Do you ever tell yourself "I need to be more productive?" If you are thinking this, you are probably thinking and planning on actually doing more. Working more hours, getting through and accomplishing more work during those hours etc may already be exhausting you just thinking about it. The truth about being productive is that we don't produce more worthwhile results in our lives by constantly doing more, but perhaps by doing less. Here are eight ways you can be more productive this year with much less effort.
Prioritize
Make time to honestly reflect on your life and assess what is important to you. Think about where you want to go, what you want and the steps it will take to get there.
Focus On Necessities and Do Them First
Think about short term responsibilities. Ask yourself: "Out of all of my tasks I must complete, which needs to be completed first and will get me the greatest return for my time and effort?" Prioritize what is important and focus solely on those until the task is done. Begin each day by doing the two or three most important tasks. You will find that if you do these responsibilities right away, your productivity will rise and you will feel more accomplished, propelling you to accomplish more.
Eliminate Distractions
If you let yourself constantly be interrupted by text messages, checking social media websites and so on, you will constantly push back the time it will take for you to complete a task. Put them aside and resist the temptations until your goals have been accomplished. Make it a reward to check your Facebook or Instagram page after you have accomplished something. Turn it into a game. Post a status or update a photo, turn your notifications on silent and turn your phone over. Your reward will be to read all the responses once you have finished a task.
Keep It Simple
Don't waste your time on apps that 'organize your schedule.' Make a simple, easy to follow to-do list with a Word Document or with my favorite, some pen and paper.
One Thing At a Time
Multi-tasking does slow you down. Focus on one thing at a time and you will be more likely to achieve more in less time and with less effort.
Reflect and Appreciate
At the end of everyday, reflect on what you have achieved. Seeing what you have accomplished will make you feel really good about your hard work and will actually encourage you to want to do more. Commit to yourself, and keep going.
Photograph from Tumblr
Prioritize
Make time to honestly reflect on your life and assess what is important to you. Think about where you want to go, what you want and the steps it will take to get there.
Focus On Necessities and Do Them First
Think about short term responsibilities. Ask yourself: "Out of all of my tasks I must complete, which needs to be completed first and will get me the greatest return for my time and effort?" Prioritize what is important and focus solely on those until the task is done. Begin each day by doing the two or three most important tasks. You will find that if you do these responsibilities right away, your productivity will rise and you will feel more accomplished, propelling you to accomplish more.
Eliminate Distractions
If you let yourself constantly be interrupted by text messages, checking social media websites and so on, you will constantly push back the time it will take for you to complete a task. Put them aside and resist the temptations until your goals have been accomplished. Make it a reward to check your Facebook or Instagram page after you have accomplished something. Turn it into a game. Post a status or update a photo, turn your notifications on silent and turn your phone over. Your reward will be to read all the responses once you have finished a task.
Keep It Simple
Don't waste your time on apps that 'organize your schedule.' Make a simple, easy to follow to-do list with a Word Document or with my favorite, some pen and paper.
One Thing At a Time
Multi-tasking does slow you down. Focus on one thing at a time and you will be more likely to achieve more in less time and with less effort.
Reflect and Appreciate
At the end of everyday, reflect on what you have achieved. Seeing what you have accomplished will make you feel really good about your hard work and will actually encourage you to want to do more. Commit to yourself, and keep going.
Photograph from Tumblr
