3 Productivity Hacks That Changed the Way I Worked
Believe me, they are the most doable 3 things
Do you struggle with hours on your work desk and not enough efficiency sprints? Do the end of workdays drown you in a struggle of not having done enough even when you spend hours in front of the laptop? Have you considered thinking what is causing the mental block in your race to productivity?
Are your days usually spent daydreaming or mindless scrolling or usually feeling unmotivated in the space that you’re in?
I was stuck in a similar rut. Over a year of working from home, looking around in your room or your hall and constantly feeling like you’re not enough. I even contemplated if I was living the same day over and over again. The space that I was in, was mentally taxing and so I had to make changes in the way that things were around me to make a real shift in my productivity. And believe me, these three simple hacks changed my life.
A clean space
I have been on a journey of being a minimalist (with a few mishaps) since the beginning of this year. I obviously do buy things that I need, but I seldom spend money mindlessly anymore. What helped my productivity insanely, was keeping my space clean. Waking up and making your bed, dusting your work desk and getting rid of unnecessary wires and chords. Keeping only my laptop and notebook in front of me and ensuring that my full attention is at my job. Sometimes, I am extra and play some fire crackling sounds in the background, to increase my attention span, but all in all, a clean space has had massive impacts on my productivity.
Keeping my phone away
This one has had insurmountable benefits! If you know me, you know that the only social app that can send me notifications on my phone is WhatsApp! Not just that, I have silenced all groups and all calls during my focus mode. I use my social media applications like Twitter and Instagram for a total of 15 minutes in a day (I legit have a timer so I don’t drown in the world of reels). Sometimes when I have some very crucial tasks at hand, I even keep my phone away in another room to avoid any distractions.
The mindless scrolling that you do on Instagram after every hour or so, has the ability to distract your brain for a long time. You may think that it’s just a meme, but those 5 minutes of distraction can result in hours of unproductive behavior.
Making to-do lists
I am fastidious. I love being organized. I can put my hand inside my bag and find exactly what I need without fidgeting. I colour coordinate my wardrobe, I know what every single drawer of my room has and where I can find what. I never keep my glass/bottle without a coaster. It’s just the kind of person that I am and I take so much pride in being that!
I’ve seen friends try and copy this and still fail, because for them it’s a short term habit. For me, this is my lifestyle.
So it was only obvious that I did the same with work. Compartmentalizing and making to-do lists has been one of the best things I’ve done to my work life. Every morning before I start my day, I define my tasks in broad categories. I’m old-school, and hence still choose to use a paper and pen for it, but checking things off your to-do list is such a big morale booster that I legit get one with one efficiency sprint to the other. I work in consulting, so a large part of my day goes in meetings and calls. I have even started blocking my own calendar, to finish off my tasks at hand and the experience has been great.
In closing, I’d just like to reiterate the three productivity hacks that helped me become better at my job:
Having a clean space.
Keeping my phone away.
Making to-do lists.
Let me know what are your productivity hacks in the comments below?
