Coming from the Queen of Procrastination (me!) I am sure that at some point in our lives we’ve had what has felt like a million things on our to do list, but thought something along the lines of ’10 more minutes in bed won’t hurt’, or maybe the old chestnut: ‘I’ll do it later’. Maybe a few of you are nodding your heads right now?
Well this is something that I struggle with myself. As someone who has a 9-5 job and a blog alongside that, I often struggle with figuring out where to start with my long list of things to do, and I usually end up putting things off.
So for that reason, I have come up with a simple plan so you can find out how to increase productivity and achieve productivity success!
Make A To-Do List For The Week
This step is my old faithful! I keep a to-do list of things that I need to remember (as mentioned in my Sunday Routine blog post).
I refer back to my list and keep adding to it throughout the week as my jobs build up. Anything from putting in a load of laundry to booking your dentist appointment can go onto your list, it’s entirely up to you!
Organising your tasks makes everything much more manageable and less stressful, and as you cross items off your to-do list you will feel a sense of progress and achievement. You can even make it a weekly challenge to tick everything off that you need to complete. This is bound to increase productivity levels!
Create A Tidy And Organised Work Space
Having a clean desk communicates professionalism, but it reduces stress and allows you to remember your important tasks.
I have learnt over the years that I can’t focus on a task unless my desk is neat and organised. So before you get down to checking off your to-do list, start by having a tidy up of your desk. It will make you feel so much more productive and ready to start the day!
As they say, “‘Tidy Desk, Tidy Mind”‘!
Use The Urgent / Important Matrix
I recently discovered this technique and honestly I haven’t looked back since. The way it works is that you can separate your tasks into categories, from the important tasks that require more focus, to the tasks that you can easily tick off that don’t require much time or effort.
By sorting your to-do list into these sections it will help you to prioritise your tasks and check them off quicker. It is a simple but effective tool to prioritise your to-do list based on the level of urgency and importance of each task.
Set Deadlines For Your Tasks
Deadlines are designed to help you move closer to your goal. Therefore by setting a target of when you would like to achieve a task, it will allow you to focus on your milestones as well as being more productive and motivated to achieve them.
Deadlines are important for helping you accomplish both small and large goals, and strategic deadlines are designed to help you to move closer to your goals every day, week, month and year.
Create A Productivity Playlist
It has been scientifically proven that listening to your favourite type of music will make you happier and more productive during stressful situations.
Which means that you shouldn’t feel guilty about dancing around the room to your favourite tunes instead of doing the dishes. Or maybe incorporate both – I’m not judging…
Turn Off Your Phone Notifications To Eliminate Distractions
It has been revealed that 73% of people believe that their use of electronic devices has contributed to stress in their life, as well as reducing their productivity and creativity levels.
My phone is definitely one of my biggest distractions, because it is just far too easy to have a quick check of my social media when I am bored or want to proscrastinate doing some work.
I either turn my phone off when I’m working or I use an app which will grow a ‘tree’ and if I use my phone during the timer that I have set the tree will wither up. It really works for me as it makes me feel guilty when I go on the app!
Reward Yourself After Finishing Tasks Or At The End Of The Day
Whether it is giving in to your sweet tooth or treating yourself to a glass of wine, it is important to reward yourself and allow yourself to rest. This will also motivate you to get more work done, as you don’t feel as guilty for treating yourself because you know you’ve worked hard for it!
Let’s face it, we are all still going to have those days where we don’t feel like our head is 100% in the game every once in a while, but I hope that this guide has helped you to get one step closer to where you want to be!
Let me know your productivity tips in the comments below or tweet me your best tips @BritOnABudget1
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I love this post 🙂 I’ve never thought of sorting to do lists into important and less important I always just decide what to prioritise at the time. Probably a better idea top replan what’s most important so that you don’t get side tracked into convincing yourself to do easier tasks at the time.
Yes definitely it’s easier to get the siimple jobs out of the way first so you can put all your focus on the bigger jobs.