Let’s face it, if there’s one thing we all want, it’s to be more productive! Have you ever looked at someone like Sheryl Sandberg and just thought how do you get it all done?
For me, I look up to the women who can workout, keep their house tidy, smash their careers and still eat healthily! They are my absolute inspiration!
And as our todos list only get bigger, it means we need to know how to get things done and how to do it productively. Want to know how you can do that?
1. Start your day your right way
To be more productive, we are told that getting up and working out in the morning is the best way to start the day. And whilst it can be, I find that, for me, I’ve tested and tried it and it doesn’t work.
So, instead of getting up at 5 am to workout, I get up when it’s right for me. And I’d advise you do the same, even if your productive day is getting up early and working out. But give yourself plenty of time to start the day with breakfast at home that’s high in energy and will get you through the rest of the morning.
2. Go over your goals for the day
I always make sure to do this on my commute, with my amazing Getting Things Done Planner. And because I do this then, it makes sure that my focus is high and is prepared for work mode. I always, always think of my tasks, prioritize them and start to come up with a plan for the day.
And with this plan already made and ready by the time I sit down at my desk, it means that I’m straight in, focused and ready to go.
3. Organize every inch:
“Google is a very fast-paced place.It’s never gotten boring, but you also have to be super organized. Every morning, I look through all my emails and star the ones that I want to have cleared by the end of the day. I have made peace with myself that I may not get back to all the rest.”
-Lorraine Twohill, VP of Google Global Marketing
When going through your emails don’t spend time answering everyone – organize your mailbox too. Mark the ones you need answering today and add it to your todos lists. Anything that isn’t marked gets left.
The other thing you should do to be more organized is keeping your desk clean and tidy. It will do wonders for your productivity as your space is organized, which means your mind will be organized and away from distractions.
4. Set mini deadlines
Having a todo list is great, it will highlight everything you need to get done in that day! But, where a todo list holds you back is that it may tell you that you have all of these things that need doing today, but it doesn’t tell you how long you have to do them.
Remember, there are only eight hours in a working day, and sometimes your to-do lists are too heavy for those hours. So, you need to set yourself time limits and frames, which will keep you productive, make you more realistic and even speed you up!
5. Don’t get distracted
“Apple Notes. I use it all day long. As I’m going through my email, I’m either taking care of things in the moment or making [an entry] in Apple Notes that I need to deal with it later. At the end of the day, I go through all my notes and make sure I’ve addressed everything.” – Belinda Johnson, Chief Business of Affairs Airbnb
One of the main reasons why we never get anything done is because we get distracted. We try to multitask and usually take a smaller task that we think will take seconds. But usually, that’s not the case.
And whilst this is hard to avoid, instead of stopping then and there, take note of it and promise to get to it when you’re not as busy. But make sure to do it by the end of the day! Because that will mean that you’d have completed both tasks!
6. Get it over with
“I’ll give myself a deadline. And then I’ll change that deadline when that deadline shows up. ‘Okay, by 3, I’m going to make that call.’ Four o’clock comes around—‘Okay okay, by 5 today. Oh, everybody’s left, New York! Can’t make that call!’ So now I sit and ask myself, ‘What’s the worst that’s going to happen here.”
-Oprah Winfrey
There’s always this one task that we always put off and don’t want to do. Well, that should be your first task to do in the morning, before you allow yourself to do anything else.
So, bite the bullet and get it over with. Do it whilst you feel you’re most focused and productive. Because once it’s gone, it’s gone! And on top of this, I would also recommend using this tactic with all your other difficult, unwanted tasks!
Oprah Winfrey beats procrastination by just biting the bullet and getting on with it. She digs deep to the real reason why she keeps putting off a task, resolves it and then gets it done. So, rather than waiting until the end of the day – try doing it at the start!
Q. What’s your trick for beating procrastination?
GOOD THINGS
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