7 Habits of Productive People to Incorporate into Your Life ...

One of the habits of productive people is that they make a daily to-do list. They plan on getting things done. Their day doesn’t get away from them because they’ve got it mapped out. Their to-do list keeps them on track. Try making one for yourself and see what a difference it makes in your day.

A to-do list is a plan for your day. You can also set goals to motivate you. Maybe you want to have a certain amount of homework done in two hours. See if you can hit that goal or beat the time you allotted yourself. Challenging yourself like this can really keep you on your toes. If you do this a couple of times throughout your day then you’ll be surprised how much you accomplish.

You aren’t going to be productive if you let the day get away from you. Do whatever you need to do to get energized in the mornings. Some people use caffeine to give them their morning energy. Others go for a morning run. For me, I don’t feel ready to face the day until my hair and makeup are done. It’s a personal thing and you have to figure out what energizes you.

Do you have time-stealers in your life? I have some I have to watch out for. Usually they come in the form of the phone and the internet. I’ve learned some ways around my time-stealers and you can, too. For example, I only talk to friends when I’m exercising and have certain times of the day I check out my favorite websites.

Daily to-do lists are good but it’s also good to think long term. What do you want to have completed in one week or maybe one month? Set future goals for yourself. This helps you stay motivated because you’ll occasionally compare yourself to your long term goals to see how you’re stacking up. If you see that you’re falling behind it can give you the extra push you need to work harder.

This one may sound counterproductive but the truth is that productive people know that taking time for fun will actually boost their productivity. If you don’t take time for things you enjoy then you’ll start experiencing burnout. When burnout hits you’re not giving it your best effort anymore. You could even feel like throwing in the towel on whatever project you’re working on. Fun refuels you so that you return to your work with a fresh attitude.

You won’t be productive if you aren’t at your best. If you want to be productive then you need to take care of yourself. That means eating well, getting enough sleep and making time for exercise. It does take time to take care of yourself but it’ll make you more productive because you’ll feel better. When you’re tired and have no energy, you’re not going to accomplish very much.

These are 7 habits of productive people that you can use in your own life. Which ones do you plan to try? I’d love to hear your plans.