Making the most of your time is something that everyone struggles with in one way or another. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a professional athlete or *insert your job title here*; packing in all you can within your allotted 24 hours is crucial to success. Here are a few tricks to give your productivity a boost and keep away the procrastination monster that lives within every “marked unread” email.
Find your grind time.
Nope, not talking about coffee (though it may be involved). Finding your grind time is finding the time of day where you are most productive and capitalizing on it. For me, it’s first thing in the morning, so waking up earlier allows me to extend that super productive time of my day. Maybe for you it is late! If so, make sure you block off time on your calendar during that span for your work sessions.
Give yourself (the right) space.
Finding the right time is important, but it must be paired with the right environment. Eliminating things in your environment that distract you (i.e. screaming kiddos or lots of foot traffic) helps you stay focused. Try starting your day a little earlier at a coffee shop to help knock out work without the distraction of the hustle and bustle of the office.
Motivation. Motivation. Motivation.
Sticky notes are my jam. Like my desk may or may not look like I am a spokesperson for Post-itⓇ. Making to-do lists on sticky notes and having the satisfaction of marking items off and then throwing them away is my motivation. What’s yours? A coffee break? Lunch time? A presentation? Whatever it is, find it and use it to fuel your focus!
Keep it up.
Latest word on the scientific street is that it takes on average 66 days to create a new habit. In other words the longer you keep up your productive rituals the more normalized it will become in your life. Procrastination will not even seem like an option to you.
Celebrate good times, come on!
(Yes, that was to be sung in your best Kool & The Gang voice.) Don’t forget to celebrate your success. One of the biggest mistakes you could make is being so focused on getting the work done that you forget to enjoy the moments of success. That’s how stress creeps in. It doesn’t have to be a record breaking moment either. It could simply be celebrating hitting your word count for the day or killing a client presentation. Have a drink, high five a friend or splurge on your favorite lunch spot. Celebrate!
