It seems like every second person you talk to says they wish they had more time in their day. The reality is, we aren’t getting any more time in our day, but we can make the most of the time we do have by being more productive.
So, to help you out, here’s some productivity hacks you need to add to your day if you want to get the biggest bang for your buck time wise. They will not only save your time, but they will save your sanity too! Leaving more time for you to do what it is that makes you happy.
1 – Batch Like Tasks
Make the most of getting into your flow by batching like tasks together. This will stop wasted time of having to not only physically move from one new task to another, but also mentally make the shift.
This applies to all kinds of tasks. If you’re out of the house running errands, check what’s needed for the whole week and see if you can do it all together. If you’re preparing a meal, see if you can prepare more than one at a time, or cook extra so you can have an extra meal prepared for and cooked already.
This is by far the number one productivity hack that will save you a whole bunch of time (and mental space).
2 – Automate and Outsource
While setting up automations might take you a bit of extra time to start with, it can save you so much time later down the track. Automating things like your bill payments or your grocery order and delivery can be life changing for some as it takes a task off your plate.
Outsourcing is another great option to get things done with minimal time and input from you. You can outsource most things from your household chores, to your grocery shopping. You could even outsource walking your dog or sending your kids to school on the bus counts as outsourcing the school run too!
Figure out the things that you don’t like doing, and that take up a whole heap of your time, and find out if you can outsource or automate them.
3 – Set A Timer
Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. This means if you have all day to finish a task that should only take you an hour to do, then it will take you all day to do it.
So how do you overcome this? By setting a timer.
Giving yourself a set timeframe to complete a tasks means you’re more likely to actually complete that task within that timeframe, as opposed to allowing that task to take up your whole day.
Be mindful to allow a realistic amount of time – setting a timer for 5 minutes to clean your whole home is just going to discourage you and frustrate you. Set a timer on your phone and go for it! Then reward yourself when your task is done.
4 – Create Lists
Lists are a great way to keep on top of everything that needs to be done, while also freeing up mental space so you can actually think clearly about what you’re doing instead of worrying about whether or not you’re going to remember you have dinner with your friend that night.
Daily to-do lists keep you on track, give you a list of things to work towards, and give you a sense of accomplishment when you tick items off.
Lists aren’t only restricted to ‘to-do’ lists. You can create a list of just about anything and doing so will almost always lead to you being more productive (unless you’re procrastinating the task at hand by creating lists..)
5 – Know Thyself
Knowing yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses, is a smart productivity hack because you can use this knowledge to your advantage. If you know that you can’t think clearly until you’ve had coffee and have done your daily workout, then don’t schedule tasks before these two things are completed.
There’s no point in trying to do things at set times if they aren’t the most productive times for you.
Pay attention to when you are most productive and schedule in most of your work then. Equally so, pay attention to when you are in more of a slump, and try to do an active task during this time to give your mind a break.
6 – Create More Minimalism
Eliminating things from your life, whether they are physical items like clutter, or tasks from your to do list, or people who drain you emotionally and mentally, can all help you to be more productive.
When so much of your time is spent being pulled in different directions, it’s no wonder your productivity levels are low. Create more minimalism, eliminate things that don’t serve you or make you happy, and see your creativity and productivity soar.
Even something as simple as decluttering your space can make you more productive (and more happy).
You don’t always need more hours in your day when you can take the ones you have and make them more productive. Use these productivity hacks and add them to your day and see how much more you can get done (and how much more time you have for the things you love).
