by Shawna Stuck 13PH
There are so many tips and tricks to help people become more productive. Yet to some, staying productive is an elusive task.
Here are some simple tips to help start making you become your most productive self:
Make a list and prioritize:
The typical person’s memory is actually quite terrible. This is why so many people find that using lists helps them not forget tasks and thus makes them more productive. For some, using the standard paper and pencil to make lists is sufficient. However, there are many apps out there (e.g. Todoist, Wunderlist, and Habitica) for the more digitally inclined.
The next step to making a list is setting priorities. You cannot feasibly cross everything off your to-do list every day, and some days, you may feel like tackling some projects and not others. Each time you look at your list, try to figure out what’s important or what you feel you’d do the best today and then get to it!
Someone I spoke to suggested that scheduling time on the calendar for tasks, rather than making a list was more effective for her. This forces you to prioritize your tasks immediately and make time for them. It’s definitely worth a try!
Curb your distractions:
Can we all just agree that multi-tasking (that is, focusing on two or more tasks at once) is actually not a thing? Focusing on two demands at the same time means that neither one gets the attention it deserves and you lose time trying to refocus on each project. Focus on one thing at a time and curb out all other distractions as you are able. One popular method to help focus is the Pomodoro technique. There are also options like putting your phone on silent, listening to music by headphones, and using website blockers to block distracting sites (i.e. social media) when you need to focus and cut out social distractions.
Reward yourself appropriately:
No matter how hard a worker you are, nobody is going to be 100% efficient all the time, and that’s ok! Know when you need to take breaks and reward yourself for a job well done, even if you didn’t get to all two thousand items on your to-do list today. Recognize that relaxing and recharging yourself is all a part of improving the productivity of future you!