#1 Put It In Writing
Writing everything down is a great way to ensure it’s always out of your head so there’s less chaos and clutter in your mind. I have a yearly checklist of things that need done, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily. This also makes it super easy when you are filling in your planner (GET A PLANNER!). I never have to worry about when something needs serviced because I know when I get to that time in my planner, the reminder is there. In order to manage your life and your time the best way possible, you must have it all down in writing. Whether it’s writing your daily tasks down for the day when you get in your office, or making a to do list on your phone for the things you need to do as soon as you get home, get it all written down.
#2 Prepare Early
Choose your outfits for the week on Sunday night, make your lunch the night before, fill the coffee pot before you go to bed, and tidy your home each night and work desk each afternoon. The best way to be productive is to cut out the stuff that can easily be taken care of beforehand so it’s one less thing you have to worry about the next day. I never have to search for something around my house or desk, because everything is always back in it’s place before I go to bed the night before.
#3 Avoid Distractions
If you have lots to do around the house, keep the TV off. Turn on some music instead. When you’re at work turn your phone volume down and either get rid of vibration notifications or put your phone in your purse so you can’t keep checking it. If you are shopping, stick to a list for your stores and goods, that way you can’t wander aimlessly getting distracted by stuff you don’t need. If you’re at work and you get interrupted a lot, try a sign on your desk that says DO NOT DISTURB or put headphones in (with no music). It’s a great deterrent and it can actually help muffle chatter in the office.
#4 Do the Worst First
Whatever you dread doing, do it IMMEDIATELY. If you don’t, you’ll continue to dread it and put it off and you’ll begin looking for distractions to help you avoid doing it. I know it’s miserable to scrub the bathroom down, but as soon as it’s done you’ll feel relief and you’ll be extra motivated to keep doing the rest of the things you must get done.
#5 Do the Quick before the Time Consuming
There are times I sit down to write a blog post, but the tiny quick tasks I have to do are bouncing in my head, keeping me from investing my time and concentration in the long time project. So if you have simple quick tasks, like taking the trash out, cleaning up a spill on the counter, or putting a load of laundry in, DO IT and then focus on your time consuming tasks.
#6 Multitask but Not Too Much
Multitasking is great when it comes to things that you can do at the same time with ease. Need to call your relative AND fold the laundry? Do them at the same time. Start the dishwasher as soon as you wake up so you can put the dishes away as soon as you’re done with your other morning routine items. The problem is that if you multitask all the time you may have trouble focusing and paying attention to the task at hand.
#7 Don’t Rush the Endorphins
Checking your phone notifications and emails can give you a rush of endorphins which actually exhausts you by the end of the day. So even if you sit around doing nothing, being super active on social media and email can leave you feeling burnt out afterwards. So again, turn your notifications off and just designate a few times to check them throughout the day. It may seem hard to start doing this at first but I promise you it gets easier.
#8 Enlist Help When Necessary
If you can’t do something yourself or you don’t want to, ask for help. Also, if it’s something you can hire a person to do, figure out if it’s worth the cost and consider delegating it that way. We tend to have this need to do it all ourselves and we need to get away from that. It’s okay if your life is so jam packed for the next three days that you have to order groceries to be delivered. If it helps get stuff done then it’s worth it!
What ways do you improve your productivity on a regular basis?
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