As 2016 ended and 2017 began, many of us resolved to be more productive in the New Year. Instead of wasting time, we’d make the most of it and try to get more done instead of just putting it off again and again. If you’re struggling to think of ways you can be more productive, don’t worry because we’ve got some useful tips for you right here.
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Set yourself realistic goals
We’re all guilty of failing to reach our goals because we’ve made them far too ambitious. Rather than aiming too high and failing, aim lower and you’ll have a much better chance of succeeding. It’s much better to achieve something, even if it isn’t the biggest of things, rather than not achieving anything at all.
2. Make yourself unreachable
A lot of us have dozens or even hundreds of notifications from social media come our way every day. On top of that, there are phone calls, emails and texts…all of these can be very distracting. You’re not going to be in your most productive mind frame if you check your phone several times an hour. To boost your productivity, switch yourself off from all communications and give yourself a few hours away from your phone and the internet.
3. Limit the amount of time you spend online
The internet can be a huge distraction and it’s so easy to go online and waste time. If you’re doing something that doesn’t involve the internet, don’t go online at all until you’ve got the task done; if what you’re doing involves the internet, tell yourself you’re going to get the task done first and once it’s done, you can then surf the web to your heart’s content.
4. Do the least appealing thing first
The longer you spend putting off something you’re dreading doing, the less appealing it’s going to become. Do yourself a favour and get the worst thing done first, then it’s over and out of the way and you don’t have to worry about it any more. Get the worst thing done first and you can focus on things that aren’t as unpleasant.
5. Have regular breaks
No matter what you’re doing, it’s important to recharge your batteries every now and then. Having regular breaks can clear your mind and help you use your time more efficiently. Even just stepping away from a task for five minutes can work wonders for your frame of mind, your motivation and your productivity. When you’ve been working at something for a while, stepping aside for just a few minutes can relieve stress and physical tension in your body.
6. Reward yourself for getting things done
If you’ve got a large task to do, one of the best ways to motivate yourself to get it done is to promise yourself a reward once it’s done. To boost your productivity even further, break the task up into smaller ones and give yourself a small reward for each of these mini-tasks you get completed.
7. Daily goals
Set yourself realistic daily goals. Think about how much you can get done in a day and set yourself a goal you can realistically achieve in a day without putting too much pressure on yourself. Setting daily goals gives you a clear idea of what you’re going to achieve in that day; if you haven’t got an idea of what you’re going to do for the day, you’ll find yourself getting distracted more easily.
8. Go faster
Do things faster and you’ll end up with a more positive can-do attitude when it comes to getting things done. Walk a bit quicker, type a bit quicker, always be early instead of late and generally just up your pace whenever you can.
9. Tell others
Tell other people what you’re planning to do and they can help boost your productivity by reminding you of your aims and regularly asking you how you’re getting on with whatever it is you’re doing. If you’re the only person who knows of your goals, you’ve only got yourself to disappoint; if you tell others about your goals, you’re going to be more motivated to get your goals achieved because you could potentially let other people down if you fail to achieve them.
