7 productivity hacks to help you get more done.
There have been times in my life when I have been the QUEEN of procrastination.
A side effect that made many in my life happy was the amount of procrasti-baking that occurred. My husband often wondered why there wasn’t any procrasti-cleaning… That’s easy to answer – I wasn’t ever *quite* that desperate!
Fortunately, I’ve learned to be more focused with my time, and get a whole lot more done, without the faffing around that used to happen with far too much regularity.
It’s amazing what you can achieve when you put your mind to it.
Some of my favourite productivity hacks are:
Know what you want to achieve and when you want to have it done by. Whether it’s a big thing (such as when I wrote my book) or small thing (such as my weekly newsletter), having a goal makes you far more likely to do the thing.
Make a list. I love lists and checklists and write them for everything. Earlier this year I started using a Bullet Journal and it has been a GAME CHANGER. In January I wrote down what I want to achieve this year, and I also use it to capture what I want to achieve each quarter, month and week. I then write a daily to-do list and prioritise what needs to be achieved in order of importance.
Minimise distractions. Last week I shared with you some ways to manage your distractions. The two most impactful actions I take are removing almost all notifications from my phone / computer and putting my phone into Do Not Disturb mode, I do this for a couple of hours most days when I need to do some deep thinking or power through my list of smaller tasks.
Use time-blocking. This means you set aside specific times for different tasks or activities throughout the day / week / month. When I was writing Fully Connected, I blocked out two-hour blocks two or three times a week so I could focus on writing. I am not one of those people who can write in the cracks! I also block out an hour a couple of times a month for the life admin jobs that stack up – paying bills, booking appointments, organising social activities etc.
Take regular breaks. Taking breaks helps increase your focus and productivity as your brain needs to rest. Even if it’s only a few minutes away from your desk every hour, your brain will thank you. And please, try and take a lunch break every day, regardless of how short it might be.
Use a productivity technique such as Pomodoro. Pomodoro is where you work for 25 minutes (set an alarm) and then take a five-minute break. After four Pomodoros, take a longer break of 15-20 minutes. This can help you stay focused and avoid burnout.
Listen to music that is designed to help you focus. I was introduced to brain.fm last year and it is brilliant. It uses neuroscience to inform their music-making so it shifts your brain state. I have no idea how it works, but it does. Use this link to trial it for a month for $1.
Do you have a favourite productivity hack?
