Tips for Improving Your Productivity

Whether it’s for work, around the house, school, or any other important part of your life, increasing your productivity can always help you do more in less time. We all want to do more by working smarter and not harder – of course, who doesn’t? The key to becoming more productive isn’t an out of this world, but there are some elements you must practice on the daily in order to succeed. All you need is a little of instruction and practice to start boosting your performance levels.

We at Hannah Lofts decided to share some great Tips to Improve Your Productivity. Check out the following tips if you want to improve your productivity and cut back on the amount of time you put in:

Plan Ahead the Night Before

One of the best ways to start improving your productivity is by planning your next moves. Not only does planning ahead help you stay organized, it’ll also help you stay focused on the important tasks you need to accomplish.

You can start off by jotting down a shortlist of realistic goals or tasks to do for the next day. This way, you’ll already know what you’ll be looking to do the next day. Planning ahead can also help you come up with simpler ways of completing your tasks and leave you with more satisfaction at the end of the next day. Just make sure you don’t overdo your list and keep it short in order to save you some stress.

Learn to Stay Organized

Believe it or not, there is a negative relationship between a messy space and productivity. For one, messy spaces can be more difficult to search through, causing a loss of precious time. Having a messy living or workspace can also cause you to feel a bit sluggish because of appearance. You can easily combat these negative effects by following the next steps:

Reducing the amount of unnecessary stuff (paper, magazines, etc.).
Don’t let clutter build up by keeping a cleaning schedule.
Limit the space in which clutter might build up.
Keep a list of chores around the house/office and accomplish them throughout the week.

Complete One Task at a Time

Multitasking can actually take a toll on your productivity if you’re not careful. For example, texting while you’re finishing an assignment in class can cause you to miss any small errors you made. You might even end up adding part of your text message conversation onto the assignment. That’s why we suggest for you to choose one task and stick to it until it’s completed. You’ll soon find out that you can significantly boost your productivity while focusing on one task.

Take On the Toughest Tasks First

Otherwise known as “Eating the Frog”, taking on the toughest tasks first is a great way to improve your productivity. Stop procrastinating because getting rid of that important task will make your days go by a lot smoother. Disciplining yourself to take on the hardest task first can be tough, but it’s extremely worth it. You’ll be able to tackle the task while you aren’t as tired, leaving all the “small frogs” towards the end of the day. Once you get into this good habit, you’ll be able to make more time for personal tasks you’ve been wanting to do.

Using the Two-Minute Rule

Implementing the Two-Minute Rule can help you save plenty of time. The rule focuses on completing any tasks that take two minutes or less before taking on the rest of your tasks. These smaller tasks tend to stay in the back of our minds if they’re not taken care of from the start.

Just imagine how much time you would have saved if you only paused your activities for one moment instead of multiple times throughout the day. Above that, you won’t be distracted by the thought of these smaller tasks not being completed.

Taking a Much Needed Break

Everyone needs a break from time to time. Taking short breaks in between tasks can help you relax and regain your center focus. Overworking yourself can lead to piled stress that can hinder your productivity. Taking that much-needed break can also help you become a happier person and will prevent you from becoming burnt out.

Limit How You Spend Your Time Online

According to MIT Technology Review, the average American spends about 24 hours a week online. That’s a full day of online distractions! Now, we’re not saying that checking your social media news feed or emails is a bad thing. We’re saying that constantly being online can serve as the biggest downfall in your productivity. Just imagine how many tasks you’d be able to complete if you cut your online time in half.

Unless it’s work-related, try limiting the amount of time you spend on the internet. You can disable your phone notifications or put your phone on silent mode to reduce the temptation of becoming distracted. This is sure to help you improve your productivity as well as save you from eye strains.

Take Advantage of Free Time

Everyone runs into some extra time every now and then. We challenge you to find a book, podcast, article, or a how-to video that can help you in something you really need help in. Take that extra time and invest it in something that can bring you benefits other than likes or shares on a post. In other words, if it won’t bring anything valuable in the future, don’t spend your time on it. Investing your time can provoke great ideas that can benefit you in every aspect of your life. You can also use that extra time to plan important tasks, respond to emails, and get small tasks out of the way.

Establish a Daily Workout Routine

Those who already work out regularly know that there are plenty of more benefits that come with exercise than staying in shape and losing weight. Exercising daily can help sharply improve your productivity through improving energy levels, physical health, mental health, and preventing illnesses. Daily exercise can also help you cope with the stress that arises at work and other areas in your life. Dealing with stress can lead to improved relationships, opening better doors for you in the future. All of these improvements can help you get stuff done better and faster when it comes to work and school. It might also help you fit in those jeans you used to wear in high school!

Get the Right Amount of Sleep

The National Sleep Foundation recommends the average adult to get anywhere from 7 – 9 hours of sleep a day. Getting enough rest can help you reap some of the best health benefits including aging slower, mental stability, elevating your mood, boosting creativity, improving your memory, and other benefits that can help with your productivity.

According to Harvard, lack of sleep may lead to health problems which can include disease, errors, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality. Now, doesn’t that make you want to be in bed as early as you can!

Conclusion

You have to remember that improving your productivity is an everyday thing. There’s always something that can come up and set us back a little, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to perform well. We challenge you to take the time and implement all these tips into your daily life and better your situation. It might seem like a lot of work at first, but nothing great comes without hard work and determination!

Be sure to check out our other great blogs here!