Five Ways to Keep Yourself Productive All the Time December 9, 2015Featured, My LifeOff

Productive habits produce productive results. It’s so much easier to form time-wasting habits than it is to consistently get things done in the most effective way possible. However, productivity does not have to be as glum as it sounds. Things like starting unpleasant tasks early, productivity apps, and not over-committing to unnecessary tasks can make any business owner, employee, or manager’s day run much more smoothly.

Make it fun.

Believe it or not, there are actually apps that can be downloaded right onto your smartphone that will make being productive a game. All you have to do is input all the unattractive activities that you need to get completed each week and mark them off as you go. As you get things accomplished you will gain points or “experience” that can be spent on your in app character. Even though this may seem a little silly, a little bit of gaming has actually been proven to boost mood, critical thinking skills, and overall brain performance.

Don’t over-commit to anything.

This article from Quickbooks about freelancer burnout hits the nail on the head, ask yourself some serious questions before nailing down too many arrangements. Do I have time? Do I feel qualified to this job? Do I actually want to do this job? A huge productivity killer is to overbook yourself. This is a quick way to kill all inspiration that you had going into the project and might leave little no none leftover for other important tasks or even free time.

Fill your downtime with productive things.

I don’t mean to say that whenever you have a free second you should be doing something productive. Rather, when you could be looking up something potentially unproductive, like celebrity gossip, instead try checking out some other sites that might be a bit more uplifting. They might even spark an idea to get your creative juices flowing. Distracting noise reducers, web browsing timers, and positive quotations are all great tools to keep you going.

Commit to the hardest tasks earlier in the day.

When do you feel most productive? The answer for most of us is in the morning. Well, maybe not until you’ve had a cup of coffee or two, but you get the idea. It may not sound like fun, but getting the most difficult tasks done earlier in the day will make them go by quickly, get them done much more effectively, and will leave the more enticing tasks for the end of your day.

Work with your schedule, not against it.

If you have the liberty of making your own schedule consider working when you know that you are most effective. If nighttime or weekends actually best work for you then there is no reason you should be sticking to a traditional schedule of Monday through Friday 9AM – 5PM. (make sure this works with your employer, employees, and/or clients first of course). This can also be applied to your free time. If you know you won’t be getting up at 7AM to go grocery shopping on a Saturday, don’t schedule that as the only time you can do it unless you absolutely have to.

The above are just a few ways to make sure time is working on your side. Shaking things up at work or home can be slightly daunting, but you may actually find that thinking about tasks in a fun new way or reworking your schedule might just give you the extra productivity boost you’ve been looking for.

By Trisha Miller

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