How well are you doing with your goals/plans for the year? Are you able to tick off ‘goal achieved’ for every month or are your plans a distant memory? If things haven’t quite worked out the way you planned, don’t beat yourself up over it. However, you can’t afford to let the rest of the year just happen to you. You need to plan to be productive, meaning you’re able to complete set tasks efficiently and in a timely manner.
Productivity can be the difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful person.
Let’s look at 7 ways to boost your productivity, tips that will only work for you if you decide to put them into practice.
It Starts with When you Wake Up
What you do when you wake up in the morning matters. When you wake up also matters. Try to go to bed early so you can function efficiently. And when you do get up don’t rush into your day, but take some time to pray or meditate and mentally chart your day. Do some exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, and decide ahead of time to excel that day.
Make a To-do List
A to-do list lets you know what you have to accomplish during the day, and it also holds you accountable for what you do or don’t do. Making a list also helps you prioritize your tasks for the day. This way, you can decide on what tasks to finish off first and which ones to do later. A good way to go is to start with the hard tasks and complete them before tackling the easy tasks.
Set Achievable Goals with Deadlines
Another way to push yourself to be more productive is to set goals. These goals must be realistic and achievable within the foreseeable future. These goals must also have a deadline. Setting goals and completing them by their deadlines gives you a great deal of satisfaction and a lot of motivation to do more. If those goals become easy to achieve, set harder goals, and work towards meeting them.
Create Time for Productive Meetings
Don’t initiate or attend a meeting without a plan. Meetings are important to get people together, share, discuss and move things forward, but unproductive meetings can be a waste of valuable time. If you’re the organizer, have a start and end time for the meeting, and do your best to stick to it so it keeps discussions focused.
It’s okay to pat yourself on the back
When you successfully complete a goal by the deadline, you should reward yourself. Celebrate small and big wins, even if no one else is celebrating you. This keeps you motivated and on a roll to perform even better.
Cut Out Distractions
Conversations are good, responding to emails is important, and social media surfing can be interesting, but always set boundaries and set a time frame. Place a premium on your time and what you allow to take it up.
Breaks are Essential
Being productive doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time to appreciate life. Don’t turn into a workaholic. Take breaks to stretch your muscles, recharge your brain, and refuel your system. Breaks are necessary for you to stay productive.
Try sticking to these tips for the next month and see the impact it makes in your life. Start today, and I guarantee you will see yourself grow into a successful, more productive you.
