Productivity is a topic that is constantly discussed. Whether it is a small business starting out in someone’s garage, or the most modern office in Silicon Valley – everyone wants to be more productive. It makes sense, the ability to accomplish more helps literally everyone. If you want to accomplish more in your life, then embrace the 9 Pillars of Productivity:
- Own Your Mornings
Make sure that your mornings belong to you. Of course, you can take care of your family first, but make sure you dedicate a significant portion of your morning to you. This is time where you get to focus on bettering yourself, your own goals and powering up for the rest of the day.
- Focus on One Goal at a Time
No matter how good you think you are at it – multitasking hurts productivity. You might feel like you are getting a lot done, but really you are just busy. By focusing on one goal at a time, you will be able to give it your all and do your best work.
- Automate Repetitive Tasks
We all have certain tasks that we do over and over again, almost like it is second nature. You should try being aware of these kind of activities and figure out if there is any way you can automate them. One quick example; are there bills you could set up for auto-payment?
- Delegate The Non-Essential
If you can’t automate non-essential tasks, what about delegation? Delegation isn’t just for executives or managers. Even if you are just working from home, you can delegate certain tasks. For example, could you hire a cleaner? Yes there is a cost, but if you can spend those cleaning hours working on your own goals, it might be more than worth it.
- Don’t Forget Self-Care
Productivity doesn’t mean running headfirst through walls all day long. You need to balance taking action with making sure your own needs are looked after. This way you can attack your goals with as much positive energy as possible. Self-Care includes things like taking breaks, getting enough sleep and regularly exercising. Don’t forget to reward yourself for all your hard work as well.
- Plan Your Days
A few minutes of planning in the morning will make the rest of your day run more smoothly and efficiently. Planning a reasonable todo list each day is a great start, but don’t forget to plan as much of your calendar as possible. Setting weekly and monthly goals is just as important as your daily tasks.
- Set Deadlines & Time Limits
Setting goals and making todo lists are great steps toward productivity. If you want to get the most out of them though, you should have a deadline or time limit for each task that you plan. You will find it easier to focus when you know you only have X amount of time to finish a task.
- Prioritize Your Tasks
People often create their todolists by naming off every single thing they can think of. While this is a good first step, it could actually hurt your productivity by being either unwieldy or overwhelming. A better tactic is to break your todo list up into blocks. You can break it up however you like, but the idea is to prioritize your most important and vital tasks higher than others.
- Learn the Art of “No”
Do you struggle saying “no”? If so, your productivity is probably not where you want it to be. Telling someone “no” doesn’t always feel great, but healthy boundaries are important. Help where you can but don’t say “yes” to requests that put your own goals on the back burner.
FURTHER READING
Learn more about how to boost your productivity.
