There about 1 million ways to be productive and every one of us is going to prefer a different method, and get things done in our own way. And we can all learn something from one another and our differences, so I thought I’d share my own top 5 ways that I stay productive!
1) I write all my thoughts down
The urgent / time sensitive things go on a paper list I carry with me everywhere.
Time sensitive but not urgent things go in my paper planner/calendar so I remember them later, when it actually matters.
The bigger and/or time consuming ideas go on my “braindump”: one place where I collect anything and everything that I don’t want to forget about. I review it once in awhile, add shift things over to my current paper list when I’m ready to take action on them.
2) I do my most important & intense work in the morning
That’s just when I have the most energy: between about 9am and 1pm my energy is at a peak and it’s during this time that I’ll be sharpest, really focused, most creative.
Not only am I able to get more done during this time, I’m able to come up with more (and better) ideas and easily deal with any problems that come up by finding quick solutions.
3) I take time to think through the process
Rather than just jumping in and trying to plow through something as quickly as possible and not thinking ahead, I take the time to think through my options for how to best do it and which way will be most effective and efficient <— this saves me tons of time in the end.
4) I walk away when frustration hits
When I’m not able to find a solution to something and it just becomes a big huge stress ball, I walk away. Not forever, but just for a break, to do something else, take my mind off the situation.
Without fail, I go back to that same thing that was so frustrating just a short time ago and boom it’s suddenly so much easier (more like it’s my mind that’s more relaxed and centered and so is actually able to figure the thing out!)
5) I get lots of sleep
Or rather I get the sleep my body tells me it needs. I listen to my body and if it’s tired I sleep and don’t force myself to get up / stay up just for the sake of getting things done.
It can be a challenge to change my plans and let some to-do’s wait until another day in the name of getting some more shut eye, but I know that during my fewer waking hours I’ll be more clear headed and get things done a lot quicker.
Comment below 👇👇👇 and tell me your #1 way of staying productive. 💬
Doing my most intense and hard work in the morning is such a productivity trick! I use to start with the easiest things and leave the hardest for the afternoon. I had zero motivation to do them. And it was a struggle. However, finishing the important stuff before noon, make me even more organized and motivated for the rest of the day. Thank you for sharing some great tips 🙂
That’s awesome Mariya – congrats on being more motivated! I personally hit a wall around 2pm in the afternoon and definitely need to do my “high concentration” tasks prior to that 😛
I love your list, particularly #1. I think I might try your system of different notebooks for different urgencies.
I’m a huge fan of the pomodoro timer method. Working in 25-minute chunks with a quick break in between is a failsafe way for me to maximize the time I have available for deep focus work.
I’d love to hear how the notebook strategy works for you Emily! 🙂
Some great tips!
Glad you found them helpful Jude!