Productivity tips
Learn to Speed Read
When you can read faster, you will read and learn more! Check out these 10 Ways to Increase Your Reading Speed. You can also make use of the app OutRead to help speed up your reading speed!
Read David Allen’s best-selling book Getting Things Done
This is one of the most important productivity books you will ever read. Read it, apply the tips in your daily lives and get more things done. Here’re more great books about productivity too: 35 Books on Productivity and Organizational Skills for an Effective Life
Listen to Podcasts
Listen to educational podcasts or audio books while you’re driving to work, cleaning the house, exercising, or cooking dinner. Audio learning has the power to add hours to your day. Not to mention, your cranium is sure to thank you for it. Some recommendations for you: 11 Podcasts To Inspire Yourself
Tell Other People About Your Goals
When you tell others about your goals, you will instantly be held accountable.
Set Some Exciting Goals
Without worthy goals, you will never be motivated to get things done. Set goals that are challenging and achievable. The best goal setting framework is a SMART goal. That said, there are other tools that can help you out as well. For example, The Dreamers’ Guide To Reaching Your Goal is a great guide to help you set and reach goals effectively. Grab your free guide and learn how to make your goals happen this year!
Outsource as Much as Possible
If you want to achieve more in less time, learn to delegate or outsource work. Here are just a few of the companies that will help you outsource your everyday tasks:
- GetFriday
- Upwork
- Guru.com
- ScriptLancle Also, read this guide to learn how to delegate effectively: How to Delegate Work (the Definitive Guide for Successful Leaders)
Exercise
Research has shown that midday exercise boosts productivity and morale in the workplace. Take a short walk at lunch or do some simple stretches during your break to maximize your productivity. Here I have some exercises recommendations for you:
- 29 Exercises You Can Do At (Or Near) Your Desk
- 15 Simple And Quick Office Stretches To Boost Work Efficiency
Get up Early Before Anyone Else
I know it could be difficult for some to wake up early in the morning but nothing beats a quiet house! Here’s How to Start Your Day at 5:00 AM and some Simple Things Early Risers Do to make waking up early easier.
Take Breaks
There’s a limit to how long anybody can devote deep focus to a task. No matter how busy you are, after a certain amount of time, the law of diminishing returns kicks in, and fatigue—physical and/or mental—starts to impair your effectiveness. Schedule breaks periodically even during the busiest days. Take ten minutes to stand up, stretch, get a drink of water, walk around the block. You’ll return to your work refreshed, both mentally and physically, and ready to be even more productive. If you’re not convinced yet, read this article about The Importance of Scheduling Downtime.
Turn off Distractions
One of the major productivity killers is the distraction of constant interruptions: emails, phone calls, people appearing at your door… The technology that can (and should) make our lives easier and better also can make it virtually impossible to maintain the kind of focused attention that’s necessary to work efficiently and effectively. But here’s the thing: you can control that technology. When you’ve got an important task that requires attention and focus, create the space to give it your best. Whether it’s a meeting with a client or colleague, or an important letter that needs to get written, or a piece of art you want to create, schedule a block of time to focus on that commitment, and then turn off all distractions. Shut down your phone (or at least turn off the ringer). Silence your email alerts. Disconnect the internet (or at least Facebook and Twitter). Close your office door. Just for that hour (or thirty minutes, or half day), turn off all outside communications and give yourself the necessary luxury of undisturbed time to really focus on the matter at hand. Find out here more about How to Minimize Distraction to Get Things Done.