and complete more of your tasks in a far superior manner.
1. Write down your goals
I have never really been a fan of writing, nor have I been a believer in the power of writing your goals down. Something about scribing your own unique writing style makes it more personal. It’s a physical reminder you can’t simply dismiss!
2. Call yourself out on your inefficiencies
It is not easy to hold yourself accountable for our productivity on our tasks, however, once you do, then everything gets a whole lot easier. There’s no one to blame. When you feel in control of your life (which you are), nothing is better.
3. Utilize a calendar
Google Calendar is my go-to smartphone calendar I use to get my schedule in order. Physical calendars are good as well, but you’ll need to take it everywhere with you which could be tedious whereas having it on your phone is much more convenient. It’s quite simple to get started. You have a blank calendar sitting in front of you and need to start plugging in plans on certain dates. Before you know it, you’ll fill it up with all the immediate plans you notice and will have blank spaces. Once you find the time frames that are blank, you have the power to fill them in. Maybe instead of prioritizing Fortnite or seamless Facebook scrolling, you could finish that book or painting you started but never “have the time” to finish. Soon enough, you’ll double or even triple your productivity.
4. Learn how to say “no”
Saying “no” to activities you know will hinder your productivity time will be tough at first. If you currently go out every saturday night, maybe try taking a “pass” for one weekend and instead focus on yourself. This isn’t to say not to have fun, but to be tactical with your time.
5. Set deadlines/due dates
It’s easy to feel productive if you’re always working on a project. But if you’ve been “working” on let’s say reading a book for the past eight months, when it really should’ve only taken you one, we have a problem. Don’t be “fake busy” just to seem like you’re productive. Deadlines will be beneficial to keeping you on track.
6. Know what you want most
This is crucial to boosting productivity because if you spend more time on what really matters most to you, the odds of you going all in on it are exponentially higher. You’ll also have a much greater sense of fulfillment. Gary Vaynerchuk says “Your legacy is being written by yourself. Make the right decisions”.
7. Take breaks
If you don’t take any breaks, you will burn out! My personal idea of a break is 30 mins work/5 mins break or 1hr work/10 mins break. Sometimes we can go beast mode and work for four hours and not even realize it because it’s something we love doing. See # 6. This is one of the biggest productivity killers and will definitely stunt the leaps you’ve taken. It would be a decent idea to work on a task as long as you can and intentionally burnout just to know your breaking point and then strategize from there. Other than this test run, avoid burnouts.
8. Exercise
As cheesy as it may sound, if we take care of our bodies, they will take care of us. One technique can be exercising in chunks every day. “Just do it”. Cardio is my daily dose of love that I give to my body which has benefits such as clearing my mind and allowing me to be more confident about my body.
9. Be honest with yourself
Are you doing the tasks you do because you want to or because you have to? Do you want to be productive to prove something to someone else or is it for yourself? These are questions that are important in order to know your why. Being realistic about doubling down on your strengths and being self-aware about your weaknesses will take you down a magical path.
10. Track your progress
Life always changes on us and we cannot count on things to be consistent forever. Humans have to adapt. Many of us have significant others, families to care for, and bills to pay. The list goes on and on for excuses to arise. This is why tracking progress is a good way of evaluating the areas you allocate your time. If you’re off track, stop and take the time needed to strategize, reprioritized, and attack it again!
No matter what it is you want to accomplish in life, the major point is to be accountable for your actions. Some circumstances are harder to overcome the others, but if you really want it, you will make it happen. Every little thing you do matters and you are more in control of your life than you may think.
Go out there and do great things! I’m very excited to see what you can do with these tips and tricks!
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Previously published on “Change Becomes You”, a Medium publication.
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Photo credit: istockphoto.com