Gather Your Productivity Tools
“You can and should set your own limits and clearly articulate them. This takes courage, but it is also liberating and empowering, and often earns you new respect.” ~ Rosalind Brewer
Professionals never start a job without their tools. So, it is with being productive. Gather all your tools together to be successful. You can use outside sources to help you become and remain motivated, organized, and productive. There are lots of tools you can incorporate into your day to make life and productivity easier.
Electronic Tools
Computers are a great place to start. Lots of computers have places where you can write notes to yourself, like sticky notes, notepads, or timed messages. You can use these note functions to write your lists, jot down things you need to remember or create your daily schedule. When I worked in an office, my screen was full of sticky notes, the kind you write and stick up and the digital ones too. I didn’t know anyone still used digital sticky notes until I looked at my sister’s computer screen and she had several across the top of her computer screen. Whatever works.
In this digital age, our phones, tablets, and smartwatches make it easy to stay productive. That iPhone or iPhone (Androids too) comes equipped with many timesaving, productivity-boosting technology tools and they are all right at your fingertips.
Many smartphones have a reminder function. Use it to set daily reminders for daily tasks or special appointments. Other computers and smartphones have built-in reminder options for items you add to the calendar associated with that phone. Be sure to opt-in for the reminder.
Analog vs. Digital
Calendars, on and off devices, are useful tools for productivity. They show you everything you have going on in your life and business over the course of a week or month. This helps you to create priorities, schedule your time, and keep you from being blindsided by commitments you may have forgotten about.
Note: You can also use calendars to track behaviors and habits. What you can track is endless. I like to track how much water I drink on my calendar. Desk calendars, wall calendars, or electronic calendars are all good for productivity.
Other Tools
If you’re more productive when you have your coffee, keep the coffee maker nearby. This limits the time you spend in the drive-through at popular coffee houses. Leaving your workspace to grab a cup of coffee is a time waster, and it breaks your focus. If you drink multiple cups per day, buy a thermos bottle that will hold an amount of coffee appropriate for you. There are several on the market that will keep your coffee hot (or water cold) until you’re ready to drink it.
If coffee isn’t your thing, figure out whatever causes you to lose focus, and be sure to keep that on hand. You get your fix without having to lose productivity.
Another tool to have on hand is a timer. These come in fun shapes, sizes, and colors. If you’re not into cutesy, many phones, smartwatches, computers, and tablets have timers available. You can also download timer apps in different colors.
Timers allow you to work for a set amount of time on a particular task before needing to move on to another. Take a minute to evaluate your progress. Once the timer goes off, ask yourself, was your time estimate effective? Did you underestimate the time to complete your project? Were you distracted or did you procrastinate? Monitor your behaviors so you can change those that prevent you from being productive.
Takeaway
There are many ways to stay productive. You just have to choose what works best for you.
Affirmations
I use the right tools for the job at hand.
I take each task as it comes, one at a time.
I can fully achieve success.
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