Productivity tips to get more work done
Nearly everything around us is designed to grab our attention, whether it’s our smartphones, email, social media, and pretty much everything on the internet.
Even when we close our eyes to meditate (or to take a nap), our mind still plays back images of those very things we’re running away from. The only way to be productive in this digital age is by developing a robust “anti-distraction” defense mechanism. Time is our most valuable asset, and we must use it wisely. This article will go over 19 productivity hacks to help you make the most out of your days.
Related: How to get into a flow state: 11 powerful techniques
19 productivity hacks and tips
1. The 3-second rule
The 3-second rule is a great way to push yourself to work on a task that you’re dreading. It sounds quite silly in principle, but works like magic.
Whenever you’re procrastinating something, just start counting down from 3, and as soon as you get to 1, put everything else aside and immediately get on the task without thinking twice.
For example, if you have an assignment that’s due in a few hours, but you just can’t get off YouTube, say “3…2…1…Let’s go!” and immediately close your browser and open the assignment.
2. Measure how long you can concentrate
Measurement is a great productivity tip for tracking progress. Measure how long you can work on a task before mentally drifting off. Once you know what your average time is, aim to increase it by about 20%. If you’ve been working for 2 hours and you feel exhausted, go an extra 20 minutes before taking a break.
You can also keep track of how long you worked on one task without any distractions. If you finished the project quickly, don’t distract yourself with something else for too long or it will take you even more time to get started again.
The Pomodoro technique is another great way to improve your focus. It’s pretty much just timed intervals with small breaks in between. The idea is that you work for 25 minutes, then take a five minute break. After four “pomodoros” (which could be anything from 25 minutes to an hour), take a 15-30 minute break.
You can set a timer to keep track of your work cycle, but don’t forget to take your breaks. If you worked for three pomodoros without taking any breaks, you probably won’t be able to concentrate much on what you need to do next. And if you want to get the best results out of this technique, try to keep your work sessions consistent (working for 25 minutes without distractions).
3. Automate repetitive tasks
Automating repetitive tasks can help you free up a few extra hours in your day to use on more important things. Tasks that don’t need the “human touch” are good examples of things that can be automated. Why keep doing mundane tasks over and over again when your computer can do it for you? You would be surprised how much free time you can gain back just by automating some of these things.
You can use tools such as Hootsuite to automate your social media posts, Mailchimp for your email campaigns, HubSpot for your sales and marketing activities, Lemlist for your LinkedIn cold outreaches.
You can even install a bot on your website and social media pages to help streamline your customer support and automatically respond to questions. Any repetitive task that you can’t automate for some reason, outsource to a freelancer instead.
4. Learn how to say no
This is one of the best productivity hacks. Saying yes too often forces you to spend your day being a part of other people’s plans and not having time for your own. Learn how to say no firmly, but politely. And don’t ever feel guilty for it.
Saying no opens up your time to do the things that you actually want to do (and it leaves space for others to enjoy their day without you).
Of course, it’s not that easy to say no sometimes – we know how it is. It might be hard to turn down plans when you know they were made with good intentions, especially if it’s something small. But there are ways to say no to plans and other people’s demands on your time, without leaving a bad taste in their mouth.
There are two ways to turn people down: straightforward or kind. Straightforward is when you tell them why they can’t have your time. It’s when you say, “I can’t hang out on Tuesday because I’m busy,” or “I don’t want to go out tonight.” It’s not going to make the person happy, but at least they know why you say no.
And then there’s being kind. You can say, “I have to work,” which is true. But you can also say, “I’m not feeling up to hanging out tonight, but let me know if you want to do something next week.”
Being kind is open to interpretation, which might force the person to be creative with their plan B. So plan wisely your approach when it comes to saying “no”.
5. Take regular breaks
When you work too many hours without taking a break, your productivity levels inevitably starts to dip. Taking regular breaks helps recharge your batteries so you can come back with a sharper mind.
The good news is that you don’t need to set aside hours at a time to reap the rewards of taking regular breaks. You can see measurable improvements by taking even brief mental breaks, according to research conducted by the University of Illinois.
The study found that participants who took a 10-minute break after half an hour of testing their memory were able to make significantly fewer mistakes when resuming the test compared to those who didn’t take a break.
The results of this small study also suggest that while taking a longer break after working for an hour might clear your head and reduce fatigue, taking a short break after just half an hour can have a much bigger impact on your cognitive performance.
Your breaks can be in the form of taking a short walk, stretching, making coffee, or even just going outside to get some fresh air. Just be careful not to get caught up in a distraction that will be difficult to break from, such as going on social media. You can always do that at the end of your day.
6. Eliminate all non-essential distractions
Distractions hinder our ability to focus. According to this research, the average worker cannot go more than 6 minutes without checking their email or IM. Eliminate all non-essential distractions during your working hours.
If you cannot resist checking your phone every few minutes, switch it off and keep it away from your proximity. Don’t worry about missing “important” calls or texts, you can always return them later.
Distractions encourage multitasking—a mental juggling act that degrades the performance of both tasks. The fewer distractions you have, the more work you can get done.
7. Set a specific time for checking your email
The reason we cannot resist checking our email every few minutes is due to the FOMO effect. Most of the emails we receive don’t actually require our urgent response. You can set specific times during the day to check your inbox and respond to messages in batches.
You can check it at noon – after completing your most important morning tasks, and then once again in the late afternoon, right before signing off from work. Break out of the habit of impulsively checking it every few minutes.
8. Protect your “flow”
Flow is a state of mind where you are so fully immersed in an activity that you become oblivious to your surroundings. When you are in such a state, work no longer feels work. If you are reading a book then the pages just turn themselves. If you are writing then the words just flow out of you effortlessly.
Whenever you get into such a state, protect it like your life depends on it. That’s when your creativity is at its peak. Mute your phone, turn off your email notifications, keep away from social media and anything else that will make you lose focus. Don’t even talk to people. Nothing else should matter but the task that you’re focused on. When your flow is disrupted, getting it back again can take hours or sometimes not even happen during the day.
9. Write everything down
This is one of the best productivity tips to get things done. We tend to overestimate our ability to remember things. Develop the habit of writing everything down, from your daily plans to the names of new people you meet. It doesn’t take that much time or effort. You can use your smartphone or carry around a small pocket-sized notebook and a pen.
You will be surprised how much this productivity hack helps you. Everything is written down and you can cross off items as they’re completed, giving you a sense of satisfaction and progress. This will make you feel more in control of your day.
When we write things down, we are forced to organize our tasks. We think about the steps needed to accomplish an objective and plan how we can break down a goal into manageable chunks of work. It’s all there on paper, out of our heads where it can be forgotten.
Nothing is more frustrating than when you can’t remember what you wanted to do or what you meant to buy. It’s even more frustrating when you realize that it is one of many things you can’t remember. Developing the habit of writing everything down solves this problem once and for all.
10. Plan your day in advance
There are not many productivity hacks more important than this. Having written to do lists increases your chances of following through to 91%. Set a handful of priorities for your day – preferably the previous day, and then tackle them first thing in the morning while your mind is still fresh.
If you don’t plan your activities ahead of time, you’ll find yourself reacting to the things that come up. That means that completing small tasks can take up your entire day.
The reason why planning is so important is because it sets you up for success in the long-term. You’ll save time by not having to figure out what you need to do next. Just pick a task from your to do list, and get started.
By not planning your to do list in advance, you can have a very busy day but still make very little progress, since you would not have worked on the things that matter most.
11. Start your day by tackling the most important tasks
You’re more likely to give in to distractions later in the day when you’re exhausted and your willpower is drained. Also, as the day progresses, the quality of your output becomes less and less.
People tend to give in to distractions when they notice that their willpower is running out. If you start your day by focusing only on the tasks that are most important, you will be less tempted to give in to distractions later.
You will also find that your output is of a higher quality. Planning out your day in advance helps in cutting the clutter and distractions by reminding you of the things that need your full focus as soon as you wake up. Reserve the morning hours for those tasks.
12. Attach rewards to your accomplishments
Attaching rewards to accomplishments can give you that extra boost when you feel tired and mentally drained. The rewards can be anything you enjoy.
For example, you can have a snack after completing a task. You can go out for a drink with your friends after hitting your sales quota. You can plan to take a vacation after completing a long and dreadful project. The bigger the accomplishment, the bigger the reward should be.
13. The “Jerry Seinfeld” productivity secret
This is one of my favorite productivity hacks. Get a large wall calendar that has all the days and months on one page, and then hang it next to your workstation (or a prominent wall in your home). For each day that you accomplish all your tasks, put a large X with a red marker.
After a few days, a chain will start to build up, and your goal will be not to break it. When you have a chain that’s several weeks long, you’ll do whatever it takes to avoid breaking it so you don’t have to start all over again.
14. Break down large tasks into small and more manageable pieces
When a task is too large or difficult, our first reaction is to dread it, which then leads to procrastination. The thought of it can even give us sleepless nights. Whenever you are faced with such a task, break it down into smaller chunks that are less overwhelming to think about.
For example, if you have to write a 10,000-word report, break it down by the topics you intend to cover, then focus your energy on one topic before moving on to the next, then the next. Don’t look at it as a whole otherwise you’ll never find the motivation to start.
15. Batch similar tasks
Doing unrelated tasks back-to-back can be mentally taxing and prevent you from getting into a flow state. Batching similar tasks helps maintain the same frame of mind while working.
You can batch together social activities such as emails, phone calls, and meetings; physical activities like cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping; recreational activities like watching TV, reading, and social media. Doing them interchangeably is sure going to mess up your flow.
16. Stop multitasking
Multitasking is not as efficient as many people believe it to be. Research shows that it can decrease your productivity by up to 40% since you’re not giving your full attention to any one thing.
It can also reduce your efficiency, slow you down and even leave you stressed out. Rather than trying to do more at once, try to focus more on just one task at a time.
A study by the University of London shows that multitasking doesn’t allow your brain to process information as deeply as when you focus on one task at a time. When you are doing multiple tasks at once, you are actually reducing your ability to retrieve memories and process information.
Therefore, the next time you are faced with having to do several things at once, choose one instead. You’ll be able to accomplish your tasks much more quickly, save time, and stay on top of everything for the rest of the day.
17. Create templates for routine activities
This is one of the best productivity hacks to get more done in a shorter time. If your work involves doing the same tasks over and over again, create templates so you don’t always have to start from scratch. You can create templates for your emails, reports, proposals, etc., and then only customize them for the recipient.
If you deal a lot with customers, write down a list of frequently asked questions and the relevant answers. Whenever you get an email regarding any of the questions from your list, you can just copy/paste the answer (and of course, customize it before sending).
18. Let go of perfectionism
When you spend too much time trying to make something flawless when it’s already good enough, you’re just being counterproductive.
Nothing you do will ever be perfect. Human beings are flawed creatures and it’s in our nature to make mistakes. We’re not machines. Learn how to let go of unrealistic expectations of yourself and the people you work with.
While perfectionism is demanding, being realistic is more likely to result in getting your work done (without stressing yourself out). You can always improve the quality of your output, but knowing when to let go will prevent you from wasting time on something that is already good enough. It’s okay to have high expectations, but know when to let go. You’ll never achieve success by being too harsh on yourself.
19. Drink plenty of water
Last but not least, drink plenty of water! Carry around a bottle everywhere you go. Sometimes you may not feel thirsty, but your body desperately needs water to reach its optimal level. Dehydration can make you feel sluggish, irritable, and make it hard to focus on even the smallest tasks.
It can also affect your physical appearance. If you are dehydrated, your skin can become dry and your eyes may look sunken in.
If you really want to stay hydrated, you should know what the color of your pee is telling you. If it’s dark yellow, that usually means you are not drinking enough water. If it’s a clear color, then congratulations! You’re probably drinking enough water.
It may seem gross, but the best time to check your pee is in the morning when you wake up. This is how long it takes for your water from last night to get fully out of your system. By the time you check your pee in the morning, all of that water will have left your bladder. If it’s yellow, then try drinking more water over the course of the day.
If you’re having to pee frequently, that may mean you’re drinking way too much water and you should slow down. But if you’re peeing less than usual, it may mean your body is struggling to get rid of the water because it’s not getting enough. Try drinking a glass of water every hour until you get your pee to a normal color.
