10 Things to Do On A Daily Basis To Maximize Your Productivity
(In A Healthy Way)
Productivity is a highly researched trend in America at the moment. We’re trying to figure out how to get the most work done, the most efficiently; how to maximize output while minimizing input; who to hire and how to train people.
We’re obsessed. Productivity is important, don’t get me wrong, but there’s a way to do it and a way not to do it. Here are 10 things I do to HEALTHILY maximize my productivity on a daily basis.
1. I plan realistically.
This is actually two-fold. One: I plan. Two: I am realistic with my plans. For me, I find I work much better if I know what I’m working on. (I can’t be unique in that aspect…) Whether I make my little list of things to do the night before or the morning of, I’m much more likely to get things done if I’m clear on what I’m working on before I start working.
The second part is arguably the most important part: be realistic. Nothing irks me more than people who set out to conquer the world in a single day. We all know big things are just series of smaller things, so instead of putting, “2017 Fall Collection” on your to-do list, put the smaller, conquerable tasks. Be realistic about what you can get done in a day, because if you aren’t, all you’ll end up feeling is failure and frustration. Be fair to yourself.
2. I chunk my tasks.
Not my favorite work, but definitely the best for this scenario. When I gather up the list of things I need/want to do in a day, I put them in chunks of related things so I can have a nice “work flow.” For instance, if I need to write a blog, go to the gym, post to instagram, prep dinner, respond to emails, make a calendar, and add another layer to a canvas, I group things like “blog, instagram, and emails” together. I find this helps me to stay in the “zone,” but I also do it so I can do number 3:
3. I take breaks.
Research shows we work better with more, but shorter sections of “down time” rather than one, big, long bout of rest. That means, instead of working from 9–12 nonstop until a 45 minute lunch break, and then again from 12–5 until dinner, we’re better off working from 9–10, taking a 15 minute break, 10:15–11:15, taking another break, etc, etc. Taking a break can actually lead to not only getting more stuff done, but producing more quality things in a shorter amount of time. How many times have you spent hours working on something, only to spend more time later editing and re-doing certain parts?
Try implementing more frequent but short periods of rest in your work schedule and see what it does to your productivity!
4. I count the “unproductive” things as productive.
What?
Have you ever considered that your break could actually be a form of productivity? I think that if watching a 20 minute episode between tasks recharges your batteries and gets you back on track to work, that should count as productivity, right? Can’t productivity come in all shapes and sizes? Who says it’s only about physical exertion or financial gain?
You might not be product when you take a break and scroll through your phone or take the dog on a walk, but you are producing something. You’re producing a mindset necessary to get work done. You’re producing creativity flow, ideation, and an attitude much better prepared to work than the one that never took a break.
5. I leave my phone far, far away.
Like upstairs or in a drawer. I don’t turn it off. I don’t just silence it and keep it next to me. I don’t even put it on “Do Not Disturb” and leave it alone. Nope, I leave it out of sight. When I’m working, I’m working. Not having my phone (or whatever your distraction is) in sight keeps me ultra-focused and completely removes the option of tapping the home button to see if any celebrity started a live video on instagram or if so-and-so is interested in going to an event near me tomorrow.
6. I choose my environment wisely.
Haven’t you ever heard people in real estate say that location is everything? I think the same holds true for how and where we work. Choose an environment that works for you, whatever that is, but actually put some thought into what your work environment is. Do you like a view? What about the temperature? Lighting? Bathroom accessibility? Comfort level?
If you work from home, seeing the same thing all day, everyday can get old real fast, so either try to leave, or set up a space very specific to work unlike the other areas of your house. Don’t work in your bed or laying on the couch. Your work space should be your work space. Not your lounge space. Not your sleep space. Your work space.
7. I set a timer.
In periods of intense work, I set a timer for 1 hour on my phone, turn it on loud, and then leave it in another room nearby. I don’t stop working until that timer goes off. This helps me not think about how long I’ve been working or how much I have left, and it also let’s me see what I actually get done in a solid hour.
I also set timers for my breaks so that, again, I don’t have to wonder how much time has passed or how much time I have left when I’m trying to just unwind for a minute.
8. I go public.
Public, for me, being my roommate (aka my sister.) The point here is that you let people know, “Hey, I’m working. Please leave me alone.” Sometimes that means sending a text to the person I know will text me every hour or telling the group chat I’m disappearing for a sec. Either way, I make a point of telling people around me that I’m working for the next hour and would like to not be interrupted. It sounds harsh, but if people know you’re working and you’re serious about getting stuff done, it makes it so much easier to avoid unnecessary interruptions and distractions.
9. I don’t multi-task.
Meaning, I don’t check and respond to emails while I type a blog. I don’t eat lunch while I post to instagram. I try to keep a strong division between tasks, but also between work and non-work. Just because you can do two things at once doesn’t mean you should. It’s not good for either party in the long run, because you’re short-changing someone, either yourself or the person on the receiving end of what you’re creating.
Do one thing at a time, and if you don’t have time to do one thing at a time, do less things.
10. I set work hours.
Just because you work from home or work for yourself and have a decent amount of freedom over what you work on and how you work, doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t have “hours.” In fact, it’s almost more necessary to have set working hours when you do work from home/for yourself, because it’s people like us who feel the most pressure to constantly be working — because we can! Our office is everywhere, so why should we stop?
We should stop because overworking is just as detrimental as underworking. Create functional hours for yourself. Maybe that’s 6 am — 3 pm or 10 am — 8 pm. Work around the things you need to work around, and set those hours for yourself. When you’ve put in 9 hours of work, don’t feel bad about calling it a day. On the flipside, when it’s 9am and time to get started, GET STARTED. Don’t allow yourself to be too flexible with these hours, or else it’s kind of pointless. Set them, respect them, and watch how they transform your work day.
