Every new year promises us new things. We also do not hesitate in promising ourselves to be a better version of ourselves. No matter how good we were the previous year, we can always do better the next year. Self-improvement is a continuous process.
If one of your objectives is to be more productive in 2018, then you need to take baby steps to achieve that goal every day. No body becomes a highly productive person overnight. It takes a series of steps every day. Sooner or later, these steps become your habits. In this article, we are listing some ways to bring more productivity to your life.
- Start your Day the Night Before
One of the best ways to make the most out of a day is to plan for it in advance. Every night, before hitting the bed, you should make mental notes of the things you plan to do the next day. In fact, it is a good idea to take a look into your calendar and plan for the week or the month ahead. This will allow you to mentally prepare yourself for the activities you are about to do the next day, week or month.
- Sleep Well
In our busy lives, a proper sleep is often neglected by us. It is important to sleep sufficiently to recover quickly from any distractions, prevent getting tired and work better the next day.
- Breakfast Like a King
One of the easiest things to be more productive is eating well. You must start your day with foods that give your energy and make you happy. Good food allows you to feel good and automatically gives a great start to your day. It is also important to savour your breakfast and enjoy the moment. You can think about your priorities of the day in that time. This will make your day much more organized.
- Scratch off the Most Challenging Thing First
Start first on the most challenging thing you need to do on that day. Once you have scratched that thing off the list, you will start feeling like a winner. The rest of the day will become a breeze as everything else will feel less of a task.
- Make a Job List
Starting your day at work or at home with a job list is not a new idea, but a highly effective one. Make a list of all the things you have to do and work on them for the rest of the day. This will ensure you do not forget anything. It will give you a sense of achievement when you scratch off one task after another.
- Do not Push Yourself
Sometimes the going gets tough or we are simply exhausted. At times like those, do not try to push yourselves in finishing the tasks. Instead, give yourself a short break. Relax, sip tea, enjoy some healthy conversation with a friend or just read a book. These few minutes doing something relaxing will energize you to restart the day.
- Take That Phone Call
Sometimes we prefer mailing over phone calls, however on most occasions it is easier to pick up the phone and talk to the person directly. It is fascinating how a couple of minutes of human interaction can solve matters which take much more time on mail or messengers.
- Discipline Your Mind
One of the most challenging things to do is to discipline your mind to listen to you! Sometimes when we are doing something that we do not enjoy much, we get distracted. So, we get up for frequent tea breaks or start fiddling with the smartphone or browse on social networking portals. This only prolongs the tough task set in front of us. The key to avoid this is to train your mind to stay still. Try meditation or yoga to improve your focus. This will not only save your time, but it will also tire you lesser than usual.
- Avoid Back to Back Meetings
Very often we find ourselves attending back to back meetings with no time in between. This makes us simply rush from one meeting room to another. It is important to have breaks in between to go through the other important tasks of the day or simply to adapt oneself to the tone of the next meeting. This will not only let us to finish the remaining work for that day, it will also help us achieve the objectives of your meetings better.
- Declutter
Clear your work space whenever you can. A clean space allows you to focus. A cluttered space is the sign of a distracted person.
At the end of the day, taking care of your health and taking things mindfully and steadily will help you achieve your goals. Remember, being productive is an ongoing process.