Are you tired of not achieving as much as you would like to? Are you sick of wanting to complete tasks but always getting side-lined by other distractions? Well, it is time to start taking control!
Optimizing your productivity is one of the most important skills any of us can learn, and doing so can lead to great results in both your home and professional life. Unfortunately, far too many of us just don’t know how to make the most of our time truly. Here are five helpful tips you can put into practice to improve your productivity.
1.Split up a task into manageable bitesize chunks
When faced with a large task, it can seem overwhelming, and when we are overwhelmed, it tends to mean we are less likely to get started and more likely to procrastinate. The secret here is to split up any major task into many small, easily achievable tasks. So for example, if you have to tidy the house, don’t think about how long it will take to do the whole house, simply say to yourself ‘I will just go and tidy the living room,’ then when you have completed that task you can set yourself a new small task such as cleaning the hall. This way of thinking really does work; just try it next time you are daunted by something you really need to get done.
2. Plan the night before
When you have multiple tasks to complete, think about laying out a schedule the night before. On a small pad of paper, just write down the tasks you know you must complete the following day. Importantly, you should always schedule the tasks that you are least looking forward to at the start of your day, this way you will be forced to get them completed first and won’t be putting them off. It also means that throughout the day, you have your favorite tasks to look forward to as a reward for your hard work.
3. Prioritise and minimise
You must put the tasks you need to complete as high priority, do not get caught in the trap of setting out lots of meaningless tasks that are easy to complete but ultimately don’t get you anywhere. Instead, focus each day on a maximum of 3 or 4 things that you really must do, and that will actually go towards helping you achieve your longer-term goals. Don’t get bogged down in the minutiae of day-to-day life when in pursuit of your ultimate hopes and dreams.
4. Use an app
In the social media age and with 24-hour news, constant emails (most of them not in the slightest bit important), and smartphones always at hand, it is remarkably easy to get distracted. Even if these things are not stopping you from completing your goals, they are almost certainly slowing you down and taking your mind away from completing tasks to the absolute best of your ability. Thankfully technical whizzes have realized this and have developed several apps and programs to overcome this problem. These apps and programs can be set up on your phone or computer to stop you from opening social media, certain webpages, or your other smartphone applications for a pre-set length of time. They are wonderful! Give it a Google and see the varieties on offer!
5. Go easy on yourself
You might not think it, but being too hard on yourself actually damages your productivity. If we get annoyed, angry, or upset because we have not completed a task, we will quite often move into a negative mood or even outright depression. The thing about these negative thoughts is that they usually mean that we can no longer work as well as we could typically. We, in effect, get caught in a vicious cycle whereby we are upset we didn’t complete a task, so we then get down and feel even less motivated to complete new tasks. The best way to deal with this is to simply say to yourself – ‘I have not achieved this task, so therefore the best way to counter this is to focus entirely on the next task.’ The more you practice this, the more productive you will become.
So, in short, plan ahead, prioritize essential or difficult tasks first, don’t give yourself too many tasks at once, use technology to help you, and remember to take it easy.
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