7 Tips To Be More Productive

Simple tips on how to be more productive

Feeling overwhelmed lately by everything on your plate? Feel like there are not enough hours in the day? Many people feel that way/ Have you ever been on your computer only to notice that a couple of hours later that you are not able to cross a thing off of your list?  We all have. Distractions and a desire to put off what we need to do often get in the way of us actually doing and causes stress.

We all procrastinate at times, but there are a few things that you can do to help become more productive and effective.

How to Be More Productive

• Consolidate Your To Do Lists - If you have some items on a written list and some on your phone and more on a piece of paper somewhere, you need to get a handle on all you have to do in one place. Seeing the big picture will help you focus and gain control over your tasks. You may want to sort your list into life areas, but you still will want to consolidate your task list.
• Prioritize your list.  This can be hard because we tend to waiver when we have things that seem so large. Ensure that items on your list are in line with your goals. Break large projects into smaller segments.  Start with the end result, then determine the steps/tasks needed to get there.  Having trouble prioritizing?  Think in terms of your goals and what must be done first.
• Scale back your list.  Look really hard at your list.  Do you need to write that proposal yourself or can you delegate it?  Do you really need to bake the homemade cupcakes with hand decorative toppings to the bake sale, or will a batch of brownies do?  Do you have to go  ____ (fill in the blank), or can you skip it this time?  Take items off of your list that are not essential and give yourself permission to outsource.
• Schedule your to do items. Plan on only doing a handful of things each day. Resist trying to tackle a dozen things on your list at once or you will get discouraged. We all like to think we can multitask, but the truth is, unless some tasks do not require your full attention, it is not possible. Once you have your list, schedule activities in your calendar and block out the estimated time to complete them. Take care to not overschedule.
• Pace Yourself Be sure to schedule a break or a fun activity.  Reward yourself for checking off items on your To Do list. Life is more than just getting tasks done, it is about enjoying life with family and friends and taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually.
• Eliminate or Reduce Distractions  Focus on the end result and eliminate any noise in the form of televisions, open computer tabs, or phone notifications.
• Start already. Finally, when you have a task you have been putting off, resign yourself to work on it for 10 minutes.  Getting started is the hardest part.  After you start it, it gets easier to make headway.