Do These 8 Things Every Day to Stay Productive, By Jackelyn Ho. Copied from Priority LearningLink with permission. Whether you try one or try all, these tips are guaranteed to make your day more efficient. Everyone wants to be more productive. How incredible would it be to wake up with a to-do list that you can actually do? Unfortunately, life happens and distractions get in the way of a day's fully checked off checklist. I'm guilty of starting out with good intentions and then falling prey to the dings of my email and the bright lights of my phone. I took it upon myself to stop the madness and slowly started implementing these things one by one...and it actually worked. You don't have to apply this list all at once but if you can get to a place where you are doing most of these things most of the time, then you are well on your way to a more efficient day. 1. Wake up 15 minutes earlier. No one wants to lose any sleep, but I found that waking up a little earlier than my day was supposed to start allowed me to spend extra time on my morning routine and prepare my mind. I could finally sit down and eat breakfast instead of inhaling it between red lights. I was able to take my time getting out of bed instead of rushing and stumbling to the bathroom. It was the extra time I needed to truly wake up. 2. Prepare a podcast or audiobook for your commute. Tony Robbins calls it your NET time - No Extra Time time. These are the moments spent commuting, running errands, or cooking dinner where you can ingest new and important information. It's the time you could normally zone out but instead, you're replacing it with riveting ideas that could lead you to more ideas. 3. Find movement every 60 minutes. Some studies recommend every 30 minutes, but if you are deep in your work, getting up for a walk when you're in peak creativity is just as counterproductive. I opt for a five-minute walk or stretch every 60 minutes in addition to using a standing desk. The quick break allows your brain to pause and rejuvenate. If you're in a slump and finding yourself checking your phone or hopping on social media too much, it's also a good indicator that you should take a movement break. 4. Don't check your email until it's actually time to work. Repeat after me: stop checking your email right when you wake up. Just stop. Don't do it. The first thing you do, see, or hear when you wake up sets the tone for the rest of your day. Let your mornings be all you. You'll have time to email all you want later. 5. Create accountability. Have a colleague or manager checking in on your project or status can help you focus and stay on task. When you know that someone else is involved with your work, you are less likely to fall behind. 6. Pick three major things that need to get done today and assign a time/deadline to them. I love to-do lists. They are so much fun and sometimes I retroactively put things I've done on a new to-do list just so I can check things off. But, alas, I had to stop doing that. These days, I create that list but I rank the top three things that must be done ASAP, and they also have to be big projects. I can't list small and easy errands as my big three. From there, I assign a time when they need to be done. Deadlines are the biggest motivators. 7. Block off time where you are completely unavailable. This is a perfect follow up to above. When you create deadlines, write them into a calendar. If you're in a work environment where people love to talk to you, block it off as a meeting. If you work remotely, hide your phone and ban your email and social media for that amount of time. Commit yourself to completely this task. 8. Stop multi-tasking. I'll admit it, I'm still guilty of this one. But, studies (and prior experience) have proved that you become extremely less productive when you do multiple things at once. It's just the fact of the matter. When your brain can stop jumping from idea to idea, you become more focused, clear, and determined. Updated July 27,2021
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You worked hard at setting your goals. Yes, you developed both Aspirational and SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. You were suppose put them into ACTION. Something happened. You got too busy! Days went by, then months and here you are - your goals are not fulfilled. In fact, you have forgotten about them. “Maybe next year,” you say. Sound familiar. Keeping on track with your goals is easier said than done. You need to do the work to follow through on them. However, when it comes to not doing the work toward your goals, falling back on the expression “easier said then done” can have some severe consequences for you such as you:
1: Write your goals down. When it comes to keeping appointments and meeting deadlines, most people write them down—or else they somehow disappear until after they’ve passed. The same is true with goals. Without visually concretizing your aim in writing, your goal is likely to dissipate into thin air. Once you have them written down post them so that you can see them. Put them on your computer desktop, print them out and post them on your wall, link them to your task manager so that they routinely come up. 2. Set a schedule. Maybe your goals are more aspirational than SMART. If so, your goal won’t have a due date and you will keep putting them off if things get in the way, or perhaps when you just feel lazy. Put the goal on your calendar. If it’s something big, don’t try to cram too many other things into the days before your deadline. 3. Break them down. Your goal will be easier to accomplish if you break it down into digestible steps. When architects plan a building, they don’t just put it up in one day: it’s built in parts, from the foundation up. The same is true with your goal. Break it down into weekly, monthly, or even yearly chunks, depending on how far out the deadline is. This is all about developing an ACTION PLAN. If you don’t have one or don’t know how to create an ACTION PLAN let me know in the comments below and I will send one to you. 4. Become Accountable. Studies have shown that when you have to report to someone else, you are more likely to stay on track. Pick an accountability buddy—it could be someone working towards the same goal, like a gym partner, or perhaps just a friend or family member. Set up times when you will check in and notify them of your progress. This is extremely important when it comes to your business or work goals. Solopreneurs, Internet Marketers, and the like usually work alone. If you find yourself in this position then search for someone who is interested in what you do like a coach, a mentor, a friend on Facebook, or someone in a Facebook group. The important factor here is that you want someone who is committed to your success, will treat you with dignity but who will be brutally honest with you. You don’t want someone who will just let you off the hook so to speak. 5. Be Positive. Remember the story of The Little Engine That Could—he was able to climb the hill because he kept on saying “I think I can, I think I can.” You should have the same reaction towards your goals: verbal and mental positivity. Use affirmations, positive thinking, and support from those around you to help you reach for them. 6. Treat Yourself. When you hit a milestone, do something nice for yourself, whether it’s going out to lunch or buying a new article of clothing. Plan a special event or prepare to claim a prize when you reach your goal. Teachers are great at leveraging this tactic: when their class hits a behavioral or educational goal, they throw a pizza party. Why not use the same strategy and celebrate with a nice treat when you accomplish your goal? If your goal has a product associated with it and you have a return on your investment of time and money, then take a percentage of the income and reinvest it into your business and into your own growth and development. Why? Because your personal growth and development matter for your continued success. As always take care, stay safe and become the person you were meant to be. Thanks for reading, Richard Fontanie |
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