Twenty Tips Help Increase Productivity
The past year has been a busy one for me, as my productivity increased and I did many important things.
Note: This article is based on the work of the author Daruis Foroux, in which he presents 20 tips he used to boost his productivity.
I achieved more than ever before, tried many professions, visited most countries, spent much time with my family and friends, adhered to a healthy lifestyle, and exercised at least five days a week.
Most variables determine your overall productivity. Therefore, no apps, tools, or tricks will help you if you do not have the right mindset. That's because productivity is a way of life. Productivity is about achieving great results, getting many things done, and not wasting time. Personally, I believe that happiness cannot be reached without achieving satisfactory results, and in turn, doing nothing leads to unhappiness.
20 tips to be more productive
In this article, I will provide 20 tips that have helped me be more productive than ever:
1. Get to work right away
There are always useful things in life and things that don't deserve our focus, such as gossiping, putting off doing something, waiting without doing something, or not expressing your opinion about something, all of these are useless. So, if you want to get the job done, you have to start right away.
2. Write down all your thoughts and ideas
We have random access memory like computers, and your random memory stores information in the short term, but the capacity of this memory is limited, and when it is full, previous information is deleted to make room for new information to be stored.
So, you should write down your thoughts to relieve some of the burden on your memory, and you will feel more mental energy, Even if you never review what you wrote, it is still a useful practice.
3. Refuse to do anything that doesn't help you achieve your goals
When it comes to work, I refrain from doing anything that is not in the interest of my goals and in line with my values. We live in a world where there is plenty enough, and there is always plenty of opportunity, so in my personal life, I refuse anything that does not add value to my life.
4. Take a 5-minute break after working for 30 minutes
You can do stretching exercises, or a little walk around, maybe drink some water, or do anything that makes you forget about work for a bit. When you return to work, new ideas may come to your mind, or you may find that you have been doing something wrong, so you stop before losing more time.
5. Get rid of everything that distracts you
Our willpower as human beings is often exaggerated in the sense that we think we can control ourselves and avoid distractions.However, in reality, this is difficult, and the best solution is to get rid of anything distracting you if you notice it.
One of my friends is addicted to the news, so I suggested to get rid of the TV, delete news apps on his phone, and block news websites on his laptop. After only two weeks, he told me he had finally started a company. The point is, no matter how strong you are, it's very easy to get distracted. So, get rid of distractions.
6. Get organized
A chaotic life leads to an inability to organize thoughts, and without this ability, you will not be able to accomplish tasks. Therefore, I prefer a simple living and working environment. For example, it is sufficient to have a desk, a laptop, and a notebook. That is, keep only the things you need and get rid of unnecessary things.
7. Set aside one day a week to focus attention on a specific task
If you have repetitive tasks, try to do as many of them as possible in one day. For example, I write two or three articles in one day, and on the other days of the week, I work on other projects. On the days that I dedicate to writing, I turn off my phone and devote myself completely to writing. I don't allow anything to distract me.
8. Don't search for information too much
You don't need to read hundreds of articles on increasing productivity. Once you find helpful tips, try them out. Don't over-search for additional information. Too much information is not always helpful. Eventually, you will apply some of these tips, and then you will find that you have invented new methods.
9. Establish a set of healthy habits
Decisions exhaust your nerves, and here comes the role of habits that dispense you with making decisions, which means that you will maintain your mental strength. Do not confuse habits with obsessive-compulsive disorder (a mental disorder that leads to a group of intrusive thoughts that, in turn, lead to compulsive behavior). You create habits of your own free will, so it is effective.
10. Don't multitask
When you're trying to do several things at the same time, like while being in a meeting, you're emailing someone, texting a friend, or browsing the Facebook app, you become distracted between multiple tasks, leading to a disruption of overflow (the state of mind in which a person is fully engaged in the task at hand).
Gloria Mark of the University of California conducted a study in which she found that if there is a break from the task a person is doing, it takes an average of 25 minutes to fully focus on the task again, which is a waste of your precious time.
11. Check your email only twice a day
Every time you check your email, the dopamine hormone rushes. This is why checking email feels so good. Therefore, most people are addicted to this habit.
While dopamine makes you feel energetic, it can also lead to fatigue. This is why you feel exhausted at the end of the day even though you haven't done much work. To avoid this, turn off all notifications on your phone and only check your email twice during the day and at specific times.
12. Avoid using your smartphone as soon as you wake up
One of the worst effects of smartphones is that they distract you, but at least don't allow that to happen during the first hour of your waking up. Dedicate the first hour of your day to thinking about what you are going to do during the day, read a book, eat your breakfast quietly, or enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.
13. Plan for the next day
Every evening, before I go to sleep, I take 5 minutes to set my priorities for the next day. I usually set 3 or 4 priorities. This method helps you focus more during the next day.
Personally, I find that I am wasting my time if I don't plan for the next day. Some of us may find it great to let things run their course, but I prefer to plan my day before it begins.
14. Don't overthink
When people talk about thinking, they often mean worrying about something. So, don't overthink, do what you think and watch the results. If you like the results, keep doing what you're doing, and if you don't like it, stop and do something else.
15. Exercise regularly
There are some basic things in life, such as food, water, housing, social relationships, and exercise. Without these basics, you cannot properly accomplish your tasks. Research shows that regular exercise makes you happier, smarter, and more energetic.
16. Laugh a little
Laughter reduces stress, and if you want to maintain a high level of productivity, you must avoid stress. Therefore, scientists advise a lot to laugh because it relieves stress and raises the level of energy.
17. Don't go to meetings just to feel important
This advice can be heavy on people who work in companies, as the culture of some companies is based on meetings; in the sense that some managers or owners of companies organize meetings just to appear as important people and postpone the real work. So, if you are one of those, then you should stop it.
18. Do only what is necessary
Every time you are about to do something, ask yourself if this thing is necessary or not. In fact, most of the things people do are unnecessary. So, check the importance of what you are doing to be more productive.
19. Ignoring negative incidents and situations
If you are facing one of those bad days, like the day when someone takes all their anger out on you, and other annoying events, relax and don't let this situation get you down.
Spend some time alone, meditate a little, listen to some music or take a walk. The important thing is to get yourself back in a good mood, thereby ensuring that you don't waste your time on negative emotions.
20. Work hard
It is much easier to talk about work than to do it. Anyone can tell of their plans. So, don't just be someone who constantly blabs about what they want to do; instead, start putting your plan into action.
In conclusion
These are twenty tips that have helped me boost my productivity over the past year. Note that these tips are general tips in which I did not mention the details. That is, you can apply them using the means that suit you.
I don't think that tools or applications are as important as the mental attitude. You must have a mental attitude that enhances your productivity, in addition to the appropriate environment of course. Be interested in accomplishing your tasks in a fun way only without getting stressed, and this makes work enjoyable and brings you many benefits.