- Understand and learn to prioritize tasks. Then write it down!
Every task, every commitment should be written down. This frees your mind from the energy- and attention-sucking job of trying to remember.
- Automate manual tasks
Did I hear automation? Python?
- Don't skip your breaks
The mental work is in fact physical work, after all your brain is physically burning neurotransmitters as you make thousands of small decisions each day. If the brain gets tired, bad decisions might be made.
- Set goals on a daily basis
How many days have ended with you looking back and going, “man, I’m not even sure what I accomplished today.” obviously, every person has to spend time doing some degree of menial or repetitive labor, but each day you spend working should somehow be contributing to your future success.
- Review your week every friday
- did I achieve what I wanted to achieve?
- did I personally need to be there for everything I attended?
- could I have achieved the same in a shorter timeframe?
- Identify your most productive time of day and create a system
Everyone has a particular time of day when they tend to get an extra burst of focus and creativity. For some people, that time comes in the morning. For others, it might come after lunch or even during the evening. You’ve probably developed a few productivity-ruining habits over the years. Manage your distracting ways by creating a system.
- Set boundaries and isolate yourself from distractions
This is a tactic that you could likely implement with extreme success, especially considering the number of distractions that we face on a daily basis.
- Get some exercise
Exercise makes you healthier, so be sure to get some exercise every day. It will enhance your general well being as well as your ability to think more clearly.
- Delegate, say 'no', and cut your to-do list in half
Look around you: who is available to do some of those tasks? A secretary? A colleague? A family member? A paid helper? Do you really need those 30 tasks on your to-do list? Take a less-is-more approach to your to-do list by only focusing on accomplishing things that matter.
- Do your most dreaded task first
Early in the day, you generally have the highest energy and the least distractions, making it easier to focus on difficult tasks. Knock out your most challenging work when your brain is fresh.
- Follow the 80/20 rule
Only 20 percent of what you do each day produces 80 percent of your results. Eliminate the things that don’t matter during your workday.
- Stop multi-tasking
Stop trying to do 10 things at once! Changing tasks more than 10 times a day drops your iq an average of 10 points. Get things done more effectively and efficiently by focusing on one task at a time.
- Stop consuming so much information
You don’t need to read 5000 articles on productivity. If you find useful information, try it. Don’t search for more. More is not always better.
- Check out some helpful supplements
- Keep away clutter
A cluttered life means a cluttered brain.
- Use productive self-talk
What you do before you start your tasks may be just as important for productivity than how you do your tasks. Recent research has worked to uncover which of the three most common prep techniques work best: self-talk, imagery or “if-then” planning.
- self-talk includes saying things such as, “I am ready for this” or “I will be successful today”.
- imagery is when you imagine yourself doing something in a successful way, whether it is tackling your to-do list, winning that big promotion or being highly efficient.
- “if-then” planning is making a plan to act a certain way. For example: “if I can be productive for the rest of the day, then I can enjoy the long weekend ahead.”
Happy Coding!
Top comments (1)
Hey, thanks for sharing! Writing down my to-do list and then prioritizing it has been a staple in m everyday routine. I prefer to plan my day ahead of time and use task management software to manage my tasks (you can try Todoist or Quire). Doing these steps has kept me productive.