Originally posted on:https://thegreatupdraft.com/powerful-productivity-habits/
Do you find yourself wandering aimlessly through projects and plagued by distractions? Want to learn how to make the most of your time and increase your productivity?
In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn more than 25 of the best productivity tips I could find. This first follows up on my short and sweet oneProductivity Articles.
I've been self-employed since I was a 19-year-old student, doing a combination of freelance tutoring in maths, languages and building multiple websites. Aside from my career, I also struggle with productivity in my studies and hobbies.
Over the years, I've wasted a lot of time on pointless tasks and multimedia distractions instead of using it productively. I also feel bored, directionless and distracted during the work day.
You need to squeeze every last drop of your time and work smart, especially if you are a freelancer or entrepreneur. With great freedom comes great challenge. It's easy to waste an entire day doing something sweet to promote your project or build your business. It shocks me when I hear someone thinking about their work day and not knowing where eight hours went.
This step-by-step guide contains simple productivity habits you can implement right now to transform your workday and your results.
From the big picture, we cover all the areas you need to work productively, with purpose and direction, from diet to environment to alarms, colleagues, bosses and habits.
Productivity can mean 101 things, so let's find out what we mean here.
By productivity, I mean optimizing our workdays in healthy ways so that we can do the many things that matter most to us - and do them well. So we are not talking about a 14-hour work day. We don't get into microdosing or pill research or learning the art of multitasking like an octopus.
Instead, we will move with the times, reduce and minimize our contribution and create the lifelong conditions necessary for good work to bear fruit. We went beyond the usual Pomodoro technique and online calendars to take a holistic look at the way we live and work.
There's a lot to say, so let's get started.
Without a clear direction, we are like a rudderless ship destined to run aground. Let's take a high-level look at what you're doing and why. This knowledge will then allow us to analyze more deeply and create a clear road map for our day and week.
What are you trying to do and why? This is a crucial question, especially for entrepreneurs, self-learners and business owners. How to get a job if we don't know what we produce and why? How can we work smarter?
Three types of lists are key to productivity:
- a big goal: Zoom out of your project to see it from a distance. Think about the purpose of it all. What is your ultimate goal, what is your mission? How many customers will you serve each month? What new business do you want to start? These goals should be on an annual basis. It's a good idea to review this list every day so you can live and breathe your big goals.
- weekly and monthly goals: Start with your meta goals, settle down and create weekly and monthly goals as stepping stones to your bigger ambitions. Make them very practical - When it comes to goals, short, simple and measurable are often better than complex and over the top.
- daily goals: Now we zoom in further and create daily goals and milestones. You can do this at the beginning of the week, plan your route according to your weekly or monthly goals, or every morning. This is easy to skip – I should have known – but knowing exactly what you're doing each day is key to focusing your efforts. We will return to this later.
And make sure those goals are exciting. If not, how will you mobilize yourself to act? If you've ever worked in a professional field, I'm sure you've encountered daily struggles. This comes from working at jobs that drain our soul, bore us to tears, or are against our morals and ideals. So what sets your soul on fire? What do you do when you jump out of bed in the morning? Recognize this, use it to set goals, and you'll be well on your way to great productivity.
This is caused byProductivity Guide at Sammon.com.This applies to our weekly and monthly goals. We achieve huge goals by doing hundreds or thousands of small tasks. By setting small goals and achieving them regularly, you can develop a habit of success and a sense of motivation. They also tend to be practical, concrete and actionable, which prevents procrastination, while long-term, general goals are more vague and abstract.
However, small does not mean unambitious or unnecessarily conservative. Although high standards can be intimidating, you'll be surprised how high you can jump.
When you reach a goal, give yourself a reward proportional to its size. After I finish a new article, I take a good bath. If this is a long-term goal, a vacation may be appropriate.
No matter how passionate we are about our goals, the process of achieving them is not always sweet. Breaking milestones requires days, weeks and months of energy, planning and hard work. Once we're done with that, we could turn our attention elsewhere, and it's nice to see behind the scenes of your work. Adding a predetermined goal sweetens the journey and serves as a celebration of our efforts.
Have you ever run your own coffee shop business and had a great new idea? If you are an entrepreneur or a freelancer, you will have many such moments. Great creators, from Dylan to Edison, openly worshiped spontaneous creativity. Don't dismiss those flashes of inspiration - write them down! Be sure to have a notebook or a gold recording device with you. You can review them later and bring those inspired ideas to life.
We are only human. Deviating is part of the journey itself. Accountability structures are the basic pillars that support us when things get rocky. You can discuss your project with coaches, colleagues, business partners and even family. When you know your goals, they push you into action or lend you a shoulder when needed.
Now that we've developed a master plan for your project, let's zoom in on your daily life and explore some strategies for optimizing it.
under et interviewa bikeProductivity expert David Allen reveals that he always prepares his schedule for the next day, dividing his to-do list into "softscape" and "hardscape."
Difficult tasks are those that cannot be changed, such as meetings or interviews. Soft tasks are those where we can move freely. Use the hard landscape as a wireframe for the day where you can organize the soft tasks. Now that you know what your goal is, it should be easy!
Planning for tomorrow also frees us up from work for the next day, knowing that our schedule is covered.
Disclaimer: If you hate mornings, better stay in bed!
This is the wisdom of the 5AM Club. Getting up early allows us to establish a solid morning routine and feel fully awake before going to work. If we get up earlier than those we live with, we can enjoy the silence of the house and the festivities of tomorrow and turn them into good work.
Besides, getting up early means that we are more disciplined in the evening. If we go to sleep at a specific time, we are less likely to waste time on unimportant things.
SoJames Clear's Guide to ProductivityAmong other things, he recommends developing morning rituals and habits. It is wise to create a morning routine or repeat small tasks every morning. Every morning, for example, I clean the dried vegetables from the night before and drink cold water. Sometimes I go for a local morning walk. It keeps me focused and motivated before the work day.
Let's see which habit is perhaps the most difficult to acquire. Several productivity writers recommend tackling the least interesting tasks first.
If you are faced with such tasks in your daily life, you will find that your brain constantly postpones them with cunning strategies that are not familiar. Even if you have worked up the courage to drink it, your desire for coffee suddenly appears and before you know it, you are boiling the kettle or starting the coffee machine. You will do anything but accept the quest.
Act first to nip this infatuation in the bud. In this way, the resistance does not increase. Plus, these tasks are never as painful as we think (see habit #37).
Accept the right task at the right time on similar tracks. If you're a writer (like me), find your best time to write and schedule that time to write words. Leave monotonous tasks that save energy and short tasks for your energy rest. That way, you can use the best fuel for your highest priority tasks.
Big thanks to my friend Sher who isRecoveringSpiritualBeing.com, before that. The strategy summarizes the best of flexible working, freelancing and entrepreneurship. This is a brilliant idea!
If the situation allows, ditch the outdated 9-to-5 job and work only when you are most productive. You may need to share your schedule here. My friend Sher does just that - she works from 10am to 3pm, then 8pm to 10pm!
By doing this, you tune in to your energy cycles and synchronize your performance with them. When do you actually work best?
While working on myself, I was surprised by my energy cycles. I find that I am productive in the morning and then rest between 12:30 and 1:30, a nap is a must. Then the energy came back and he didn't see me until around 4 pm But I can only get my morning energy back from 6 pm.
I'm sure you've heard of the Pareto Principle, a basic idea in the world of business and productivity. If not, let me introduce you.
When it comes to getting things done, 80% of the results come from 20% of your effort. So what does this 20% stake mean to you? Which minority tasks produce disproportionate results? Identify them and devote more time to them, leaving them to others or rejecting them. That way, you'll spend more time on tasks that produce results, and less time wasted.
I highly recommend keeping track of what you do and when, an online calendar is a good planning solution. You can create a calendar, add upcoming events and reminders, and organize your time.
I chose a DIY solution using Excel to create a spreadsheet of my administrative tasks. But using a ready-made product saves time and can give you ideas you hadn't thought of before.
Doing similar tasks at once is an effective way to organize your thoughts and use your time efficiently. With batch processing, we avoid jumping back and forth throughout the day and instead focus our attention on a continuous set of related tasks.
My friend Sher swears by 20 minute breaks after meetings. If virtual meetings aren't your thing or if they're draining you, a short vacation might be a good option. We will return to the break later in the guide.
Managers and colleagues have a lot on their minds. Unaware of the principles of productivity and time management, they will often give you unexpected tasks with unclear deadlines and unclear expectations.
If you work with others, take the lead in creating structure. Otherwise, their disorganization can infect you and affect your productivity. If you have an overbearing boss, you could find yourself under the thumb, who usually works overtime.
Define your boundaries and seek clarity and structure. Don't get caught up in the mental vortex of those around you.
On that topic, be ready to say no to projects and tasks. This is especially important for freelancers. This is a smart idea for several reasons.
First, you won't overburden yourself and burn out. You can also avoid project delays and cancellations. And more subtly, turning down projects demonstrates your need, increasing your value to employers. It's supply and demand! Plus, confidently saying "no" will earn you respect.
When I turn down projects, half of me is nonchalant, believing that I have more than enough work, and the other half is still crying out for more money, worried that more projects won't come. It takes confidence and self-respect to turn down projects that pay well but are overwhelming.
We often limped into the weekend, desperate to shut down the computer. Not so fast! Did you achieve the goals you set for yourself? Are you doing more or less than you expected? This is not self-deception, but an honest weekly assessment to help you sort your course and move forward.
We often make these reviews subconsciously when we mentally reflect on the week during the commute or at dinner. Be sure to consciously do this at your desk at specific times throughout the day. Also write notes. Brings clarity to your work week.
Now that we have our goals, structure, and plans in place, let's take a look at your workplace. Most of these apply to those who work from home, but if you implement these ideas in your office, you might just build a reputation as a full-time interior designer.
Organize your desk first! Find objects in your field of vision that you do not need for work and remove them all. If you can't, at least reduce the number of objects around you and arrange them neatly.
Seriously, this simple change can make a big difference. First, your brain has less information to process, giving you more energy for important tasks. Second, the fewer objects in your field of vision, the less likely you will be distracted. Third, it feels great! There is a palpable sense of relief and relaxation when I clear the space around me. Try it now!
This is caused byJames Clear and his productivity articles.Warm rooms make us feel lethargic. Let enough cold air into the room to keep you awake or move to a cooler place. You have to pay attention and focus on doing the job well.
The amount of time we spend commuting is staggering. Have you ever thought about it? If you work 230 days a year and commute an hour each way, that's 460 hours of commuting – almost 20 full days! Not to mention commuting costs, which can knock thousands of dollars out of your pocket every year.
Let's be honest, we often waste time commuting to work scrolling through our phones or sulking about public transport delays. Time to flush it down the toilet. You can set aside those 20 days for work, side projects, studying or recharging.
We have already introduced the need to remove objects from sight in order to increase attention. Let's extend this to the entire room or place where we are working.
Have you ever worked in an office full of white collar equipment? Then you know what chaos can do to you. A messy room can be annoying.
Therefore, keep the room around you tidy. Put unnecessary things away, put the dishes in the kitchen and organize your things. This is especially true for the room you work in, but it can extend to the entire building. Having a clear, clean space puts you in a different state of mind.
This is caused byBusiness News Network.Plants give a wonderful visual touch to your space and you can look at them while resting. It is worth noting thatThe survey was conducted by the American Horticultural SocietyIt shows that plants increase productivity and reduce stress!
Sodaily business newsFor this habit. It's one of those hidden productivity tricks that can freak out professionals who are used to working at work. Changing workplaces throughout the day and week can change your mindset and throw you off autopilot. You may even experience enlightenment while traveling.
You can go to a coffee shop, a park, a library or a co-working space, or simply take a walk in your room. I usually work at a desk, but sometimes I move to the dining table or the couch. Sometimes I even work in bed (don't tell anyone I do).
in theirsArticles on productivity tips, The hive clarifies the meaning of boundaries. I admit that working from home has some drawbacks. One is that people come and go, make noise and demand your attention. Protecting your time is relatively easy if you work in an office, but not so easy if your home is also where you work. This is where control comes in. If you know your goals, your best hours, and the space you've set for success, it's time to tell your coworkers. Now is your time to get things done - make sure you and your loved ones respect that!
FAQs
What are best productivity habits? ›
One of the most crucial habits of productive people is goal setting. If you don't set goals you'll fall into the trap of being 'busy' for the sake of it, without making meaningful progress.
What are productive work habits in the workplace? ›Be punctual and professional at the workplace 2. Respect and achieve deadlines 3. Manage time for a healthy work life balance 4. Take criticism well 5.
How do productive work habits benefit you? ›Good work habits are behaviors that increase your productivity and improve your workflow. These habits make it faster and easier for you to get work done, and they enhance the quality of said work.
What are the three C's of productivity? ›Ps. Subsequent posts will feature some of the adventures that have emerged from applying the 3Cx3Dx3P formula (where 3C = connect + care + collaborate, 3D = density + depth + diversity, and 3P = people + productive + possibilities).
What are 3 important work habits? ›- Be punctual and professional. ...
- Respect and achieve deadlines. ...
- Proactively learn skills. ...
- Anticipate needs. ...
- Take initiative on projects. ...
- Ask smart questions. ...
- Admit mistakes. ...
- Communicate effectively.
Identify and Align Goals with Performance
Employees will be more productive if they are put in a position to aim for achievable goals. Goal setting helps employees self-motivate and build confidence in their ability to succeed.
- Choose a quiet work environment.
- Keep an organized workspace.
- Avoid procrastination.
- Limit distractions.
- Plan your week.
- Take multiple short breaks.
- Train your mind.
- Time block.
- Develop a set morning routine. ...
- Set a priority list for your studies. ...
- Ensure you get enough sleep. ...
- Eat healthy and stay active. ...
- Practice healthy coping strategies. ...
- Schedule time for breaks and fun.
Benefits of Increased Productivity
Effective utilization of resources results in increased production volume and lesser cost of production. Reduced time-to-market, better quality assured. Less overhead costs. More profits to stakeholders.
Just think of the impact you could have on employees by helping them get better when it comes to any of these habits: wellness, self-presentation, timeliness, organization, productivity, quality, follow-through, consistency, and initiative.
What are the work habits that lead to efficiency? ›
Avoid multitasking where possible, maintain a clean and organized workspace, implement regular breaks into your daily schedule, and focus on your most challenging tasks before lunch. With these efficient work habits, you'll feel more motivated, more satisfied, and certainly more productive at work.
What are the five factors that improve productivity? ›- Positive attitude and involvement of management. ...
- Proactive employee. ...
- Good working condition. ...
- Tool and equipment to raise productivity. ...
- Availability of input supplies.
Prioritize Tasks Each Day
At the beginning of each day, list all your tasks from most important to least important. Make sure to note deadlines for when each task is due. By prioritizing your daily tasks, you can make better use of your time and increase productivity at work.
What are three ways to increase productivity? Three ways to increase productivity are technology, division of labor, and motivating employees.
What are the 4 essential components of productivity? ›The four key elements of productivity for an individual are: (1) strategy, or the capacity for planning; (2) focus; (3) productive choosing, or the capacity for selecting the most crucial tasks and making the right decisions; and (4) consistency; or, the capacity for working at a constant pace and incorporating all of ...
What are the 4 components of productivity? ›For an individual, the four essential components of productivity include (1) strategy, or the ability to plan, (2) focus, or the ability to pay attention to one task at a time, (3) productive choosing, or the ability to choose the most important tasks and make the right choices, and (4) consistency, the ability to work ...
What are the three P's of preparation planning? ›Effective presentations are sometimes created around a three-step process, sometimes called the 3-P Approach: Plan, Prepare, and Present. Your success depends on the effort you put into each step of this process. Examine each step carefully and put the approach into action for your next presentation.
How do the 7 habits of Highly Effective work? ›The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People puts forward a principle-centered approach to both personal and interpersonal effectiveness. Rather than focusing on altering the outward manifestations of your behavior and attitudes, it aims to adapt your inner core, character, and motives.
What are 4 good habits? ›- Brushing twice a day. Dental hygiene is very important. ...
- Bathing every day. ...
- Eat breakfast. ...
- Hand wash. ...
- Drink water, not soda. ...
- Regular physical activities. ...
- Read everyday. ...
- Family time.
Once you know your Tendency, you can design strategies to kick your desired habits into gear. Gretchen identifies four strategies as the “Pillars of Habits” — Monitoring, Foundation, Scheduling, and Accountability.
What increases productivity the most? ›
Keep things simple. While having a productivity strategy is key, it doesn't have to be elaborate. Creating a simple, focused plan with clear steps and outcomes helps people stay on task and sets them up for success. Map out SMART goals with specific, achievable tasks, so everyone knows exactly what to do.
What drives employee productivity? ›There are several things that can affect productivity, such as engagement, good people management practices, workplace environment, appropriate tools, use of technology as an advantage, etc.
Which skills make workers more productive? ›- Communication skills. Being able to communicate effectively affects everything at work, especially productivity. ...
- Ability to prioritize. ...
- Managing distractions. ...
- Doing one thing at a time. ...
- Know thyself.
- Limit distractions. According to Udemy In Depth: 2018 Workplace Distraction Report: ...
- Split your tasks into milestones. ...
- Stop multitasking, prioritize your work.
Your most productive day will always involve a combination of collaborative and focus work. While collaborative work happens relatively naturally, we need to schedule time to focus.
How can I focus better and work more effectively? ›- Get in the “flow” Before you blame it on others, take a minute to evaluate your productivity. ...
- Plan ahead. ...
- Create an hourly work plan. ...
- Write down all your ideas. ...
- Keep your to-do list organized. ...
- Set deadlines. ...
- Organize your work environment. ...
- Split time-consuming tasks.
A great work environment
“The workplace environment often has the biggest impact on how motivated you are at work. You thrive when you are part of an upbeat, supportive environment that gets you "in the zone" that you need to be in so that you succeed.
- Convince yourself you want to do it. ...
- Take control. ...
- Surround yourself with other people. ...
- Break up your tasks into smaller task. ...
- Stay focused. ...
- Remember your "why." ...
- Stay positive.
“Helping others and empowering people is what motivates me the most. It doesn't matter whether it is a colleague, friend or relative. There are times when the people around your need that extra drive to get going. I relish the opportunity to reach out to such people.
Why is productivity the key to success? ›Productivity is a crucial component of success for a world-class organisation. By maximizing efficiency and results, organisations can increase profitability, enhance competitiveness, improve work-life balance, attract and retain top talent, and drive innovation and growth.
What are 20 good work habits? ›
- Have a positive attitude. ...
- Take criticism well. ...
- Practice self-motivation. ...
- Learn from your mistakes. ...
- Develop strong communication skills. ...
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. ...
- Be adaptable. ...
- Be an effective teammate.
- eating a healthy diet.
- getting regular exercise.
- not smoking.
- staying at a healthy weight.
- limiting alcohol.
Avoiding being a team leader, having poor nonverbal communication skills, and often getting distracted are some of the other common bad work habits that you need to work on to achieve success.
What are the 9 working habits? ›Good work habits establish a solid foundation for peak performance, efficiency, trust, effective communication, regular attendance, compliance, time management, punctuality, and collaboration.
What are 10 bad work habits? ›- Showing Up Late. Have you ever hit the snooze button one too many times and ended up late for work? ...
- Procrastinating. ...
- Missing Deadlines. ...
- Working Too Much. ...
- Being Disorganized. ...
- Using Unclear Communication. ...
- Isolating From Your Team. ...
- Scheduling Too Many Meetings.
- Rushing in the morning. ...
- Skipping breakfast. ...
- Tackling the easy stuff first. ...
- Checking and responding to emails as they come in. ...
- Checking social feeds. ...
- Keeping your phone with you at work. ...
- Black hole browsing. ...
- Working through your lunch break.
The four determinants of a nation's productivity are physical capital, technology, human capital, and natural resources.
What are the 4 factors that cause growth in productivity? ›The four main factors of economic growth are land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship.
What is the most important factor in employee productivity? ›Communication and collaboration – These are two key factors associated with employee productivity at the workplace. A constant flow of communication is necessary to keep teams updated, informed, and engaged. Lack of communication results in silos, therefore reducing employee productivity.
What are 4 ways to improve production? ›- Step 1: Improve Your Business Processes. ...
- Step 2: Evaluate Your Production Line. ...
- Step 3: Update Technology. ...
- Step 4: Identify Production Bottlenecks. ...
- Step 5: Find and Eliminate Wastefulness. ...
- Step 6: Consider Recycling. ...
- Step 7: Get Organized. ...
- Step 8: Improve Your Training Processes.
What two things will make you more productive? ›
- Stop multitasking. It's often tempting to try and multitask, juggling numerous workday tasks at any one time. ...
- Set small goals. ...
- Take a break. ...
- The five-minute rule. ...
- Time blocking. ...
- Delegate. ...
- Limit distractions. ...
- Do the hardest thing first.
It's simple: write down 3 primary activities you need to accomplish, each taking 1 to 2 hours, and 2 secondary ones that take 20 to 30 minutes each.
What is the 3 3 3 rule productivity? ›7. Write down your 3:3:3 plan: 3 hours on your most important project, 3 shorter tasks, 3 maintenance activities. Defining a "productive day" is crucial. Or else you'll never be at peace (even with excellent output).
What are productivity strategies? ›Strategic Productivity is recognizing the inescapable role and impact of operations in all industries and aspects of work, then recasting operations—how work is done—to efficiently delivering more and more value to customers while showing greater and greater respect to employees.
What is the 333 rule for productivity? ›The 3/3/3 method
Three hours per day to work on an important current project; three urgent but less time-consuming things (including meetings); and. three “maintenance” tasks” (for example e-mails, but also micro-learning, etc.).
The 1-3-5 rule is a productivity strategy that forces you to be productive by taking periodic breaks from your work. It's based on a simple three-step formula: pick one major task to accomplish, divide it into three medium tasks, and then divide those three medium tasks into five small tasks.
What is the 4 rule productivity? ›The 4-Hour Rule. This states that you can't do more than four hours of highly focused work per day.
What is the 70% rule of productivity? ›The 70 percent rule, in a business context, is a time management principle suggesting that people should withhold a significant amount of their working capacity for better productivity, engagement and work-life balance.
What is the 52 17 productivity rule? ›It's the 52/17 rule: 52 minutes on, 17 minutes off. Downtime replenishes attention and motivation, creativity and productivity. This week, we'd like you to try this 52/17 method. Use a timer, if you'd like, and stick to the rules: when you're working, you can't do anything else.
What is the 90 20 productivity rule? ›The 90-20 rule is quite simple: Spend 90 minutes focused on a specific task, and then take a 20-minute break. Studies show that the brain uses up most of its glucose — the sugar responsible for optimal brain function — in 60 to 90-minute intervals.
What is the 85% rule for productivity? ›
The 85% rule suggests growth will be maximized when we practice tasks we can succeed at roughly four-fifths of the time.
What is the 50 50 rule of productivity? ›The 50/50 rule asserts that 50 percent of the initiatives should be for technology and 50 percent of the initiatives should be targeted at human performance.
What is the 321 productivity rule? ›It's simple: write down 3 primary activities you need to accomplish, each taking 1 to 2 hours, and 2 secondary ones that take 20 to 30 minutes each.
What is the Ivy Lee method? ›So, what is the Ivy Lee Method? Assign yourself no more than six important tasks per day, list them from most important to least important, and then work on and complete each one in that order. Do not begin the next task until you have fully completed the one before it.
What is the eat the frog technique? ›What does "eat the frog" mean? The eat the frog strategy is a prioritization and productivity method used to help people identify difficult tasks. The idea is that you identify one challenging task (the frog) and complete the task first thing in the morning (eating it).
What is the 80 20 rule in productivity hacks? ›The 80/20 rule suggests you look through all the tasks you normally could perform. Pick the top 20% that create the most results and focus on them. Whatever time you have left can be spent on the less productive 80%.
What is the rule of 10 productivity? ›What is the 10-minute rule? In order to beat procrastination, this rule dictates that you should start working immediately, preferably on an easy task that can be finished in at least 10 minutes. If it's easier for you, set aside a timer and work for exactly 10 minutes.
What is the 50 30 20 rule productivity? ›The 50-30-20 formula means designating 50% of your workday to activities that advance your life goals; 30% to tasks that advance mid-term goals; and 20% to working toward more immediate goals.
What is the 30 second rule productivity? ›So, what if I told you there was a 30-second solution to (most) of your note-taking woes? Robyn Scott puts forth the elegantly simple idea on Medium: Immediately after any lecture, conference, meeting, or other significant experience, take 30 seconds to write down the most important points.