Set Goals and Keep Them in Sight

Wanting to be productive is one thing, but try to understand what it is that is driving you.

Every morning I like to ask myself three questions:

“What do I want to achieve?”

“Am I moving closer to achieving that goal?”

“Is what I’m working on right now the most important task on my to-do list?”

Sometimes I’ll have the same answer for these questions for a couple of days in a row, and that’s totally fine.

The most important thing is to make sure that you’re tracking where you’re currently at, and how far away you are from the finish line.

If you want to learn how to be more productive, always remember to keep the finish line in sight – that way it’ll be much easier to find your way to success.

Don’t Try to Multitask

It makes a ton of sense though – our brains simply aren’t hardwired to be able to approach multiple different tasks and focus on them all equally.

Seriously, multitasking is doing you more harm than good.

In fact, one recent study found that the percentage of people who can effectively multitask falls at 2.5%. I’m no statistician, but that was probably much lower than expected.

It makes a ton of sense though.  Our brains aren’t really hardwired to multitask, and a  recent study conducted at the University of London found that multitasking slows you down, and even lowers your IQ.

There’s also research from the University of Sussex which found that multitaskers have less brain density in their anterior cingulate cortex – the region responsible for empathy as well as cognitive and emotional control.

So, it’s time to ditch the idea that we can achieve more during our day by trying to multitask, and it’s time to approach individual tasks with laser-focus instead.

Remember to Exercise

If you’ve ever finished an intense workout and felt amazing, you already know just how many endorphins exercise can release.

But it isn’t just that feel-good factor which makes us recommend exercise – it’s also great for reducing stress, anxiety, helping you to feel self-accomplished, and helping you to stay focused.

Combine all of these positives together, and it becomes clear why regular exercise is so great for those who want to increase their productivity.

You might be wondering what the best time to exercise is, or how often you should exercise, and the truth is: that’s totally up to you.

If you can make it to the gym four times a week before work, then that’s great – I’m sure you’ll feel great after your workouts.

And if you don’t have any time to hit the gym, then that’s not a problem – instead look for ways that you can incorporate exercise into your daily routines, like walking to the office, or taking the stairs instead of the lift.

Remember to Stay Hydrated

When I was learning how to be productive, I found a couple of things really helped me out, but this was a game changer for me.

Staying hydrated is something that I take very seriously as I’ve found that it really helps me to maintain a high level of productivity through the day.

But, why?

Well, even mild dehydration can affect your affect your mood, your energy, and your ability to think clearly.

I’m sure that you can agree, none of those side effects sound appealing, and that’s even without factoring in how it can affect your productivity levels or even your cognitive ability.  

Here’s my strategy: in the morning I grab two 1 litre bottles of water from the fridge (and a coffee) and place them on my desk in plain sight.

Why? Well, this way the liquids are readily available for me, so it’s easy to make sure that I’m keeping a steady intake of fluids throughout the day.

Staying hydrated helps me to stay focused, and ensures that I’m being productive with my time.

It’s a win-win situation really. Fantastic for your productivity levels and your health