Focus on these tips to become a productivity master
SECRET SAUCE TO BECOMING A PRODUCTIVITY NINJA
I suck at time management!! Then why am I writing this article? Am I being hypocritical? Am I a hypocrite? No, I am not. A hypocrite says one thing and does another. I am just maturing, and I do all the things that I’m going to tell you. Yes, I admit that I’m a freelancer who juggles between client’s work, personal projects, and self-care because we freelancers always get a lot on our plates to do. But I also want to tell you that I manage to get done at least 80 to 90% of my tasks every day. How do I do that? Read on to find out.
For a long time, I was trying too hard to tick-off all the tasks from my to-do list at the end of the day. And I was failing miserably at that. I just couldn't complete all tasks, no matter how hard I try.
However, a few months back, I read this statement in Brian Tracy’s book on productivity "Eat that frog":
"No matter how many personal productivity techniques you master, there will always be more to do than you can ever accomplish in the time you have available to you no matter how much it is."
I couldn’t agree more with the writer. I stopped stressing over not completing all the tasks and told myself even if I can accomplish 80% of the tasks from my to-do list, I should be happy.
I know, I know there are many people out there who struggle to complete even 50% of the tasks because of the following reasons:
- They get so involved in doing one task, so they completely forget about other tasks.
- They procrastinate
- They get distracted by distractions, such as social media and Netflix.
- They wait for motivation.
- And they fear failure.
If you are one of those people who cannot complete 80 to 90% of their task or even 50%, you should continue reading this article. I know my trashy writing style is making you feel like quitting. But do not quit reading this article just yet, because I have enlisted some really amazing productivity tips.
There can be tons of reasons why you are not able to get things done or manage your time efficiently. I have learned a lot about time management and productivity in recent years, and I am sharing some of the tactics that worked for me.
Make it a habit to write a to-do-list and a not-to-do-list
To-do-list
I will be lying if I say I can accomplish most of my daily tasks without jotting them down on a to-do list. I can't. And I have noticed if by any chance I forget to write the to-do-list in the morning, my entire day would get wasted, and I would get very little or no things done.
Arranging your to-do list according to each task’s urgency is also an excellent tactic to get more things done.
Not-to-do-list
This is another productivity technique that I discovered a month ago. If you enlist things you shouldn't do and not do them, then you will automatically focus more on things that you should do, or you have to do.
You can make a not-to-do list like this:
- I don't have to watch youtube videos today.
- I don't have to scroll on Instagram for more than 30 minutes today.
- I don't have to get distracted by Netflix notifications.
- I don't have to talk to my girlfriend for more than two hours.
Just write what you should not do.
Eat that frog
Get the most difficult tasks done at first.
As a human being, your brain is wired in such a way that it will make you feel tempted to do easier things. But don't listen to your brain. Do the most challenging task first. If you manage to do the most difficult task first, then you will feel accomplished after completing that giant task. You will feel like a winner. You will feel good. And you will be excited to get easier tasks done as quickly as possible.
Action comes before motivation
Motivation is a myth. Thanks to my low IQ, it took me a while to understand that action comes before motivation and not the other way around. Waiting for motivation is the stupidest thing in the world. Thinking of doing things and not doing things is procrastination. Waiting for motivation to do things is also procrastination. Go, do one thing, and you will feel motivated and inspired to do even more things. The key to success is action and not motivation.
Habit is underrated motivation is overrated
As I said before, motivation is a myth; it doesn't work and doesn't last long. After watching tons of motivational videos, you may feel inspired or motivated and may even get up and get some things done, but it will not last long. You can't always rely on external motivation. You need to build self-discipline. Building habits is hard. It is painful in the short term, but if you develop a habit, you will get accustomed to doing your tasks. You will be punctual. You won't need an external push to do things, and your future self will thank you.
Upgrading your skills is super necessary
For a very long time in my freelancing career, I was not focusing on improving my skills. Can you believe that?
You need to upgrade your skills and hone your skills. The better you are at your craft, the more money you can make, and the lesser time you will take to do your task. Therefore, always focus on improving your skills. If you are a writer, take out two hours of your day to improve your craft. After some time, you will notice that you are able to write a huge chunk of words in less time. The same goes for any other occupation or skill.
