productivity

how to have a productive day

How to Have a Productive Day

Do you get easily sidetracked throughout the day? Typically things start off quite well. You’re focused and work quite productively, but at some point everything just falls apart. Instead of focusing on your work you end up indulging in little distractions and pleasures that keep your brain entertained. The end of the day soon rolls around, and you look back and wonder how on earth you managed to get so little done. This is of course a typical scenario that many of us go through. It’s however not an unavoidable scenario. There are actually six steps you can follow that will dramatically improve your chances of having a productive day.


1) RECOGNIZE THE UNPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY

How can I have an extremely productive day

To have a productive day means actually working productively on your highest priority activities. It also means hitting targets and getting results that help move projects and tasks forward. So if that’s the number one goal, then anything that distracts you from this path becomes a hindrance to your productivity. Whenever you notice yourself getting sidetracked with anything that pulls you away from your highest value activities, that is when you need to immediately do three things. First, recognize what you’re doing. Secondly, stop indulging in this activity. And thirdly, acknowledge that this isn’t a valuable use of your time.

2) CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES

How do I live a productive day

To have a productive day requires understanding the consequences of your actions. Everything you do of course comes with a set of consequences. The consequences of your actions can either move you forward in a helpful way, or they can hinder your progress. When we indulge in unproductive activities, we normally don’t take into consideration the consequences that may result. In particular we don’t take into account the long-term consequences. Specifically, the long-term impact of the choices we make. With this in mind, consider the long-term impact of indulging in this unproductive activity. What will it inevitably cost you?

3) REMOVE YOURSELF FROM ACTIVITY

How can I make my day 10 times more productive

To have a productive day you need to get into the habit of being very decisive. This is especially relevant when it comes to removing yourself from unproductive activities. You need to separate yourself from these activities as soon as possible. Separation will allow you to gain proper perspective of the situation. However, this isn’t just about perspective, it’s also about taking the time to remind yourself about what truly matters. Have a think about the kind of person you are and how you would ideally like to live your life. Reflect also on the goals you would like to achieve. Now consider, how this unproductive activity could deny you these things.

4) START SETTING PRIORITIES

How do you create a productive daily routine

To have a productive day requires effective prioritization. It requires constantly reminding yourself about what’s most important, and then refocusing on those activities. But how do we know what’s truly most important? Well it all begins with getting very clear about the kind of person you want to be at this particular time. The person who indulged in this unproductive activity probably isn’t you. If that’s the case, then how do you prefer to be in this situation? Now, reflect on the goals you want to achieve, along with the various tasks that support these goals. Here is where you will find your highest priority activities.

5) CREATE CONTINGENCY PLANS

How can I be productive at home

To have a productive day requires effectively organizing your time around your highest priority activities. You need to get very clear about what you want to accomplish, how you will accomplish those tasks, and how you will adapt when things get in your way. This effectively comes down to creating contingency plans for when things don’t quite go to plan. For instance, what will you do when you get distracted? What will you do when you lose focus? How will you adapt to the inevitable setbacks you might face throughout the day? And, how will you refocus your efforts on your highest priority activities?

6) TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION

How to Be Productive at Home and Make Every Day a Productive Day

To have a productive day means staying focused on the things that matter most. These are your highest value and highest impact tasks and activities. They must support the kind of person you want to be and the goals you want to achieve. And this is where your focus must lie. If however all this kind of feels a little daunting, then break big tasks down into small chunks. Moreover, work incrementally through these chunks within specific predefined time frames. You can even set a timer to create a sense of urgency. This will encourage you to work more efficiently through each task. Also, make work fun. When you enjoy working, you will have a productive day.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

To have a productive day of course takes hard work. It takes self-discipline, willpower, patience, and effort on your part. It’s not easy to work productively for an entire day, but it certainly can be done.

Working through these six steps and reminding yourself of them throughout the day, will help you to stay focused on what matters. This of course doesn’t mean that you won’t get distracted. What it does mean is that you will manage those distractions in more optimal ways, which will help you to make better use of your time.

Do however keep in mind that it’s not always about what you do, but rather about how you do those things. Focusing on the right things in the wrong way is almost as bad as getting distracted. At the end of the day results are what matter. When you get great results and surpass your expectations, that is when you know you have had a productive day.


How to have a productive day ebook

Imagine for a moment you could develop new habits and methods of thinking where you naturally and effortlessly adopt these ideas into your life. How would that make you feel? Would you feel more fulfilled, empowered and in control?

Yes, there is such simplicity within this IQ Doodle, but of course there is a reason for that. Making positive change doesn’t need to be a complicated process. It just needs to be a consistent process where we progressively develop new habits-of-mind through repeated exposure and implementation. And that’s what these IQ Doodles are for.

We have prepared for you an IQ Doodle pack that includes several variations of this IQ Doodle that you can use for guidance and inspiration throughout the day. Use it consistently and you will begin making positive changes in the way you live, work and interact with others.

Visit the IQ Doodle Store to learn more about how to use this IQ Doodle and begin optimizing the way you live your life today.


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How to Have a Productive Day Read More »

Nine foolproof productivity hacks

Nine Foolproof Productivity Hacks

How has your productivity been today? Are you satisfied? Do you wish it could have been better? When we work more productively we feel better and accomplish more. Getting more stuff done of course means that we move closer to the attainment of our goals and objectives. Higher levels of productivity can also help us gain valuable time to focus on other things besides work. Work-life balance is of course so very important in this day and age. But how exactly can we improve our productivity? There are of course plenty of productivity hacks out there, but possibly only nine that will make a significant difference.


1) USE CHECKLISTS, A CALENDAR AND A TASK LIST

6 productivity hacks

When it comes to improving productivity, you’re only as good as the tools you use. Use the right tools, in the right way, and they will immediately help improve your effectiveness and efficiency throughout the day. When it comes to productivity, there are three tools in particular that are of most value. These tools include task lists, calendars and checklists. Use task lists to prioritize key tasks and projects you will work on each day. Use a calendar to schedule specific blocks of time for completing these tasks and projects. Use checklists to systematize and accelerate your workflow as you work through each individual task.

2) ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS

6 Smart Hacks to Maximize Your Work Productivity

Using the right tools is a great start, however they will end up being quite useless if you’re unable to separate yourself from distractions that interrupt your workflow. There are specifically two types of distractions that you must address. The first are external distractions, and the second are internal distractions. External distractions include people, noise, smells, physical discomfort, and visual stimuli that interfere with your ability to focus. On the other hand, internal distractions come as thoughts and emotions that affect your ability to concentrate. Be ruthless when dealing with these distractions.

3) FOCUS ON THE BIG ROCKS

6 Best Productivity Hacks for Procrastinators

In order to improve your productivity, you must commit yourself to working smarter, not harder. This is of course all about effective prioritization. Specifically it’s about focusing on the things that matter most. These are of course the big rocks, or in other words, the tasks and activities that have the greatest long-term payoffs. Yes, you can certainly focus on all the little things. They will no doubt keep you very busy. However, what true long-term value do these activities have? Consider also the opportunity cost. Focusing on the little stuff means that you may run out of time for the big stuff. What could that cost you in the long-run?

4) BE TASK EFFICIENT

What are 6 ways to increase productivity

Now that you have your priorities in order, it’s time to work through your tasks more efficiently. Productivity is of course first and foremost about working smarter. But in order to work smarter, you must utilize your time more effectively. One way to do that is to group related tasks together and then work through them within fixed time slots. This will save you the trouble of working through similar tasks several times per day. This is of course quite beneficial as it helps you avoid falling into the multi-tasking trap. Multi-tasking involves dividing you attention between two different types of tasks, which often ends up hurting productivity.

5) WORK WITH PURPOSE

productivity hacks

Improving productivity isn’t purely about what you do and how you go about accomplishing those tasks. It’s also about the mindset you bring to each task. Specifically it’s all about working with a sense of purpose, a deep desire, and a passion for getting the job done. When you work with purpose all your energy and efforts are aligned in one direction. This naturally helps you to stay focused for longer. However, working with purpose requires an understanding of why you’re doing what you’re doing. It also requires getting very clear about the true long-term value you will gain from working through each task.

6) USE A TIMER

productivity hacks

One of the best and fastest ways to immediately improve your levels of productivity comes in the form of a timer. A timer is an incredibly effective tool because it helps create a sense of urgency. When we work with no deadline, we are more at ease and kind of relax our way into our work routine. However, when there is an imminent deadline on the horizon, that is when we muster up the extra energy we need to get stuff done in record time. With that in mind, schedule all your tasks into specific time slots, then set a timer for completing each task. This will provide you with that extra urgency you need to get stuff done.

7) BE TECH SAVVY

productivity management

These days, there are an incredible array of tech tools that are designed to help us work more productively and stay focused on our highest priority activities. The goal of these tools is of course to simplify our lives, and to systematize and streamline our workflow. You could of course ignore what’s out there and just focus on using traditional productivity tools such as calendars, task lists and checklists. Technology can however enhance all these tools and provide you with more efficient ways of managing and tracking your progress. However, use technology with caution. As great as it is, it can also very quickly become a distraction.

8) MAKE WORK FUN

productive work

n order to sustain high levels of productivity over the long-run, it’s important that you stay sufficiently motivated. One of the best ways to do that is to make work fun and exciting. For instance, instead of dreading going through that budget report, why not turn it into a game and challenge yourself to complete it within a certain time frame. Or how about pretending that you are a secret agent on a mission to unlock a secret code that is found within that report. Or what about stimulating some friendly competition between you and your workmates. By making things fun, work no longer feels like a chore, but rather more like playtime.

9) TAKE REGULAR BREAKS

ways to be more productive

Working for hours on end, is certainly admirable. But is it really sensible? Does working for longer mean that we will achieve more at the end of the day? Well actually, it doesn’t. Research has found that we can sustain high levels of focus and concentration for short bursts at a time. After this period, our focus and concentration dwindle, until we reach a point where we start to feel mentally fatigued. This subsequently makes us more susceptible to distractions, which of course diminishes our levels of productivity. To avoid falling into this trap, it can be helpful to spend 25 minutes working, and 5 minutes resting every cycle.


CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

So there you have it. Those are the nine productivity hacks that will help improve your effectiveness and efficiency throughout the day. Now it’s up to you to put them into action in your own life.

To begin with, select one productivity hack that you feel will have the biggest impact on improving your productivity. Now carefully introduce it into your workflow and routine. Test it out, make some tweaks, and fully integrate it into your life. Once you feel comfortable with this change, choose another hack and then integrate that into your workflow as well.

If you stick with it, and continue implementing these productivity hacks into your life, then progressively over time you will establish new habits and patterns of behavior that will help you to work more effectively and efficiently throughout the day.


Nine Hacks for Improving Productivity

 

Imagine for a moment you could develop new habits and methods of thinking where you naturally and effortlessly adopt these ideas into your life. How would that make you feel? Would you feel more fulfilled, empowered and in control?

Yes, there is such simplicity within this IQ Doodle, but of course there is a reason for that. Making positive change doesn’t need to be a complicated process. It just needs to be a consistent process where we progressively develop new habits-of-mind through repeated exposure and implementation. And that’s what these IQ Doodles are for.

We have prepared for you an IQ Doodle pack that includes several variations of this IQ Doodle that you can use for guidance and inspiration throughout the day. Use it consistently and you will begin making positive changes in the way you live, work and interact with others.

Visit the IQ Doodle Store to learn more about how to use this IQ Doodle and begin optimizing the way you live your life today.


Learn More About this Topic

Want to know more about this topic? Here are some helpful links to articles that you may find of value:


Nine Foolproof Productivity Hacks Read More »

How to work smarter not harder

How to Work Smarter Not Harder

It’s the start of another workday, and you have a ridiculous amount of things that need to get done. You are of course more than familiar with this scenario. You’ve been here plenty of times before. There’s just a lot of stuff, and just not enough time to do it all. But you will of course try your best. And so you decide to push yourself to the extreme, and actually work your butt off to get things done. But as the end of the day rolls around you kind of look back and wonder how on earth you managed to accomplish so very little. You were so busy, but have almost nothing to show for your efforts. If only you had worked smarter not harder.

1) THE PRIORITY PYRAMID

work smarter not harder

To work smarter not harder requires a clear understanding of the priority pyramid. The priority pyramid helps you break your tasks into three categories. These categories include the important stuff, the necessary stuff and the unnecessary stuff. The important stuff includes all the things that you absolutely must get done today. These tasks have the highest long-term payoffs. The necessary stuff includes all the things that you should get done today. These tasks have low long-term but high short-term payoffs. The unnecessary stuff includes all the other things that you could do that won’t provide you with any real value.

2) AVOID THE BUSY BEE TRAP

6 Tips to Work Smarter Not Harder

Have you ever gotten yourself caught up within the busy bee trap? This is where you work yourself silly for an entire day, but in the end you have little to show for your efforts. You of course thought you were being productive. It seemed as though you were doing all the right things, but you were really only fooling yourself. Yes you were extremely busy, but were you actually focusing on your highest priority activities? Your highest priority activities are what get you results at the end of the day. Staying busy focusing on the wrong things is certainly not a sign of productive output. With that in mind, commit yourself to focusing on what matters.

3) RECOGNIZE WHAT’S WORKING

6 Effective Tips To Work Smarter Not Harder

To work smarter not harder requires understanding the output of your current work habits. There are possibly certain things you are doing right now that are working quite well for you. What are those things? Where are you getting results? How are you spending your time? Where are you being most productive? Identify what these things are and figure out how you can apply these methods into other areas where you’re not getting satisfactory results. Also consider how you could potentially improve your approach and work habits to get even better returns on the time spent working through certain tasks.

4) ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY STUFF

work smarter

To work smarter not harder requires making optimal choices. It requires making appropriate and necessary sacrifices that then give you the time and space you need to focus on what matters most. This is of course all about effective prioritization. There are certain high priority activities that only you can do. These are therefore the things you must focus on. Then there are other activities that are either of a low priority, or they are things others can do for you. To work smarter not harder, you must decide what should be delegated, outsourced or eliminated. Clear the clutter, and you will have more breathing room to focus on what matters most.

5) CREATE AN AVOIDANCE LIST

What is working smarter not harder

To work smarter not harder, requires focusing on all the right things. However, in order to give your undivided attention to what’s most important, you need to avoid the pitfalls of indulging in low value activities. It’s of course all very well and good to say that you will not partake in certain activities, however temptations will always arise and will draw you in, when you least expect it. With this in mind, it can be helpful to create an action avoidance plan. This involves drawing up a list of items that you will avoid indulging in at all costs. Along with that list, write down how exactly you will avoid succumbing to these temptations.

1) THE PRIORITY PYRAMID
To work smarter not harder requires a clear understanding of the priority pyramid. The priority pyramid helps you break your tasks into three categories. These categories include the important stuff, the necessary stuff and the unnecessary stuff. The important stuff includes all the things that you absolutely must get done today. These tasks have the highest long-term payoffs. The necessary stuff includes all the things that you should get done today. These tasks have low long-term but high short-term payoffs. The unnecessary stuff includes all the other things that you could do that won’t provide you with any real value.
2) AVOID THE BUSY BEE TRAP
Have you ever gotten yourself caught up within the busy bee trap? This is where you work yourself silly for an entire day, but in the end you have little to show for your efforts. You of course thought you were being productive. It seemed as though you were doing all the right things, but you were really only fooling yourself. Yes you were extremely busy, but were you actually focusing on your highest priority activities? Your highest priority activities are what get you results at the end of the day. Staying busy focusing on the wrong things is certainly not a sign of productive output. With that in mind, commit yourself to focusing on what matters.
3) RECOGNIZE WHAT’S WORKING
To work smarter not harder requires understanding the output of your current work habits. There are possibly certain things you are doing right now that are working quite well for you. What are those things? Where are you getting results? How are you spending your time? Where are you being most productive? Identify what these things are and figure out how you can apply these methods into other areas where you’re not getting satisfactory results. Also consider how you could potentially improve your approach and work habits to get even better returns on the time spent working through certain tasks.
4) ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY STUFF
To work smarter not harder requires making optimal choices. It requires making appropriate and necessary sacrifices that then give you the time and space you need to focus on what matters most. This is of course all about effective prioritization. There are certain high priority activities that only you can do. These are therefore the things you must focus on. Then there are other activities that are either of a low priority, or they are things others can do for you. To work smarter not harder, you must decide what should be delegated, outsourced or eliminated. Clear the clutter, and you will have more breathing room to focus on what matters most.
5) CREATE AN AVOIDANCE LIST
To work smarter not harder, requires focusing on all the right things. However, in order to give your undivided attention to what’s most important, you need to avoid the pitfalls of indulging in low value activities. It’s of course all very well and good to say that you will not partake in certain activities, however temptations will always arise and will draw you in, when you least expect it. With this in mind, it can be helpful to create an action avoidance plan. This involves drawing up a list of items that you will avoid indulging in at all costs. Along with that list, write down how exactly you will avoid succumbing to these temptations.


6) WORK LESS TO DO MORE

work smarter not harder

To improve your productivity and results over the long-run requires engagement. In other words, you need to be engaged and motivated to want to improve your performance over time. With this in mind, it can be helpful to challenge yourself to work less and do more by consistently raising your standards of performance. You can of course do this through testing and measuring. Test and measure your results and output, then challenge yourself to do better the next time around. You can even turn your work into a game where you use a timer, and then try and beat your best self from the day before.


CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

It certainly isn’t easy to get into the habit of working smarter not harder. It requires some thought and attention to detail. You need to for instance figure out what’s working, what’s not working, and then have the courage to make potential tweaks to your workflow to improve performance.

Working smarter also requires a great deal of self-awareness. You need to constantly be aware of how you’re working and whether or not it’s in your best interests to work this way.

What works well for one person may very well not work for you, or for the purpose you had in mind. Given this, you must therefore be very vigilant to actually work smarter not harder by focusing on doing the right things, in the right way — that are most appropriate to the task at hand, and that work to your personal strengths.


Six ideas for working smarter not harder

 

Imagine for a moment you could develop new habits and methods of thinking where you naturally and effortlessly adopt these ideas into your life. How would that make you feel? Would you feel more fulfilled, empowered and in control?

Yes, there is such simplicity within this IQ Doodle, but of course there is a reason for that. Making positive change doesn’t need to be a complicated process. It just needs to be a consistent process where we progressively develop new habits-of-mind through repeated exposure and implementation. And that’s what these IQ Doodles are for.

We have prepared for you an IQ Doodle pack that includes several variations of this IQ Doodle that you can use for guidance and inspiration throughout the day. Use it consistently and you will begin making positive changes in the way you live, work and interact with others.

Visit the IQ Doodle Store to learn more about how to use this IQ Doodle and begin optimizing the way you live your life today.


Learn More About this Topic

Want to know more about this topic? Here are some helpful links to articles that you may find of value:


How to Work Smarter Not Harder Read More »

how to increase productivity

How to Increase Productivity in Six Steps

At times, do you feel as though you’re just not being productive enough? You know those times when you just kind of feel like you could give a little more, but for one reason or another you just can’t help but indulge in procrastination. It’s as if you know exactly what it takes to improve productivity, but you just can’t seem to get your act together. Have you ever considered what these habits are costing you and the impact they could potentially have on your future? What regrets might you end up having 10 years from now? Well hopefully the answer will be “none” with the help of the six step productivity process.


1) IDENTIFY WHAT YOU WANT

how to increase productivity

Improving productivity always begins with knowing exactly what it is you want to accomplish. This of course means setting some concrete goals that will help you stay focused throughout the day. These goals must however be important and meaningful. They must encourage you to work with purpose, urgency and passion. With this in mind, figure out exactly what it is you are working toward and the important reasons why you are pursuing these goals in the first place. Now put your goals into writing and place that piece of paper next to your work desk. This will help you to stay focused on the prize.

2) CONDUCT A TIME AUDIT

how to increase productivity

Have you ever reached the end of your workday and wondered where on earth your time has gone? There was of course a lot of promise at the start of the day. You had a fantastic plan in place, but for one reason or another, you’re kind of now struggling to figure out how you didn’t manage to get things done. You’re clueless because you weren’t consciously aware, of how you’ve been spending your time. With this in mind, commit yourself to conducting a time audit of how you spend your time over the course of a week. This will help you to pinpoint where improvements can potentially be made.

3) GAIN CLARITY ABOUT YOUR USAGE OF TIME

The Six-Step Productivity Improvement Strategy

Having conducted a time audit, you now know exactly how you’re spending your time and where it’s potentially all going down the drain. You now at least have the clarity you need to figure things out. Specifically, you need to figure out how you can potentially utilize your time more efficiently throughout the day. The goal is of course to get more done, and the only means of getting more done is by thinking smarter about the way you go about your work activities. In particular, you must figure out what’s most important and then find time to work on only those things. Eliminate, delegate and outsource everything else.

4) START SMALL, THEN BUILD MOMENTUM

6 Steps to Increase Business Productivity

At this stage, it’s of course very easy to get a little overexcited about all these changes you will be making to your work schedule and routine. However, this is where you need to throw a little caution to the wind. Making too many changes too quickly could potentially derail your productive intentions. You need a period of adjustment where you can slowly build momentum over time. To guide yourself through this period, it’s important to figure out how you will make these changes, and then acquire the relevant support, tools and resources you need to help you make this transition successfully.

5) DRAW UP A PLAN OF ACTION

how to increase productivity

Having outlined the changes you will make, it’s now time to draw up a plan of action for bringing those changes to reality. But what makes up a solid plan of action for improving productivity? Well, most importantly it must help you visualize an optimal path for getting things done. This essentially means outlining exactly what you will do, what you will avoid doing, and how you will adapt when unexpected circumstances arise. Moreover, it means figuring out how to do things move efficiently throughout the day. In other words, don’t just accept how things are. Challenge yourself to do things better.

6) CONDUCT WEEKLY REVIEWS

How To Increase Productivity At Work

Remember that time when you got sidetracked and subsequently missed your deadline? Well, that actually happens to the best of us, but it really shouldn’t happen at all; not when you review your progress regularly. Conducting weekly review sessions will help you to stay on track and on target moving toward your goal. These sessions will help you figure out, what you’ve accomplished, what you’ve failed to accomplish, what’s working for you, what’s not working, and the potential adjustments you can make that can help improve your productivity and get you better results.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

So there you have it. That’s the six step productivity process that you can use to help increase your productivity and results. This of course is by no means an easy process to follow. It will in fact take a lot of work, effort and thought on your part to implement these changes into your workflow. And it of course doesn’t end there. It’s rather a continuous process of testing, measurement and improvement that challenges you to keep upgrading how you work throughout the day. Only in this way will you continue building the momentum you need to achieve your most important goals and objectives.


Six Step Productivity Process

Imagine for a moment you could develop new habits and methods of thinking where you naturally and effortlessly adopt these ideas into your life. How would that make you feel? Would you feel more fulfilled, empowered and in control?

Yes, there is such simplicity within this IQ Doodle, but of course there is a reason for that. Making positive change doesn’t need to be a complicated process. It just needs to be a consistent process where we progressively develop new habits-of-mind through repeated exposure and implementation. And that’s what these IQ Doodles are for.

We have prepared for you an IQ Doodle pack that includes several variations of this IQ Doodle that you can use for guidance and inspiration throughout the day. Use it consistently and you will begin making positive changes in the way you live, work and interact with others.

Visit the IQ Doodle Store to learn more about how to use this IQ Doodle and begin optimizing the way you live your life today.


Learn More About this Topic

Want to know more about this topic? Here are some helpful links to articles that you may find of value:


How to Increase Productivity in Six Steps Read More »

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