How To Be More Productive

I am the worst offender of falling into the Instagram Explore rabbit hole.  Instagram’s algorithm has gotten so good that I just can’t stop scrolling through the images of beautiful women in pretty clothes, aerial videos, cooking videos, and pictures of cats.  I know that my life and especially my blog work could be done so much quicker if I would just unplug and focus in.  So today I wanted to share some of the things we might be doing to knock our productivity way down.

 

As I mentioned checking my phone is my worst problem.  It’s either responding to a new message, an email, or the endless scrolling on social media.  It feels like a reflex to tap that home button. So I would say putting your phone out of reach is the best way to really focus and get the task at hand done.  I find if I turn my notifications off and place my phone in a different room I can get my tasks done so much faster.

Cluttered life, cluttered mind…I find when my room or apartment is a mess or unorganized I am often distracted by reorganizing and don’t seem to stay on task.  So I like to have a space I can escape to that is away from the mess.  I put a small desk in my apartment that I try to keep tidy that I can sit down at and focus.  I think having a space dedicated to work is also important.  If I sit on the couch or in bed to work I am often distracted by the television or want to take a nap.  But at my desk when I sit down I know it’s time to get down to business.

 

 

 

 

I also find when my to-do list is too long I get discouraged and then nothing gets done.  What I like to do is create a written list of all my tasks and then order them in importance.  From there if I can I like to schedule them out through the week too give myself a list that’s a little more manageable and I can really focus on what’s on the list for that specific day.  To create my lists I put together a list in just a regular notebook and from there I use my Day Designer Weekly Horizontal Small Diary to schedule out my tasks. This planner has tabs for each month and what I love most is along with lines for appointments it also has a to-do list for every day.

Even if your to-do list is ruling your life or your list seems to be long enough for a full day don’t neglect your health.  I make sure I set time aside to at least get in a short gym session, and definitely make time for meals (because food…duh) Have healthy snacks on hand to fuel your mind. Blueberries, Dark Chocolate, and walnuts are supposed to be really good for memory retention and boost your focus. Doing some morning cardio and having some of these snacks on hand is so helpful when you’re in need of a little pick me up.

 

Along with fueling your mind and body knowing when to take a rest is incredibly important.  You aren’t as productive and sharp if you aren’t fully rested.  I am never one to shy away from taking a quick 20-minute nap to recharge and get my focus back.  Make sure to limit yourself to no longer than a 45-minute nap or you’re going to make groggier than before. But I feel like after my nap I am often more focused and can plug back in and finish my tasks.

My worst habit is to getting frustrated or walking away from a half-completed task and not finishing it. I think creating smaller to-do lists and focusing on a couple tasks a day really helps me work on tasks until they are complete.

 

How do you stay focused throughout the day?