In an ever-changing world around us, it’s quite hard to set aside all the noise and just focus on our goals. The abundance of information makes it hard to make decisions, which consequently influences our productivity. There are so many opinions we hear every day that it becomes quite hard to decide for ourselves what is right for each of us.
We constantly face distractions of different kinds, and our goal-setting suffers from inconsistent decisions we take because of the informational noise around us. Society tells us pretty tales about how we should be productive and reach for the stars but it rarely gives us any good advice on how to do this.
If any of this is about you and if you’re constantly facing troubles becoming productive and determined about reaching your goals, have no fear – there are certain habits you can acquire to become more productive!
Ever thought about decluttering first? Getting rid of unnecessary things around must be the first step to becoming productive. Remember that needless stuff lying around will always tempt you into procrastinating more. Having only important things on the table will instantly create the necessary working mood, so keep your workplace in order.
Also, try to locate your workstation near the window to make your working area more lighted. Not only will you save yourself from constantly straining your eyes, but also the sunlight will help you perform much better.
It may sound unusual and strange but try not to overwork. Outdoing yourself will definitely make you exhausted which will inevitably influence your productivity.
Professor John Pencavel from the University of Stanford has conducted quite impressive research proving that people who work 56 hours a week are as productive as people who work 70 hours a week. Slaving at work will eat into your productivity and eventually will make you sick not only of your workplace but of life as well.
Having a good rest and living a healthy lifestyle is crucial for your productivity. Allow yourself to rest a little bit during a break at work – something as simple as a daytime 20-minute nap can boost your productivity. Sleeping well at night also impacts your productivity. Relevant studies have shown that people who both oversleep and sleep less than needed call in sick more often.
Besides, you should remember that a correct diet and a little bit of exercise characterizes goal-oriented people. Taking vitamins and running every morning for at least 40 minutes will give you a massive amount of energy and put you into a productive mood for the day ahead.
Some people usually mistake the phenomenon of willpower for something that can make them super productive. What they don’t know is that willpower is an exhaustible source that can be entirely used up. So instead of convincing yourself to push it to the limit, you should try a more methodical approach which is breaking your work into chunks.
If you take a look at how some of the most renowned musicians in the world practice each day, you will notice that an hour of deliberate work followed by a break is more effective than slaving for hours. So try working on the most important tasks deliberately just for 90 minutes and then take a 15-20 minute break.
While working we are usually tempted by various triggers of procrastination. These can be our phones, social media notifications, checking our e-mail, and many more. During one recent productivity study, more than half of the participants cited their cell phones as the biggest productivity killers. Of course, it is really hard to keep your hands off your cell phone, which has basically become an important tool in your life.
However, it is necessary to understand that this tool will immediately kill your productivity. If you can’t turn it off, activate a silent mode without vibration so that constant buzzing won’t get you distracted. Another thing that can kill your productivity is chatting and gossiping with your co-workers who can be too noisy as well.
If you decided to work intensely for 90 minutes on your task, try to shield yourself from this unnecessary noise by simply putting on headphones and playing some motivating music. If your co-workers often get you distracted by offering to take a break and chat with them, just a simple “No” will save you from losing that productive mood. Remember that the difference between successful people and very successful people is that, very successful people are able to say “No” to anything. Stay focused.
Next, increase your productivity by simply staying positive. Now, lots of people do not support this rule and what they do not realize is that a positive mindset is a kind of a shield for us to protect ourselves from getting all upset about not achieving some of our goals.
You need to realize that on the way to any of your goals you will definitely fail at some point, but positive thinking will help you understand that your failure is another step forward. Positive people see failure as an opportunity to learn, so keep moving and try to imagine a picture of having achieved your goal. Visualizing your achievements will keep you motivated and productive.
At this point you might be thinking that these are all great advice but how can you put all of them in order? And you are right because order and planning are essential for your productivity. Do not attempt to follow all these advice at once as each of them is a separate step you should try out and get used to.
So start planning your way to becoming productive by simply buying an organizer, writing down your goals and ways to achieve your goals. Be as creative as you can in making “To-do” lists, habit trackers, and deadline calendars. You can search for inspiration on the Internet. For example, inspired guys from Assignment helper have created a great productivity infographic that will definitely help you transform your habits and productivity. Such creative tools will definitely help you stay productive throughout the day and keep you determined about achieving your goals.
About the author
Lucy Benton is a writing coach, an editor who finds her passion in expressing own thoughts as a blogger, and currently works at Awriter.org. She is constantly looking for the ways to improve her skills and expertise. If you’re interested in working with Lucy, you can find her on LinkedIn.
