No one likes working or being responsible while you could be out having fun or doing things that make you happy. The problem is that once deadlines approach chances are you won’t enjoy your free time and find yourself drowning in work because you don’t know where to start. Has that happened to you?
The good news is that you can learn how to be productive so you can enjoy your free time to the maximum and not worry (because you already did all your work). These tips will help you learn how to be productive and maximize your work time.
Keep in mind that like with any change, this will take time. You won’t become a productive person in one day, you have to start slow and according to your lifestyle. If you are consistent you will notice the change sooner than you expected!
It took me years and a lot of commitment to get to “my level of productivity”. Now I know I can complete most of the tasks within a normal time period WITHOUT sacrificing sleep, travels or time with friends.
Now let’s learn how to be productive!
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Be organized
This is the most important thing when learning how to be productive and what will set you up for success! If you know where everything is, you won’t waste time looking for it. It applies to everything, your space, clothes, wallet, keys, notes, files, pens, etc. It will also give you a feeling of control over your things so you can “worry” about more important aspects and tasks.
Make lists for everything
This might sound silly but trust me, it is a life changer, you will not forget things again. Separate your lists to keep things manageable and organized.
I make multiple lists for the day and the week. That way I know what to focus my attention on while doing an activity.
This free shedule and to-do list templates will help you stay on top of your day!
Time block/ batch work
Organize your time and set a space in your day for every activity. The degree of detail depends on you and your lifestyle. By doing this you will be fully present while doing an activity and not 50% there, 50% thinking about something else. It’s a simple principle “do one thing at a time and you will accomplish it faster than if you are doing 2 at a time”.
By having a calendar you can visualize it and realize how much time you actually have. It might seem like I am always busy if you just look at my calendar, but I also put in my free time and fun activities, those are also part of life and a great way to keep me motivated to be productive.
By color coding you can group things together and relate them to your lists, notes or any other thing you use to keep in track and learn how to be productive.
This free schedule and to-do list templates will help you stay on top of your day!
Create a routine
If you know what to do or set up things so you can get them done faster, then why not? Creating your routine around your most productive/active time of the day is a great idea. For example, if you are a morning person then do the hardest tasks in the morning and easier ones in the afternoon/night and the other way around if you are a night person.
You might also like our post about how to be productive when you work/study from home
Get rid of decision fatigue
This is related to the previous tip. If you set up things in a way where you “don’t have to think” then simple tasks like picking an outfit or what to have for breakfast will be faster, thus making your prep time shorter. Choose your outfit the night before and lay it all out or make your overnight oats so they are ready to go in the morning.
Passive learning
Use your “downtime” or “dead time” to learn more things/feel inspired. For example you can listen to an audio book or a podcast while commuting, doing the dishes or any activity that you don’t like but it needs to be done while using your time for something productive. This will motivate you or give you ideas about what to do or how to take on other things.
Set SMART goals
It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely goals. Put a time limit on your goals and make them into smaller goals that you can achieve. If your goal is too big, it will seem harder to achieve and you might get discouraged. But if you make them SMART then everything will be better!
For example: Big goal: Finish tesis by july. It is specific, I know exactly what I have to do (measurable), it is totally attainable, relevant to my current situation (I want to graduate this year) and timely since I want to finish by july.
Smaller goals: I will finish writing the introduction this week / I will edit all the photos today.
Prepare yourself and your environment
When you are ready to start working make sure you have everything you need so you are not getting up or distracted every 5 minutes. Go to the bathroom, bring water (or the drink of your choice) and a snack to your working area, make sure you have pens, paper, notes, books or anything you might need to get your work done.
Then get in the work flow and go for it! Keep in mind the task you are working on and try your best to only work on that. Don’t worry, you will get to the rest of the things when the time for those comes up.
Hope these help you learn how to be more productive and organized so you can maximize your work time and enjoy the rest.
Good luck!
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