How to Have a More Productive Day

The more productive day you have, the more success you can experience. You also give yourself the opportunity to have more free time. Time always seems to be in short supply. If you can get more out of your day, you’re making better use of your time, hence a more productive day.

Use these strategies to get more done in less time:

1. Plan. To get the most out of any day, it’s important to know what you’re going to do before the day begins. At the beginning of your day map out which projects you are going to work on. Then prioritize the list based on deadlines or what is most important for you to get done. This allows you to get more accomplished as well as get refocused due to inevitable interruptions throughout your day.
2. Get up earlier. You’ll be surprised how much more you can accomplish and how much better you feel about the day if you start your day a little bit earlier. Biologist Christoph Randler surveyed 367 university students and showed that people whose performance peaks in the morning are better positioned for career success because they are more proactive than people who are at their best in the evening. Even if you are more productive in the evening, getting up earlier can help your productivity.
3. Turn off social media. Social media can be a time-waster. Set aside a time when you take breaks to review and respond to social media. This allows you to stay focused on the task at hand rather than responding to every notification that comes in.
4. Say, “no” more often. It’s easier to be productive if you are not distracted by things that are not helping you get your work done. Be willing to say no to tasks, obligations, and people that might get in the way of your productivity. Make it a point to leverage your time as well as you can.
   
5. Stick to one task at a time.  Multitasking is for people that don’t want to be productive. A University of London study found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced an IQ score decline. Another study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance show that multitasking is less efficient because it takes extra time to shift mental gears every time a person switches between tasks. Choose one task, complete it, and then move on to a new task.
6. Focus on the most important task or steps first. Avoid just doing the easiest or most enjoyable tasks. Focus on completing the most important tasks, or the ones you are avoiding because they aren’t as interesting while you are fresh and focused
7. Take regular breaks. Taking a 5-minute break every hour helps you recharge and refocus with fresh eyes on what you are working on. Use that time to stand up, walk around the office, check social media. You’ll feel less exhausted at the end of the day.

We tend to feel there are not enough hours in the day. These strategies help you feel more productive, less exhausted, and stressed at the end of the day. Implement these strategies for a month and see how much more productive you are and how it changes your life.

If you would like help implementing these strategies, please reach out.