Productivity is essential for your life as a business owner. Some people have it naturally, but for others it isn't always a peace of cake to stay focused and get things done. Busy lives bring plenty of distractions and quite often we get carried away with everyday problems and events. But if you have taken the decision that you will be successful, you will have to deal with all these distractions and not let them take over. There are coaches who offer productivity therapies and training, but really, you don't need to go that far. Actually, improving your performance at work and in life can be done very easily with any or a combination of these 10 completely free things.
1. Exercise
Physical exercise balances the hormones in your body and improves the blood circulation, which means more oxygen gets to your brain and helps you concentrate better.
2. Planning Your Day
When you have a clear idea exactly what you will be doing the next day and you put your tasks on paper, you are much more likely to complete most or even all of these tasks.
3. Listing the Things Your Shouldn't Do
To-do lists are very important and effective, but so are NOT-to-do lists. Self-control is a sign of maturity. It can be challenging to achieve it, and writing down the things not do is one of the first steps toward a personal victory.
4. Decluttering Your Desk and Room
As a creative person I kinda like my organised chaos, but it doesn't always help me when I need to be productive. Clear woking space is just so much easier to navigate through and it also presents less opportunities for subconscious distractions.
5. Getting Enough Sleep
I know it's hard to juggle everything at once and get a sound sleep for 8 hours every night. In fact, as young entrepreneurs, sleep is probably the first thing we give up in the name of success. That's a wrong tactic though. Your brain is like a computer and is not designed to run continuously with no or little break. Eventually a fault will appear somewhere in the system. You getting sick or even tired will definitely decrease your productivity. Make sure you recharge your batteries regularly.
6. Learning/Working On The Go
I spend a minimum of 6 hours in London's tube every week. At first I saw it as a total waste. But eventually, I learned how to use that time productively. I take online courses during my commute and improve my knowledge in work-related fields. What's even better, I always come up with new ideas after that.
7. Starting with the Task You Hate the Most
Start with the most unpleasant thing you have to do and get it over with. Everything else after that will feel much easier and you'll get to do it quicker.
8. Getting to Know Yourself
Some people are more productive in the morning and get to do a lot of things immediately after they wake up. Others, like me, need quite a lot of time to boot after leaving the bed. On the other hand, though, I work perfectly at night and after midnight. Mornings continue to be a challenge...
9. Change of Environment
Set a time for the completion of every task from your to-do list. Once you've finished something take a few minutes break and walk around. Go outside or just to a different room for a while. When you come back you will feel refreshed and ready to conquer the next item on that list.
10. Talking About Your Goals to Others
Share your goals with your friends and family, or even better, people from your network and your audience. This will keep you accountable and you will know you can't afford to procrastinate and not deliver the results. It's a great, and perhaps, quite an uncomfortable way to increase your productivity, but that's exactly what makes it effective.
What are your ways of boosting your productivity? Do you struggle with it or are you too focused on your vision to have issues like that? Either way, I'd be really interested to read your comments.
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