Productivity is one of the most important and challenging skills to learn. It’s easy to get sidetracked and think that you’ll complete all of your tasks on time. Sadly, this rarely happens as we end up working late and get stressed out by how many tasks we need to complete. Inevitably we all get stuck in a rut with our productivity. No matter what we do, it just doesn’t seem to be enough. The good news is, there are a few simple things you can do that will instantly make you more productive.
The Pomodoro technique:
The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you work more efficiently.
It’s been around since the 1980s, and it’s still one of the most popular organizational tools today. Why? Because it works!
Here’s how it works: you set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on one task during that time. Once the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break. Then repeat.
The main benefit of this method is that it keeps you focused on your work without letting yourself get distracted by other things happening around you. It also helps prevent burnout by giving you regular breaks so you don’t get too tired or stressed out!
Practice the two-minute rule:
The Two-Minute Rule: If it takes less than two minutes to complete a task, do it right now.
The Two Minute Rule is one of the most effective productivity hacks out there. It’s simple and easy to implement, and it’s backed by tons of research. The idea is that if something can be done in less than two minutes, you should just do it immediately instead of putting it on your to-do list or doing something else first. The reason why this works so well is that we tend to put off small tasks for later—and then never get around to doing them. By forcing yourself to complete these small tasks right away, you’ll end up being more productive overall by giving yourself fewer things left over at the end of the day!
Write it all down:
The first step to getting organized? Write it all down.
Write everything down: your to-do list, your calendar, and even your random thoughts and ideas. It’s okay to have a lot of notes—you don’t want to forget anything!
You should also write down what you’re working on at any given time. If you’re working on three projects at once and get distracted by something else, it’s easy to lose track of what was going on before that distraction came up. But if you write it down, you’ll have a record of all the work that needs to be done before the distraction can be addressed.
If you’re trying to get more done in less time, the first step is to write everything down. It sounds like a simple thing, but it’s really powerful. Instead of trying to remember the things you need to do, just write them down.
You can use a notebook or post-it notes, or even just open up your email and send yourself some reminders. Just get it all out of your head and onto paper where you can see it—and then refer back to it later when you need to make sure you’re on top of things.
Steal time from your commute:
If you’ve got a commute, you might be spending a lot of time on the road just getting to work. That’s not lost time, though! You can use that time to get ahead on your work. If you’re listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or music (or even if you’re just thinking), your commute is perfect for brainstorming and jotting down ideas.
The best part? It doesn’t require any extra effort from you—you’re already going somewhere anyway!
Take breaks:
The best productivity hacks are simple, but sometimes the best advice is just to get more sleep.
We know it’s tempting to stay up late and get a few extra hours of work in, but the productivity gains you’ll get from pulling an all-nighter won’t last long. Research has shown that people who sleep less than six hours a night are significantly less productive than those who sleep for seven or eight hours.
So what’s going on here? Well, getting enough sleep helps your brain consolidate memories from your workday so that you can remember what you did and what needs to be done tomorrow (or later today). If you’re exhausted from staying up late and have trouble remembering things, then it’s likely that you’re missing out on some pretty important brain functions.
This one may seem counterintuitive, but taking breaks makes you more productive. When you take a break, your brain gets a chance to relax and rest, which helps it come back to work fresh and ready to tackle the next task.
Taking breaks also gives your eyes a chance to refocus on something other than the computer screen. It can take as much as 20 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust from looking at a screen to looking at something in the real world.
So instead of fighting the urge to check social media or browse Instagram, try getting up from your desk for five minutes every half hour or so. You’ll be surprised by how much more productive you feel when you return!
There you have it—These awesome different ways to be more productive. Many of these ideas will help you save time and energy, while some can increase productivity indirectly by improving your mood or reducing the stress in your life. But most importantly, they’re all simple—that’s the key here. You don’t need any elaborate “system” or complex management technique to make these work for you. Simply use them when you need them, and keep their lessons in mind when evaluating future potential changes to your workflow.
The above productivity hacks will help you increase your productivity. Choose those that work for your needs and jump into a more productive lifestyle starting today!