As Jim Rohn once said: “Either you run the day or the day runs you”. In other words, you can decide to focus on having a productive day or you can simply just let the day pass you by without getting much of anything accomplished.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to get the most value out of your day and it is on you to decide what works best for you when it comes to creating a day that is filled with productivity and accomplishments from start to finish.
Below, you’ll find a list of productivity techniques that will make you feel like you’ve achieved something each and every day.
Table of Contents
- 1. Create A Schedule
- 2. Improve Your Focus and Concentration
- 3. Pomodoro Technique
- 4. Avoid Distractions
- 5. Zen to Done Approach
- 6. Tackle the Hardest Tasks First
- 7. Flowtime Technique
- 8. Mark All Tasks As Complete
- 9. Be Reasonable and Realistic With Your Schedule
- 10. Be Aware Of Your Most Productive Hours
1. Create A Schedule
Start by creating a calendar for yourself, whether it’s a physical calendar or a Google Calendar and begin to jot down ideas, notes, tasks and other important things that you want to accomplish.
Following a calendar or a task list of sorts will make you feel more efficient and help you organize your day in a much more productive manner. Many people say that simply writing things down is the first step towards success. Record and follow through.
2. Improve Your Focus and Concentration
Productivity is about getting things done and not just working halfway through it and move on to the next task at hand.
Multitasking is a great skill to have but many times it results in distraction from the priority tasks that we have to work on.
Focus on working on and completing one thing at a time, and this way you will end up feeling more accomplished at the end of the day.
Focus is hands down one of the top productivity hacks that can take your life to the next level so be sure to learn this skill early on if you want to be successful.
3. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is one of the top productivity improvement techniques for many successful people.
This technique consists of completing a specific task or set of tasks within a 25 minute time frame with no breaks. Once finished, you follow this up with a 5 minute break before getting started on your next task(s).
The Pomodoro Technique has been proven over and over to be one of the most effective techniques for staying focused and getting things done. You’ll also be giving your brain the rest it needs between tasks.
After applying the pomodoro technique four times consecutively, you are then allowed to take a longer break (usually 20-30 mins).
Note: There is both a paid version and a free version of the Pomodoro Technique available.
4. Avoid Distractions
When it comes down to getting things done, you’re going to want to eliminate distractions around you.
Yes, this means turning off phone notifications and logging out of social media until you finish the current task.
If you happen to be using a productivity tool such as a Pomodoro Timer, feel free to indulge in your distractions during your down time or decide to put your well deserved break time to better use by staying hydrated and moving your body.
5. Zen to Done Approach
The Zen to Done productivity technique focuses more on the approach you take when working, rather than the task itself.
One of the fundamentals of Zen to Done (ZTD) is to focus on one single habit or task at a time. In order to accomplish this, it will be helpful to make sure that you start with a clean and organized workspace.
The idea here is that whether it’s decluttering your desk or achieving inbox zero, these small, simple tactics will ultimately create a much more productive workspace and work environment.
Learn more about Zen to Done here.
6. Tackle the Hardest Tasks First
Ready for a productivity tip that will completely transform your day? Do yourself a favor and tackle your hardest tasks first thing in the morning.
Why? Well, leaving the most arduous tasks to the end of the day when you’re both mentally and physically drained is likely going to result in the task being half-assed or left incomplete.
Start fresh, start strong and finish your day with ease as you check off all the items on your task list.
7. Flowtime Technique
If the Pomodoro Technique doesn’t work for you, give the Flowtime Technique a shot.
Unlike the Pomodoro Technique mentioned above where you attempt to finish a task within a 25 minute window, the Flowtime Technique is a strategy that you can use to help you complete larger tasks and projects in a more organized manner (without the time limits) by breaking them up into pieces that you complete one by one.
When it comes to larger scale projects, most people often don’t know where to start. Using the Flowtime Technique will allow you to break down your project into manageable pieces and avoid all of the stress and weight that larger projects tend to carry along with them.
8. Mark All Tasks As Complete
As we mentioned earlier in the article, writing down all of your tasks is crucial to increasing your productivity but don’t make the mistake of writing your tasks down without marking them complete at the end of the day or the week.
Simply adding a checkmark or crossing out your tasks (not erasing them) will help give you a better idea of what you’ve accomplished and hopefully provide you with that little virtual pat on the back that we all need from time to time.
Practicing this will not only make you feel proud of your work but also make you feel that much more motivated and confident to complete the rest of your tasks going forward.
9. Be Reasonable and Realistic With Your Schedule
There are always a set number of tasks or goals that we know we can complete in a day but sometimes we get tired and end up leaving things for another day.
The key is to avoid leaving tasks to the next day and instead create a more reasonable and realistic schedule for yourself each day.
Instead of lining up a long list of tasks that you know you’re unlikely to complete, add those extra tasks to another day that way when you finish your day, you’ll feel as if you really did your best and completed all the things that you had scheduled for yourself.
10. Be Aware Of Your Most Productive Hours
Looking to increase your productivity through the roof? Start by identifying the hours that you feel most productive and then base your schedule around those hours.
If you happen to be a morning person and your goal is to have your checklist completed by lunch time, then it’s recommended that you start your day early and dive into your work with a fresh mind. The key here is to try to get everything done within the hours where you feel most productive.
These are just a few of the ways that you can boost your productivity on a daily basis. If you happen to have productivity tips that you would like to share with us please feel free to leave a comment below.
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