Do you wake up every morning ready to take over the world, yet go to bed every night feeling like you accomplished nothing? Are you a couch potato, telling yourself to do more, yet doing barely anything? Do you have very busy days with little to show for them at the end? You might be in need of a few tips on boosting your productivity.
- Use your mornings: Getting important or creative work done in the morning has its benefits. Your brain is refreshed after a night’s rest and your mind is sharp enough to efficiently handle mental tasks. Mornings are calm and quiet, making it easier for you to focus on your tasks. Your morning activities set the pace for the rest of the day. When you’ve had a productive morning, there’s a high chance that you’ll take on the day’s challenges with a positive mindset, ready to accomplish more.
- Have a to-do list: A to-do list comes in handy when you have numerous tasks to perform in a day, or over a period of time. It helps you keep track of all the things that you have to get done. You can organise tasks in order of difficulty, urgency or importance. The to-do list ensures that you do not forget any task. Also, you get some satisfaction from crossing off accomplished tasks at the end of the day.
- Do big tasks first: We often perform the little tasks before the big ones. This could be because we’re too eager cross something, anything off our to-do list, or because we convince ourselves that the smaller tasks are warm-up for the big ones, or for any other reasons. However, big tasks weigh heavily on the mind when they’re left undone. You might complete all the little tasks but still find yourself drained and unhappy because your thoughts are clouded by the huge tasks still left undone, which you might have even less time for at the end of the day. Doing the big tasks first gets them off your mind, and allows you to enjoy every little accomplishment you make afterwards.
- Eat healthy and exercise: Good diet and exercise are great productivity boosters. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins which make you feel happy, positive and energetic. A poor diet can make you feel bloated or sluggish or even get you ill. Eating healthy and keeping fit puts your mind and body in a prime state for getting things done.
- Delegate where you can: You cannot do everything yourself. You may be limited in time and capability. You will get things done faster, and sometimes, better when you learn to delegate tasks to people who are better than you, or willing and able to take the work off your hands. Delegating some task gives you room to tackle others without feeling like you’re stretched too thin.
Don’t forget to stay positive and acknowledge your daily victories 🙂
