There is nothing worse than waking up and going to bed with a thousand and one things on your mind that need to be completed.
Do you feel as though you just don’t get enough done in your day? Well, let me tell you, 24 hours is more than enough time for you to achieve your targets, rest and do everything else in between!
Follow these 5 simple steps and rest assured, you will be sleeping and waking up with a clear mind and plenty of ticks on your to-do-list!
We’ve heard it all before, and it is so true. Time is an extremely valuable resource that you should not allow anyone to waste – especially not yourself.
Be strict with your time, give yourself deadlines and stick to them. Plan how long a task will take and do your very best to complete it within that time, if you can’t, schedule in the most time-effective way to get it done.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to also budget for breaks. Regular, short breaks will significantly improve your productivity levels. Rest up, charge up and get your work done!
Set goals that you know you can achieve within your deadline.
Nothing is more satisfying and motivating than ticking off tasks on your to-do-list, so don’t do yourself a disservice and schedule countless of items on your list – having too many items on your to-do list will increase the likelihood of you not completing specific tasks.
This will only demotivate you and disorganize you.
Prioritize. If there are three things that need to be completed today, then that’s fine. Part of being productive is getting things done, efficiently and on time.
Sleep requirements differ from individual to individual, but generally, a healthy adult requires between 7-9 hours of sleep per night to function at their optimal best.
Sleep is a time for your mind and body to heal. This is the ultimate optimization for your productivity during the day.
Having a good night of sleep will boost your overall performance throughout the day.
You’ll find that you make fewer mistakes, your memory will improve and you won’t burn out too quickly.
Having said that, make sure you are planning and scheduling your day with a bedtime in mind.
Don’t get yourself in a situation where you must stay up late, fighting sleep to get things done!
Aim for 9 hours of sleep, why not? It is productive at the end of the day…
Having the ability to multi-task is great but it does not always result in the most productive of days.
It’s no good starting a task, that you will not finish before moving on to another task.
Plan to reach a point where you feel the task is completed for that day and don’t move on until it’s done!
As you have budgeted your time, you will work towards completing the task within the given time and you will be able to move on to the next task knowing the other is completely out of the way…what a feeling.
It is also very important to schedule time for breaks. Remember, when it’s time to work, work and focus on one task at a time. When it’s time to rest, rest and give your mind a break.
Every individual has their own preference on how they prefer to work but generally, most people are extremely sensitive to their environment – this can have a huge impact on your focus and productivity.
Have you ever heard the saying “a clear space is a clear mind”?
Clutter can be distracting and can encourage a chaotic way of working. If an item does not belong in your workspace, get rid of it.
Create an environment which will optimize your work rate and performance.
It is so easy to get distracted, and this is probably the number one hindrance to your productivity.
When it comes to completing the given task, you are going to have to stay away from social media, TV shows, and put your mobile phone to one side. Like I said, when it’s time to work, work!
Research tells us that it takes on average, 21 days to cultivate a habit (depending on its complexity).
Give these steps a try consistently for 21 days, and not only will you have formed a great habit, you will have 21 productive days under your belt, just imagine what you can achieve!
Let us know what you do to make your day productive!
