6 Ways To Skyrocket Your Productivity

Summary

Have you ever tried to sit down and concentrate on something, then found yourself getting distracted less than five minutes later? You and me both. Distractions come up at every point of the day, and ruin our concentration and productivity. But what can you do to reduce those distractions so you can skyrocket the amount of work that you’re able to get done? Here are 6 things that you can be doing in order to drastically improve your productivity.

1. Set Goals For Your Work Session — One thing that a lot of people forget to do when trying to be productive is to set intention and set goals for what they want to accomplish. The simple act of setting the intention of what you are going to work on and setting the goals of what you want to get done in a certain time frame will drastically improve your productivity, and can increase your chance of success by 10x. Going into a work-session with realistic goals is a great catalyst for increased productivity.
2. Keep Your Workspace Clean — In our fast-paced society, we have started to drastically reduce our attention span. Our mind is basically wired to find new things to focus on, and because of this, if you are in a messy workspace, your mind will have more the reason to pick out things that can pull your concentration off of the task at hand. By keeping your workspace clean, there will be less opportunity for your mind to wander away and create distractions that will reduce your productivity. So make sure you’re keeping your desk, room, or office clean!
3. Create a To-Do List — Whenever you start a new work-session, grab a piece of paper or keep a window open on your computer that you can designate as your ‘To-Do List’. While you’re working, when you think of or remember things that you have to do (I promise you, you always will), write it down on the to-do list, then get back to work. Don’t spend any more time pursuing that thought, just get it on paper then move on. Taking your attention away from the task at hand to do something else, no matter how small, can drastically reduce your productivity. Did you just remember to text your friend about your Friday night plans? Jot it down on the To-Do List, and don’t even think about sending a text until you’re done working. Which brings me to..
4. Turn Your Phone Off — Okay, turning your phone off may be a little drastic, but at least turn it on silent. If you’re feeling risky, maybe even throw it on airplane mode. Whatever you choose, make sure that any notifications that you may get won’t interrupt your train of thought. To add to this, always make sure your phone is out of reach while you’re working. Throughout the day, we get these impulses to check our phone. If it’s in arm’s reach, even if it’s upside down or in our desk, we will most likely follow that impulse to check it, even if we’re trying to concentrate on something else. But if it’s across the room or somewhere else where it’s not easily accessible, and where we actually have to make an effort to get to it, we are more likely to resist the urge.
5. Take Breaks — Don’t burn yourself out! I can’t tell you how many times I worked for way too long without breaks, and how it drastically reduced my productivity. Taking breaks is a necessary and natural way to maintain that momentum of productivity. I like to use the Pomodoro Technique, which involves setting a 25-minute timer for working, then a 5-minute timer for taking a break. Bonus points if you don’t check your phone during your break; try to use the opportunity to get up and move around.
6. Wake Up Early — This is my personal favorite (of course). In almost any other environment, there will be opportunities to get distracted that are easy to take. We get asked to work late, our friends invite us out, our kids want attention, or even wanting to spend time with your spouse or roommates. If we wake up early, none of those distractions will be present, plus our mind and body won’t be fatigued from the long day ahead, allowing us to concentrate even more.

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