Lately, I’ve been thinking about productivity. Specifically, how can I maximize my time and make the most out of my day? We allll get lazy therefore making us unproductive, but what if we could prevent feeling lazy in the first place? Here are some of my tried-and-true ways of being productive when I’m feeling less-than-motivated:
1. Purge your clutter: I never feel so mentally clear and ready to get shit done as I do when I “purge” the clutter in my life. We know we should be getting rid of “things” as often as we can – but have you ever had a long, intense few hours of throwing away everything you don’t need and all of a sudden feel so much better and ready to conquer your nearest city? I recommend reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up – it really is life changing. Creating a clean and organized space is truly the key to a clear mind and being overall more productive.
Here’s a before and after photo of clutter that I may have purposely created just so I could organize everything. Shockingly enough, doing this lit a fire under my ass which led to cleaning the rest of the house afterward.
*magic*
2. Use a planner: Whether you prefer a digital calendar or paper calendar – use it and use it often. One of the best purchases I ever made was my agenda. I’m not sure what it is, but having a beautiful, high-quality planner makes me so much more motivated to have my shit together all the time (even when I don’t have my shit together). Invest in a planner, whether digital or paper, that works for you and utilize it to plan your schedule, track important dates (bills, events, appointments, etc.) and even your thoughts and ideas. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t write down/keep track of something – it’s gone forever. Never to be thought of or certainly not ever accomplished.
3. Know when you’re most productive: Plan your day based on when you know you’re the most productive. When do you accomplish more – in the morning, afternoon or evening? Prioritize your schedule and tackle the most challenging tasks during your “peak productive” times while saving the less challenging stuff for your low-energy time.
4. Reward yourself: This one’s easy and always works. Use a motivation – a reward to get you through a task. A great example…I reward myself with dark chocolate and a trip to Home Goods every day when I finish work. Semi-serious.
How do you stay productive?
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