There is a lot of truth in the saying: "If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done."
Productivity is important to all of us. If anything, it is a universal language that we all speak. Being productive in our society equates to our ability to earn well, to be progressive in our careers, and to thrive in whatever we are doing. We may not talk about it, but productivity truly is one of the modern human life essentials. Having work woes can be a common theme when we are not as productive as we expect ourselves to be, or when we do not perform well.
However, there are certain moments and circumstances in life that we cannot control that may inevitably affect our productivity levels. While living in this digital age has given us so many tools to become more efficient at our jobs, these may also become the reason that sometimes we're less effective. We're often at the mercy of being distracted.
We know that productivity remains valuable. Mostly, it makes the job more enjoyable and makes us more employable. This is why we don't stop looking for ways that would help amp up our work game.
Here are a few good productivity habits that have proven their worth over and over.
Keep the 80/20 Principle in Mind
The Pareto Principle is never truer than when it comes to our efficiency at work. With a finite number of hours in a day, we remain limited in our resources to do it all. Highly productive people acknowledge this and keep a few priorities that they make sure to accomplish. Ultimately, only 20% of your long list will deliver as much as 80% of the results; so choose well and leave the others for the next day.
Establish a Morning Ritual
There's nothing clich about how most successful people swear by their morning rituals. Morning rituals are essential when you want to stay on top of your game each day. How we start our day usually sets us up for productivity, or failure to use our valuable time well.
Choose your morning rituals by investing in yourself and your energy first. Eat a good breakfast, move your body, and mentally prepare yourself for the day ahead.
Set up Systems
To become highly productive and stay consistent at it, make sure the onus is on procedures and protocols and not left to motivation alone. Solely relying on external circumstances or the weather to motivate us will often leave us frustrated and with very little to no control of our mind and time. Whereas, setting up systems the way to automate your good habits, giving you higher chances of success and staying motivated, even when circumstances are not inspiring.
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Do Not Believe the Lie that Multitasking Works
Some individuals and work environments still promote the value of multitasking. Reasonably, companies want to make the most of their human resources, which is why many people end up with more tasks in front of them than they can realistically handle sometimes.
Repeated research has proven that rapid task-switching has multiple productivity costs that result in inefficiency. Slip-ups and mistakes caused by lack of attention and focus could end up being costly, too. Staying productive means focusing on one task at a time.
Manage Your Energy, Not Just Your Time
More than our obsession to manage our time, it is our energy that is so important to manage. Knowing how we perform through our day will help us maximize our peak hours. If you're a morning person, make sure to eat the frog first and deal with the most challenging tasks of the day in the morning. Being mindful of the things you devote your attention to is key in doing this.
Take Breaks
When you start to feel mental or physical fatigue after working long hours, it's your body's way of saying that it's used up all the glucose and you need to grab a snack, or better yet, take a break. Taking regular breaks is essential in keeping your productivity high and keeping your sanity intact as well. Allow yourself mental breaks throughout the day to keep you refreshed and able to perform to your best while engaged in your tasks.
Don't Avoid the Important Jobs
Too often, we end up avoiding tasks that seem overwhelming. Yet how often when we begin them do we realize that they are not as daunting as first thought. And it feels so great when they are finally done. Some of the things we postpone are valuable to our goals, but they can seem scary to tackle. From now on, have a look at your list again and notice if there's something in there that could help you grow and impact you long-term. Then go do that first.
