There is no denying the value of productivity in today’s fast-moving world. The more productive you are, the more free time you have, the more money you make, the more valued you become, and so on. However, many of us get caught up in the rigmarole of daily life and eventually become stagnant. Then, productivity halts altogether.
Want to get back in the game and start getting things done? Here are 21 productivity hacks to help you get more done today.
1. Single-task complex efforts. When it comes to big projects, focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking is great for tedious, mundane tasks, but kills the creativity and focus needed for bigger projects.
2. Get enough sleep. Insufficient sleep leads to mistakes, clumsiness, radical behavior, tardiness, poor hygiene, brain fog, poor decision-making, and forgetfulness. Plus, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a plethora of health problems. In the past, I used to pull all-night study sessions, sometimes twice or thrice in the same week, and without fail, I’d often get canker sores within a day or two of those all-nighters. Not to mention my increased proneness to injuries and accidents, as well as my forgetting everything… Here’s a list of tech-y sleep hacks that can give you a head start in the sleep department.
3. Batch similar tasks. This is fairly self explanatory, but an example would be getting a Redbox movie (for movie night) while I’m at the grocery store, which saves me a trip and gas money.
4. Get organized. Having a place for everything ensure faster access to things when you need them and less time digging. That goes for your home and computer.
5. Break big rocks into little ones. Tackling a big project can be overwhelming, but if you break it up into phases or mini-projects, it becomes much more manageable and less stressful.
6. Offload brain clutter. Use note or reminder systems like the almighty Evernote, which you can use just about anywhere and on just about any device. There are plenty of alternatives, including the traditional sticky notes, but Evernote is one of the few proven apps that’s worked consistently for me. The point here is to basically offload all that mental distraction so you can focus more on stuff that matters.
7. Pass the baton. If you don’t love it, why make yourself miserable? Either delegate it to someone else or outsource it (pay someone to do it for you).
8. Set deadlines. Using deadlines and timers puts pressure on you to follow through and keeps you in sight of your goal.
9. Take advantage of NET (No Extra Time). I first learned about this from Tony Robbins. NET time is basically a reference to those short periods of time where you’re waiting on something (like your oil change) or in transit somewhere. These are passive opportunities for you to learn or do additional things like listen to an audio book or read an article from your “Read Later” list.
10. Exercise regularly. Exercise releases endorphins and other good chemicals that make you feel good, give you more energy, and help you think more clearly.
11. Measure your progress. Metrics allow you to see how far you’ve come and how much farther you have to go. In essence, they tell you if you’re on the right track. I do this with my fitness using my Fitbit Charge HR and with my sleep patterns using Sleep as Android. For my email list, I use a Chrome extension called List Goal, which shows me how many subscribers I currently have, as well as how many I need to get daily to reach my goal. It shows this every time I open a new tab.
12. Meditate. Meditation reduces stress and anxiety, and improves mood and sleep, thereby allowing you to focus better without distraction or emotional distress.
13. Do the hard stuff first. The hard stuff is usually what we stress about most. If you do the hard thing first, you’ll free your mind of prolonged worry and get everything else done faster.
14. Cut out time wasters. You’ll free up tremendous amounts of time if you cut out anything that’s limiting or distracting you, like Facebook/Twitter notifications, games like Candy Crush Saga or Words with Friends, needless internet browsing, TV, etc… This will give you an optimal environment for getting things done. If you need a head start, the Freedom app will take care of this for you.
15. Automate. Thanks to modern-day technology, many tedious, mundane, or dreaded tasks can be automated. Instead of sweeping, get a Roomba. Tired of changing kitty litter? Get an automatic litter changer… This is another great way to free up time for more important things, like family.
16. Plan ahead. For day-to-day tasks, plan the night before, but try to keep a weekly and high-level monthly plan as well. Also, put tasks immediately in your calendar so you don’t start your days with uncertainty about what to do next. There are various productivity systems out there, but some of the most effective that have worked for me are Tony Robbins’ RPM, David Allen’s GTD, Michael Linenberger’s 1MTD/MYN systems, and Brendon Burchard’s Productivity Planner method. Of course, integrating these and knowing when or how to use them most effectively for your situation can get tricky.
17. Escape. Take a break, go on a media fast, or go on a vacation to help clear your head, recharge your brain, and prevent burnout.
18. Do what excites you. The more excited you are about what you’re doing, the easier it will be to stay focused and the quality of your work will be much greater.
19. Visualize your outcome. Don’t just do work for work’s sake. Know what your ultimate outcome will be. Is it to lose 30 lbs? Earn a million dollars this year? Know it, write it down, throw it on a vision board, and always keep it within reach.
20. Establish accountability. Accountability adds external pressure where internal pressure doesn’t cut it. Hire a coach. Make a bet with a friend. Make your goal public. Check out some of my recent posts about accountability.
21. Model. Success leaves clues… Want to be the greatest pool player that ever lived? Model your skills after the best players. Find a mentor or someone who’s done what you’re looking to do.
(Photo:Celestine Chua)
How is your productivity these days? Any of the tips above work for you? Share in the comments below.
