The Ultimate Productivity Cheat Sheet

Introducing the Ultimate Productivity Cheat Sheet.

Have you ever had a day when you told yourself you were going to do a whole list of things, and then midnight closed in and you realized you hadn’t checked off a single item on your to-do list? 

Many people begin each day with the intention of being productive, but with the massive amount of distractions in today’s world, sometimes it can be hard to stay focused.

Why is it that some people are more productive than others?

Is there a fundamental difference between the productive and the unproductive?

No. The difference is that productive people have figured out a series of techniques that allow them to be productive every day.

While some of these techniques require a bit of discipline and schedule-changing, there is no reason you can’t incorporate these techniques into your own life and become the productive powerhouse you were always meant to be.

Looking for new ways to increase your productivity?

Start by implementing some of the productivity techniques found in this Ultimate Productivity Cheat Sheet below and you’ll be well on your way to becoming the productive powerhouse you were always meant to be.

Table of Contents

1. Wake Up Early
2. Create Achievable To-Do Lists
3. Understand When You’re Most Productive
4. Dedicate Time to Your Mind and Body
5. Reflect On Your Progress 
6. Don’t Overdo It

Wake Up Early

There is no one guide to productivity that you can read and become productive overnight. 

Becoming a productive person requires focus and effort, and a part of this is sacrificing some of the hours that you spend lying in bed after you’ve gotten your 8 hours of sleep.

Going to bed on time, and having the discipline to wake up early is the best way to significantly improve your productivity in the short-term.

If you’re wasting half of your day in bed, that is half of your day you could be spending working towards your goals.

Once you develop a routine of waking up early, it becomes less and less difficult, and you will thank yourself for every morning when you choose to get up and be productive rather than lie in bed. 

Create Achievable To-Do Lists

Scheduling out your day with to-do lists is one of the best productivity techniques that you can practice.

It helps you keep yourself accountable and helps you avoid those moments when you don’t know what to do with your time.

While you may have the intention of being productive, the execution of that intention often relies upon a clear and concise plan that maps out each task that you want to accomplish in a day. 

While writing to-do lists is the first step in moving towards a more productive lifestyle, if you set goals that are entirely too large to visualize in the matter of a day or a week, it may actually end up hurting your productivity.

When writing your to-do list, it is important to keep in mind the concept of working in short sprints.

If you set a goal on your to-do list that will inevitably take you several days, it may actually discourage you from putting forth your best effort.

Set achievable goals for yourself, and give yourself a pat on the back each time you complete one.

This will keep your personal morale high and give you the positive reinforcement to keep going. 

Understand When You’re Most Productive

Everyone has a different time of the day when they’re most productive, and understanding when that is can be extremely beneficial for boosting productivity.

If you know you’re not at your most productive early in the morning or late at night, then schedule your easiest tasks for these times.

If you find that you are most productive around midday, then schedule the most difficult task around this time.

If you fail to pay attention to your patterns of attentiveness, you may end up working on tasks that are too difficult to focus on, and then leaving them incomplete.

Pay attention to when your brain is working in high-gear, and when it is not. 

Dedicate Time to Your Mind and Body

Dedicate a portion of your  day to give yourself a mental break and you will notice that you feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle whatever task is put in front of you when you return to your work.

Exercising is a great way to clear the mind and get your blood flowing through your brain.

Studies have shown that exercise is a fantastic way to stimulate brain function, and you may find that your work becomes a lot easier after a couple minutes on the treadmill.

Whatever it is that eases your mind, devote some time in your day to simply let your mind go free and gear up for its next activity.

Reflect On Your Progress

Reward yourself for your hard work and be sure to take a few minutes out of your day to reflect on how productive you’ve been.

Give yourself praise for improving your productivity, but also think about the ways that you could be even more productive.

At the end of the day, becoming more productive is a personal journey for everyone, and you are the only one who can figure out the right system for you to increase your productivity.

Be proud of yourself for improving your productivity, but remember that your work is not done just yet.

Reflect on the tasks you’ve completed each day and ask yourself the following questions.

• Could you have done them in a more time-efficient way?
• Were they of the highest priority in terms of your ultimate goal?

Don’t Overdo It

Do not try to take on too many tasks at one time. Divide your goals into steps that are easily achievable and avoid stretching your mind between several different tasks at once.

Productive people set a short-term goal, achieve it, and then move on to the next one.

Having a long list of daunting tasks to achieve at the start of the day is likely to lead to procrastination and lack of productivity.

Make it easy on yourself: set short-term goals that are easily achievable and that you can feel good about once they are achieved.

If you are one of those people who keep 30 different tabs open on your internet browser, keep open only the ones that are necessary for your current task.

Open tabs, buzzing cell phones, and blaring TVs are only distracting you from the task at hand.

Do you have any productivity tips or techniques that you use on a daily basis that you’d like to share? If so, leave a comment below.

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