6 Steps To Increase Productivity

Over the last year or so, life has changed in drastic ways. Many are working from makeshift offices at home. But life hasn’t stopped. Actually, life has gotten more hectic. On top of the pressures of adjusting to the new normal, we still have to take care of the typical, everyday obligations of life. Paying bills, figuring out what to cook for supper (I think we all understand the stress in this job, right?), helping kids with school work, and trying to fit in some time for leisure. It can all be a bit overwhelming, can’t it?

In the midst of all that, we have to find ways to stay productive. Deadlines don’t typically have grace periods. We have a set number of hours each week and a never-ending list of things to do. So, how do we get it all completed? How do we stay motivated throughout the day? The week? The month?

We look around and see people who seem to be thriving. They get the job done and still seem to have time to do things they want to do? They even appear to be enjoying life. Is that a smile on their face? How can they possibly do this? They’ve learned how to be productive in the time they’re given. Guess what...YOU CAN TOO!

I know that may sound absurd right now. But, it’s true. There are some practices that you can put into place in your life to increase everyday productivity. So what are these things? I’m glad you asked. Let’s dive right in.

Make a plan

The most certain way to fail in all things is to not have a plan. This is something that the most successful in life have grasped. If you want to succeed in life, you need a plan. Whether it’s success in work, business, family, finances, or anything else. You must have a plan! How do you do that, though?

My advice? Buy a planner or notebook. Or pull out your tablet and use your favorite app. Then set aside time to make a plan for the month. Sit down at the end of the month and formulate a plan for the next month. Identify some goals you want to reach. Do you want to pay off a credit card? What about saving a certain amount of money? Earn a promotion? Spending more time with family? Whatever it is, write it down.

What next? Formulate a plan. How are you going to complete those things? Break it down into smaller portions if that’s what you need. Then, evaluate that plan each week. Do you need to make adjustments? Other things come up that need to be completed? Write it down. Were you able to finish some things on that list? Mark it out. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t finish it all in one day, one week, or even a month. Keep working at it. But, if you want to reach those goals and check things off that list, you do need that plan. It’s hard to be productive when you’re flying by the seat of your pants.

Complete The Hardest Tasks First

Do you have a task on your list that you dread? A phone call or meeting? An assignment you’ve kept putting off? Something else? If you’re like me, you often put off the hardest or most undesirable tasks until last. There are things on the list that you may enjoy a little bit more.

Whatever the task may be that you’re dreading, plan to do those things first. Here’s what happens when I plan to do the difficult things last. I end up thinking about how hard or unpleasant that thing is going to be the whole time I’m working on other things. So, all my attention has been diverted to my least favorite thing to do. And I’ve not done my best on anything else that I’ve been working on during that time. This is actually something that hurts our productivity.

I know it may not be easy while you’re doing it, but it will help greatly. Getting that difficult task out of the way will take a weight off your shoulders. It will also give you motivation. If you can do the most difficult task, what’s stopping you from finishing the other things on your list.

Take Breaks

How many of you have found yourself in a groove and didn’t want to step away from your computer? You believed, if you did that, you would lose focus and not be able to pick back up where you left off. Sure, I know how it is. I’ve been there. Actually, while writing, it’s something I often experience. I want to stay “in the zone”. That can be great. It’s a great feeling to have things flowing so naturally that you forget you’ve been working for a long period of time.

But, at times, what we need to do is step away. We may feel stuck. We experience writer’s block. Or we are stumped on a situation with our family or finances. We dig deeper and deeper, yet find no answers. That may be a great time to step away for a little bit.

The truth is, it’s impossible to remain at a peak level of productivity while working hours on end with no break. Set aside 10 to 15 minutes every hour to hour and a half to take a break. What should you do on that break? Get up and stretch. Step outside for some fresh air. Once you do that, you may find that you are much more refreshed to get the job at hand completed much quicker.

Stop Multitasking

I have to admit that I struggle with this. I’ve often said that I’m good at multitasking. I remember saying things like, “I work best when I have the tv on in the background”. It sounded great, but it was a lie. I have found that, the older I get, the more wrong I was. Multitasking has become something of a desirable trait when interviewing for a job. They want to know that you’re capable of doing many things at once.

So, what’s the problem? No person can truly work on multiple things at the same time for any length of time and be at their peak performance on both. You will either do your best work on one or the other. Chances are, you will not do your best work on both.

You may believe, like I did, that you are great at multitasking. But the reality is, no matter how good we may think we are at multitasking, we will never be as productive as we could by focusing on one project at a time.

Don't Be Afraid To Say No

Do you have a hard time telling someone “no”? I sure do. It’s something I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I don’t want to let people down. It’s especially hard if it’s a family member or friend. I don’t want to seem uncaring. But, if we want to be productive in our life, both work and personal, we need to learn the word, “NO”.

There are plenty of things that we must do in this life. But, there are also things that we don’t have to do. It’s all about priorities. Know your worth. Know your goals. And know your capabilities. If there’s something that you don’t have time to complete or that doesn’t fit into your goals, it’s okay to say no. Remaining productive each day, week and month will require you to weed out the things that may be good, but are not the best for you and your family.

Do Something

Do you have a million things to do? Me too! Are you overwhelmed because you’re not sure where to start? I’ve been there. When I’m overwhelmed, it often paralyzes me. I end up doing nothing. Maybe putting into practice some of the previous steps (especially the one about saying “no”) will help with this last step.

So, what are you to do when the responsibilities keep coming and you feel overwhelmed? At a certain point you’re going to have to force yourself to do something, no matter how small it may seem. When you’re paralyzed and not sure what to do, go back to that list and knock something simple off. Do something small. It may just give you the motivation to mark even more things off the list.

Life is truly hard at times. There often seem to be more things to do than there are hours in the day. You’re expected to achieve a certain level at work or home. And you’re not sure how that’s going to happen. Let me encourage you with this: YOU CAN DO IT! Don’t give up. Put these 6 things into place in your life. I bet you’ll be able to knock some things off that “to-do” list in no time!