We’ve all said it at some point: “I’ll just do it tomorrow. It’s not a priority right now.” We’ve all had tasks that we put off until “the next day,” but never got around to doing. We could spend several days doing absolutely nothing productive, and it doesn’t feel good to realize we’ve wasted the days.
A study revealed that 80% of Americans strive to be more efficient. Since efficiency is vital to productivity, we can imagine that those who feel they aren’t efficient don’t feel productive, either. Whether you’re feeling unproductive at work, school, or at home, simple solutions can boost your productivity and help you feel more accomplished!
Write Out Your Plans On Paper
It’s modern times, and most of us keep notes and calendars on our phones. While this helps us have our daily reminders whenever we need them, it’s not the most effective way to remember your to-do list.
Research has shown that students who wrote notes by hand instead of electronically saw more benefits from their note-taking. If you don’t make a physical or digital note of your plans, you need to get on that ASAP!
Studies show that students who took notes during lectures retained more important details than their peers who did not.
So, what does this mean for people who aren’t in school? Writing things down helps us remember what we need to do.
Remembering what we need to do leads to us actually doing it. You can’t be productive if you forget what you need to produce! Go to your nearest department store for a cute journal (Target has plenty), or look into bullet journaling if you’re interested in tracking habits.
Get An Accountability Partner
Sometimes, we all need a little push to do the things we set out to do. That’s where accountability partners come in. People who checked in with an accountability partner weekly were 33% more likely to accomplish their goals than those who didn’t inform anyone of their plans.
By telling a trusted friend or partner about your goals for the day, you give yourself a new reason to follow through with your tasks – you don’t want to disappoint them! Getting an accountability partner just may be what you need to increase your productivity.
Don’t Sleep In
For those of us who work a 9-5 job, weekends are valuable relaxation days. Although you might not be working for your job, though, you could be using that time to handle other tasks (light cleaning, laundry, etc.)
Wake up at the same time you’d wake up for work 7 days a week, not just 5. You’ll wind up with extra hours to get things done!
Just Commit to Doing A Little Bit
Sometimes, if a task is worth doing, it’s okay to do it imperfectly. In other words, you don’t have to complete your entire task in one sitting. Simply commit to getting a portion of it done.
For example, if you have a full load of laundry to put away, tell yourself you only need to put away ten pieces today. The workload will feel lighter, and who knows? Once you get in the swing of it, you might wind up putting it all away!
Prioritize
Make a mental or physical list of what needs to be done today. Then, prioritize each item. Which task is the most important or most urgent? Do that first. Do the next most pressing thing second. You don’t need to get everything done in one day, but you also don’t want to put off important tasks!
Increasing productivity can improve your home life, career, and self-esteem. Be productive today by setting the foundation for more effective tasking!
