To find the way to improve productivity could be the main reason to start a personal planner, to work on one thing at a time will help you to finish more task then you could ever think on.
On a regular day, I’m sure your “to do list” might have like a hundred or a little more things on it, just taking a look at it and you might think that day will be a crazy day!
Multitasking or Superwoman (or Superman)
Some days are just like that, how many times you had wished you could be like superwoman to be able to do everything so fast so you can finish everything on time and still have time for a walk in the nearest park and stop for a coffee.
Well, the true… on real life that doesn’t happen, and this is the bad news.
You need to do every single task on that long “to do list”
Yes I can see you reading this article and telling yourself, that is not what I want to read, please tell me I can do it!
Yes, you can!
You can do all you want to do and more and still find more free time to do a few things you love to do!
There’s no secret about it, many people has found the way to do it, and they are successful!
So, what is the difference between successful people who can do everything they need to do and even more then you, that you have not enough hours in a single day to finish even one “to do list”
Organization.
A daily routine is a start, when you try to do so many things at the same times, sooner or later you’ll find out that is not possible, and you might get so tired even to start the next day.
When you take 30 minutes to think what you usually do on a regular day, and think about how you can set a daily routine, you will see your days will be easier.
I will share with you today 5 steps to follow to make your days easier so you can accomplish everything you want to.
Discipline.
Getting everything done in a day is not the result of getting a few elves to help you when nobody is looking.
Getting everything done is the result of self discipline.
It doesn’t matter if you have a regular job and you work in an office or a work place or if you’re your own boss and you work from home.
You need to set up some rules, it doesn’t matter if you feel like working today or maybe not, you have work to do and that is not exchangeable.
More and more people are choosing to work from home, and more and more are achieving success, you can too!
With time and with your daily routine and the help of your personal planner you’ll become a professional and you will be achieving every single goal you set up for yourself.
Start.
You have made the first step, you’re here reading this article because you already know you want to change a few things in your life to become more successful.
You might not have started yet just because you thing that project you want to do might be too big for yourself.
Don’t think about how big or difficult it is, just start to work on it.
Don’t try to get it all done the first day!
Start making baby steps, something small, think on your project or the task you need to do to get it done, and see if there are any small steps you can work on the first day, and write a plan on your personal planner or your bullet journal.
Write a plan, take your time to do this step, think on what you need to do, it doesn’t matter if it is for your regular job or for a personal project.
Write every single step you think you should work on it to get it done, what do you need to work on every step, do you need help, do you need any special materials to work on it, do you need a particular program or course to learn more about it, everything you think about it goes here.
Write, write and write, you can reread it later, and check if everything is ok or if you think on this second read something is not too important or if you missed something.
Now you have a plan!
You know what you need to work and even you can set dates for every single step!
Remember to work on a flexible plan, as you work on it, a plan may change, and everyday you will find it will be easier to work on this project!
Pomodoro technique.
When it’s time to work, we usually think about a job of 8 hours every day! (just to think about it makes anyone feel already tired).
More and more companies know that work method doesn’t work anymore.
You need to work for a certain amount of time and take a break.
Pomodoro technique says you need to work for 25 minutes and then take a break for 5 minutes.
If you work on your desk all the time, you may want to get up, stretch your neck and back, drink some water, take a breath and go back to work. (this sounds good, isn’t it).
- No cell phone right next to you.
- No phone calls.
- No Social Media.
- No reading any e-mail.
You need to focus 100 % on what you’re doing.
And you will repeat this three times.
- 25 minutes of work, 5 minutes break
- 25 minutes of work, 5 minutes break
- 25 minutes of work
When you finish the third 25 minutes of work period, you can take a little bit longer break, 10 to 15 minutes.
If you work at your own place, would be nice to go for a walk outside, take a glass of water (a coffee or a tea) and make a stop to the toilet.
If you work on a work place, you can take a moment to go to the toilet, have a glass of water, sit down for a moment if you work standing up all the time.
When you use this Pomodoro technique, studies say this technique help workers to work focused better for short periods of time and take small breaks and then go back to work.
Pomodoro technique VS long periods of work.
When you work for long periods of time, you just keep going and going and I’m sure you have done this, I have!
And I know what it feels like, by the end of any day, I feel myself so tired and hard to think about next day, and most of all I try to do everything at the same time… multitasking!
When you work with Pomodoro technique you will find yourself getting more work done, as you work on a single thing for a short period of time.
Once you finish one task, you can go to work on the next task on your list, until you finish every single thing on your list!
You can use this apps tomighty.org , it works for windows and for Apple, it will help you to set up your times and your tasks.
Set a schedule.
We’re living in modern times, we use technology in our lives, but living with Social Media, reading e-mails and searching on the internet can get most of our time if we don’t take care for it.
Ooops where did the time go?
You look down at your cell phone and the next time you check the time, it is two hours later!
Sound familiar?
You need to schedule the time you use for:
- Social Media
- Reading e-mails
- Searching on the internet
- Talking on the phone
- etc.
I don’t say you will be living with out all it, no! you just need to set a schedule for it, you will know your work time and your time to get on the internet for other reasons.
If you can’t do it, and you feel the urge to check on your Social Media every single minute, there is an app. you can use to help you to block your social media, it will allow you to check on it just for a moment in case you need to check on something in particular.
https://wwwproductivityowl.com
Time for yourself.
The fifth tip to improve your productivity is to get time for yourself.
You are important, and you’re not here just to work, work and more work.
If you have followed the previous four steps, I’m sure you have accomplished a lot, and your work or/and personal project will be working better now.
It’s important to take time for your self and to do things you love, how handy is to work with your personal planner or your bullet journal and plan ahead some time just for yourself.
Plan something you love to do, make a wish list for these activities and plan the time.
- Go out with a friend (s)
- Read a book
- Go to the cinema
- Visit a new place
- Take a break
- Go for a walk to a park
- etc.
How nice it is just to think about all those things you wish you could do, but you “never have time” to do one of those things!
Set up your priorities, make a plan, work hard and smart and take free time for yourself.
You haven’t gotten yet a personal planner or a bullet journal for yourself, well it’s never too late, you can check some ideas on these articles.
Let me hear from you, write a comment and tell me about your dreams and your personal projects, do you have a question about how you can find an easier way to work on it, we might find that way working together!
Hello,
Awesome article on improving your productivity.
Many people are lacking the necessary skills to stay productive. Some people may get discouraged and give up on a specific piece of work.
Do you recommend any tools to keep me motivated and productive. The internet is always expanding so I was wondering if you had any tricks up your sleeves.
Thanks,
Shawn
Howdy, thanks for the useful tips. I have just recently started my online career and have found myself on several occasions in the the last month trying to multitask while accomplishing little to nothing. Until a few days ago that is. I have recently started listing a few goals I would like to accomplish for the day and check it off the list as I go, and already improving my work productivity. I am also going to try out the Pomodoro technique that you talked about, as I tend to get easily distracted sometimes.
Cheers,
Anthony
Your article comes to me at the right time. I have recently, started building my own website and taking on more of the housework, now that my wife is going back to school. The Pomodoro technique you talk about sounds like it will be a good fit for me now that my task list has grown.
One question that I have is concerning the weekends, should those hours also be planned in detail?
Thanks for the insight on improving my productivity.
-Frank