7 Things You Can Do This Week to be More Productive
Do you want to be more productive? Of course you do, its a silly question, almost like asking do you like food? However, the desire to be more productive and actually being more productive are two completely independent things.There is no shortage of tools and resources on the subject of productivity, I have shared many different thoughts on the subject over the past year or so. For today’s article, I thought I would share some of the more practical, if not less common ways that may surprise you in how you can become more productive every day.Here is a look at seven things that can lead to better personal productivity.
Plan ahead
Planning is the best way to improve and ensure a heightened level of productivity. Planning implies (and then implores) you that you know what you need to accomplish and define ways to then get to that outcome. Planning ‘you’ time is the same as sharpening the ax before chopping at the tree. Abe Lincoln is attributed to the quote, “Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I’ll use the first 5 to sharpen my ax.” Make sure you always set aside time to plan out what you want to accomplish and ways to accomplish those items. That alone will make you significantly more productive.
Set aside time for yourself
If you are all work and no play, you’re not just dull, your burned out, and less primed for engaged work. You’ll never find that zone where you can accomplish a ton of work in short periods of time. Study after study shows that everyone needs to differentiate their activities. Enjoying your hobbies, playing games, or just staring off into the distance is healthy for you. And, that in turn will help make you more productive.
Say no
Not quite like the 1980’s plea of, ‘just say no to drugs’ but similar. Start saying ‘no’ to tasks or projects that you do not have mental space or capacity for. Everyone needs to prioritize their time and the energy they have to give, it is a finite number, despite what many people try to do. The best leaders are not afraid of saying no to other people (including their boss) when they know they cannot dedicate the time required for the requested task. You will need to continually evaluate what you have on your plate. Be prepared to move items to other people when necessary as well as turn people down when they come to request something new. If you’d like some additional insights into this one, read this, How to Say No to Taking on More Work Harvard Business Review article.
Use a Planner
Are you a digital person or a paper person? As long as you have a way of keeping track of what you want to do, need to do, and when to do it, then digital or analogue will not matter. The most important thing is, you need a process of capturing your thoughts, ideas, and projects. You need a way to organize each of those so you can identify what needs to be done and when it is due. A planner is the solution to all of these. Paper planners are making a bit of a comeback as people have realized that the act of writing something down makes it easier to remember what they have to do and makes it more tangible in terms of getting things done. Capture, Schedule, Do.
Get up 15 minutes earlier
Of all of the things on this list, this may seem like the one that actually gives you more time. But, it may also be the hardest one to accomplish. If you are already getting up at 6:00am, 5:45am could seem even more challenging. However, many people find that their most productive time is in the morning. Those extra 15 minutes could make a big difference - if you have a plan for how to use those extra minutes, it can begin a chain reaction of early morning productivity. Do not use this time for email, social media, or snoozing. Instead, this time could be some of your ‘self’ time, planning time, meditation, or getting a jump start on exercising. All of these will lead to better use of your time throughout the day. This 15 minutes literally could expand into hours of extra productivity later in the day. If giving up 15 minutes of sleep (which is very important), go to bed 15 minutes earlier the night before. Instead of watching that last TV show, checking email one last time, or scanning something online - tuck into bed and begin getting the rest you need.
Drink more water
You might question at first why drinking more water may be included in an article about being more productive. However, as many studies will show, water might be the best fuel for your body there is. And with fuel comes greater productivity. Being properly hydrated will give you more energy, help you feel more connected to what you are doing (cognitively), and generally maintain your health at higher levels allowing you to do what you want to do. How much water you drink can vary from person to person, so I would advise that you do some additional research on the subject, but the general rule of 8 full glasses of water is an excellent starting point. I try to start every day with a full 16oz bottle of water just after getting up to help rehydrate myself after that full night’s sleep I just got. You can find several more benefits of drinking enough water here.
Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while
To round our the list I added another idea that might not seem intuitive, but I have found helps to boost energy, enthusiasm, and general happiness which can lead to being more productive - even for an introvert. We all have that mental list of people we should call. It is amazing how rewarding it can be when you do make that call. It is great to catch up with someone that it has been too long between conversations. When you are done speaking, you may find that you have a new level of energy that will allow you to take on that next project. The next time you find yourself dragging, not wanting to tackle anything else in the middle of the afternoon, reach out and phone an old friend to catch up.The idea of maximum productivity is a bit of a quest for the holy grail. Everyone believes they have a solution, but by themselves, none will take you to that promised land. There will always seem to be another level that can be reached. That said, taking different steps to find what works best for you is the only way anyone can reach their full potential at the moment. Times, ideas, and expectations change, so spend your time on the things that work best for you right now and keep an open mind for new techniques that can help you feel as productive as possible.Is there one idea you can take and start tomorrow that can help lead to improved productivity for you? Share your thoughts in the comments section.