Staying Productive in 2020
Productivity is a continual effort. We all know the story of how easy it is to get distracted by pretty much anything that comes our way and how boring generic tasks are. Take only checking incoming email as an example. The amount of time wasted on it doesn’t even begin to compare to the damage the interruption imposes on our ongoing tasks.
That’s why it is a good idea to adopt some routines that will both make you productive and make your day as enjoyable as possible. Lack of stress is the first aim of a happy working day, after all.
Know Your Values and Goals
First of all, boosting your self-esteem is a good way to start your day… any day! Keep in mind the things that matter and know your goals.
Values are really internal and have nothing to do with the business environment, but what matters, according to psychologists, is that you keep true to yourself. This will boost your sense of satisfaction and provide inspiration to achieve the goals ahead.
Clinical psychologist Stephanie J. Wong says that asking ourselves whether participating in an event is consistent or inconsistent with our values helps “weed out problematic or unproductive behaviour.”
Keep Larger Goals in Mind
Every major achievement begins with small steps. Keeping to a bigger picture is not a daily task, but a way of living your life. Basically, this means you should know what the most important things are and always remember that they will be achieved over time.
Not losing sight of the final goal is the best way to keep performing every day and be satisfied rather than stressed out.
Make Use of the Benefits of the Digital Era
Albeit motivation is rooted within, that is not to say that there are no tools to keep our goals organized. For example, to-do lists never go out of fashion. A digital task list is just the thing we all need in these hectic times.
The approach is the same as with traditional lists. Simply sort your tasks by importance and deadlines and stick to it. This will not only help you keep track of the tasks, but will also help you relax as your brain will have to focus on one task at a time, rather than multitask.
Contrary to popular belief, multitasking is not a good thing! While it may help us start on multiple tasks, the quality of performance will be poor. It’s always recommended to stick to one task at a time. It’s definitely possible to work less, do more!
See Also: Best Project Management Tools for 2020
Routines Are not Always a Bad Thing
Don’t we all just hate the word “routine”? It implies things that we don’t like that have to be done whether we aye or nay.
Still, knowing what lies ahead is the key to a stress-free life. It is, therefore, recommended to write down daily tasks and stick to the routine. This should be done every day, as it will help you stay organized and focused.
It will also help your brain adapt to the routine of doing priority tasks first every day. The practice will also decrease the risk of unpredictability as you face your day with set goals.
No Means No
A rather pressing issue in business environments today is the increasing number of tasks. This is the main reason why people become unsatisfied with their jobs and, by extension, their lives. Add to that the fear of losing a job and you’ll be able to see exactly how stress builds up.
In that context, it is important to learn to say no. Even if it may seem that going with the flow will help your career, the truth is that, in the long run, it will make you unhappy.
Take Your Time to Unwind
Productivity doesn’t spell overworking. Not by a long shot! It’s no mystery that stellar results can only be achieved when you set your mind to it and give it your best, which becomes quite impossible if you are overdoing it.
That’s why it is important to schedule regular breaks and take your time to unwind – each and every day. Take a walk, enjoy that coffee and treat yourself to some nice food. If you’re a female entrepreneur, a big trend is to take a solo women’s getaway.
Designate Two Time Slots to Check Emails
Checking incoming emails throughout the day is a well-known deterrent. Statistics show that hours and hours are wasted on this rather unnecessary practice (not to mention that every task interruption delays its completion). Unless you work in customer support, there is really no need to keep an eye on all incoming messages all day long.
That being said, turning off email notifications or coming up with a productive email strategy is the first step towards a more productive day.
Forget About Social Media
Similar to emails, social media is a huge distraction. In a sense, it’s even worse because it is quite easy to get distracted and, before you know it, there goes your day while you’re spacing out clicking on irrelevant links.
If you are addicted to social media (like so many people are), make it a point to check in once your working day is over.
Forget About Your Job After Working Hours
Once the job for the day is done, it’s time to enjoy yourself. It’s a sad reality that many people forget that they do their jobs so that they can get enough money to actually live their lives the way they want to.
Before we know it, we’re overwhelmed by financial issues, house chores, shopping… Not good!
Make it a habit to empty your brain when your job for the day is done.
Conclusion
Everything that has been discussed so far may appear like reinventing the wheel, yet the obviousness of the deterrents we create every day is none the less obvious. And while many of us know all too well that some of our daily habits are downright deadly for our mental health in the long run, we still keep doing them.
Why? Are we masochists or something?
The answer is rather simple. Once a routine has been established, it is quite difficult to get rid of it, so difficult, in fact, that giving up on our habits often makes us unhappy in the beginning.
Establishing daily routines works in the same way, which is to say the process works in the same way as learning does. It is not that difficult to learn something new, but it is nearly impossible to unlearn something.
Simply put, in order to stay productive, you need to make a habit of all these tips. In a while, they will become a new routine. It’s that simple! Will power all the way!
