In a world with so much to do, it helps to be the most productive as possible. There are a lot of people who have mastered the art of productivity, but for everyone else, there are many tips and tricks available to try out in your own life.
Here are six tips to help boost your productivity:
- Eliminate distractions
One of the major reasons that people struggle with being productive is that they get distracted from the things they want to do or complete. There have always been distractions in life, but now with the cell phone and internet, there are always constant notifications or messages calling you away from your tasks. In order to get things done, identify what is distracting you and then eliminate it. Put your phone away, turn off your television, and stop avoiding your goals.
- Understand your goals
In order to be productive, you must know what you are wanting to accomplish. If you don’t know what you are wanting to achieve, you are going to have a much harder time getting there. Knowing your goals doesn’t just mean understanding the big goal. For example, if you have a goal of cleaning the kitchen, don’t stop there. Break your goal into smaller goals such as cleaning out the fridge, washing the dishes, and mopping the floor. Once you know and understand all your goals, you will have a lot easier time getting them done.
- Make a plan
While this does not work for everyone, making a plan can be super helpful to get things done. If you are working on your schoolwork, deciding to start on your history and then doing your math first is making a plan. At work, deciding to fill out your paperwork and then respond to emails is making a plan. Having steps to follow can make it easier to continue working, even after completing a preliminary task.
- Discover your ideal work environment
Knowing what environment suits you best and making it happen can be super helpful to your productivity. Some people do their best work when their environment is totally quiet. Other people need to be listening to music or have different background noises available. Some people get the most done at night while others are most productive in the morning. Try out a few different environments to get the feel for what works best with you. Everyone is different and it can be hard to achieve your perfect environment but knowing what works for you can be helpful when you are planning to be productive.
- Reward yourself
It can be easy to get burnt out on doing tasks because they feel never-ending and not very rewarding. A good way to fix this is to set rewards for yourself. For example, you can decide that after you accomplish three tasks, you will get a ten-minute break. Or perhaps, after you finish your entire large goal of cleaning the kitchen, you can have a bowl of ice cream. Having a reward waiting for you can help you accomplish your tasks much quicker than without.
- Let others know
When your friends and family or other accountable people know about your goals, it can be easier to get more done. Having people hold you accountable or knowing that others will realize that you weren’t successful can help you to be more productive.
Having an outside support system can be very useful when you are trying to tackle challenges. At the very least, when people know that you are busy, they can make an effort to not bother or distract you, which will also help with productivity.