“Productivity” is one word you’ve probably heard over and over again in your life. Your family, your teachers and your employer all encourage you to be productive, which basically means actually get stuff done instead of wasting time on unimportant things.
While younger you may have rolled your eyes at your parents when they told you to be more productive, one of those life lessons is that they were right. Being productive is pretty necessary if you want success in all areas of your life, from personal to professional. It’s not always easy to get yourself in the “get it done” mindset, so try the following five ways to redirect your focus toward the right goals.
1. Make Sure You’re Doing What You Really Want
Hobby and habit preferences often change throughout our entire life, but we don’t always adjust to it. As a result, we end up wasting time on things we once enjoyed but don’t have as much interest in anymore.
Ask yourself if your current hobbies and habits make you happy. For instance, if you were into watching reality television shows five years ago but now groan when you seem them piling up on your DVR, it’s time to remove them from your recording schedule. Don’t waste time on activities that you don’t truly like doing just because you’ve done them in the past. Time is short and shouldn’t be spent on the wrong things.
2. Fill Your Day The Right Way
Think of each day as an empty bowl. The night before, fill your bowl for the next day with things that are important, such as a family birthday party. Visualize those important things as solid rocks.
Next, think of less important activities, like watching your favorite TV show. View those nonessential activities as sand grains that pour around your important task rocks and fill the bowl to the top.
You need to get yourself in the mindset that the sand must fit around the big rocks, and not the other way around, as the sand will overflow the bowl and leave no room for the rocks. If you fill your day with unimportant things, you’ll won’t leave yourself enough time for what really has to be done.
3. Cut Down Clutter
Clutter is more than just a closet that’s so full, stuff falls out when you open the door. You may have clutter in your life that’s keeping you from doing what you need to. For example, if you need to work on a project but repeatedly find yourself abandoning it to watch a movie on a streaming service instead, that streaming service is a form of clutter.
Clear the clutter from your life that’s getting in your way. It may be difficult at first, but as time goes by and you get more accomplished, you’ll feel less stressed out and probably won’t miss whatever it is that you removed.
4. Protect Yourself
Take care of your health, both mental and physical, to keep yourself focused, productive and happy. Create and follow a fitness routine, such as talking a daily walk or getting a gym membership, to keep yourself in good shape. Mental health is a little harder, as you have to find what works for you and keeps your brain energized. Try increasing your reading and doing things like crossword puzzles to give your brain its daily workout.
5. Dare To Disconnect
With all the advantages the Internet brings, it’s also a productivity killer. Disconnect yourself as much as possible to keep yourself on track. For example, if you check your email constantly throughout the day, limit that to certain times of the day, such as in the morning and at night, only.
