9 Rules to Boost Your Productivity ...

One of the most important things to boost your productivity is to learn how to prioritize. Sometimes you just can’t get things done because you don’t know where to start. Try making a list with all the things you have to do and start with the most important ones. If there are things that you can postpone because you don’t have the time to do them, then just leave them for another time and focus on the most urgent ones. This way, you will be less stressed once you manage to take care of the important ones and you might find you even have some time to do those other things.

If you think that by doing two things at once you will be more productive, I must tell you that you are wrong. A lot of studies have shown that we can’t simply do two different things extremely well at the same time, since our brain has to refocus each time we switch from one task to another. Just like Confucius said: “He who chases two rabbits catches none!”. Try to avoid doing this as much as possible to be more productive.

Reward yourself after each small accomplishment. You could listen to your favorite tune, read a few pages of your favorite book, eat a cookie, check your Facebook account or even see a movie if you have time. This way, you will be more motivated to work hard to reach your goals and it won’t even seem like your work requires so much effort. Make sure you take the time to celebrate what you’ve accomplished each day and that you are aware of what a wonderful job you are doing.

If you want to boost your productivity, definitely de-clutter your desk and your working area. This way, you will see things more clearly and you’ll be able to organize yourself better. Just add an extra drawer to your office, hang some shelves or even use some boxes or some baskets to store the things you don’t need or you don’t use very often. You will plan your work more easily and you will get more things done.

One of the best ways to boost your productivity is by getting up early every day and by starting your day with a healthy and nutritious breakfast. You could also exercise for a few minutes or you could do something you enjoy that will help you feel calmer and more relaxed as the day progresses. This is a good time to make the list I mentioned earlier. Try to create some good morning habits to be able to have a productive day.

I know you have to work hard to reach your goals but don’t forget to take breaks from time to time. You will avoid feeling exhausted and you will have the energy to do those things you like when you finish your work. You could try using the Pomodoro technique which it requires you to work on a task for 25 minutes, then you need to take a 5 minute break in order to rest and then, simply start again. Make sure that after four Pomodoro sessions you take a longer break to recharge your batteries.

If no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to focus, then simply leave your desk behind and get a change of scenery. If you work better with a little noise in the background, then go to a coffee shop and take care of your tasks. If you want complete silence, then you could go at your local library, put on your headphones and start working. Also, if you think you would be able to concentrate much better outdoors, then simply go and sit on a park bench and see how much this will improve your productivity.

Try to identify your peak times, those times when your productivity levels are the highest during a day and schedule your most difficult tasks during that time. This way, you will have more energy to do them and you will be able to concentrate better. You could work on those minor tasks you have to accomplish during your non-peak times, so you don’t waste energy on things that are not so important.

To accomplish all your objectives no matter what, break your goals into smaller pieces and create some mini-milestones. This way, you will enjoy smaller victories, things that will motivate you to keep going. Make sure you don’t give up until you reach those small targets every day and this habit will boost your productivity in the long term.

There are a lot of things you can do to boost your productivity. I mentioned a few here but I’m sure there are many more that I forgot about. Can you tell me of any other ways to increase your productivity?

Sources:
lifehack.org
lifehack.org
lifehack.org
goodreads.com