My Favorite Ways to Increase Productivity

In the daily craziness of our busy lives, the quest for ways to increase productivity is an ongoing one, for sure. And some days, no matter how hard we try, it feels like we never get enough done.

Over the past few years, I have spent a lot of time trying to find ways to increase productivity in my life. And now, I would like to share this helpful information with you, my friend!

Review Schedules Ahead of Time

Something I have found to significantly help me have a more productive morning is making sure I review our schedule the night before. It’s been beneficial to make sure I know
which appointments we have to go to, which story time we are going to, or if we have
playdates, etc.

Knowing what you have coming up the next day helps you to avoid surprises and helps you to prepare ahead of time for anything you may need.

Find a Schedule That Works Best for You

Finding a schedule that works for you can include some trial and error, but overall it’s one of the key ways to increase productivity.

Utilizing time blocking can be helpful to maintain focus and minimize distractions. When using this method, you simply assign specific blocks of time to specific activities.

Allow for flexibility in your schedule and make sure you can find some time for yourself in your busy schedule.

Make Lists To Help Increase Productivity

Keeping lists to help you stay on top of things is another one of the many great ways to increase productivity in your life.

Here are some helpful ideas for different types of lists that you can add to your regular routines to help you increase productivity.

  1. Daily To-Do List:
    • Make a daily list of things you need to complete each day.
    • Take time to break down larger tasks into smaller steps to make them more manageable.
    • Prioritize your to-do list so that you are putting the right amount of energy into the important stuff.
  2. Weekly/Monthly Goals:
    • At the beginning of each week or month (whatever works best for you) spend some time outlining your goals for that period.
    • Make tasks more manageable by breaking them down into smaller steps.
    • Schedule time for yourself to work on these tasks. This will ensure you have time to focus on them, instead of trying to just fit it in on the fly.
  3. Project Task List:
    • For a larger project, create a detailed task list. List all steps needed to complete the project.
    • Make sure to include any time constraints and milestones to ensure timely completion.
    • Continue to update the list as the project progresses.
  4. Waiting On List:
    • Keep a list of tasks that are dependent on other variables. This could be waiting for someone to give you a notification of some sort, waiting for another task to be completed before this one can be started, etc.
    • Make note of why it is being waited on and the expected date of completion.
    • Continue to follow up as needed to ensure the timely completion of the task.
  5. Ideas and Brainstorming:
    • Keep a notebook or pad of paper to write down your creative ideas and any thoughts you want to put onto paper.
    • Revisit and refine ideas and thoughts as needed.
  6. Routine and Habits:
    • Keep a list of your daily routines and have them handy.
    • Include your daily habits that you want to continue and new ones you may want to start.
    • As you work through your day, mark off accomplishments.
  7. Errands and Shopping:
    • Keep a running list of shopping items that are needed and errands that need to be run.
    • Batch errands and shopping trips to save travel time.
    • Make sure to check items off your list when you’ve completed the task.
  8. Self-Care List:
    • Keep a list of activities that benefit your overall well-being. All the things you love to do that help you fill your own cup.
    • Make sure that you schedule time for your self-care activities.
  9. Delegation List:
    • If you’re able to share some of the tasks on your plate with others, do it.
    • Make sure to clearly communicate any guidelines to be followed, expectations of outcome, and the deadline.
    • Continue to follow up as needed until task completion.

Take Breaks When Needed

It’s so easy to focus only on what needs to be done, that we forget to take a little breather for ourselves. Make sure that you don’t push yourself too hard on your journey of productivity and make sure you take breaks to recharge.

Prioritize Self-Care

Making sure that you are putting your own needs at the top of the to-do list is one of the most important things you can do to help increase productivity. If your cup isn’t full, you are never going to reach the level of productivity you want in life.

Ensuring you are getting adequate sleep, taking time for yourself, and making time for activities you love all are simple ways you can add in a little self-care to help you fill that cup. Check out my post Quick and Easy Self-care Ideas for some other helpful tips.

Prioritize Tasks

Another way to increase productivity is to prioritize your tasks. By doing this, you can put your focus and energy into high-priority tasks, better manage your time, and ensure that you are meeting any scheduling deadlines.

Some different methods you can try are listed below. You can use them individually or in a combination that works for you!

  1. Identify High-Impact Tasks:
    • Figure out which of your current tasks will have the biggest impact on your goals.
    • Ensure that you are using more of your energy on these tasks so that you don’t burn out on tasks that have less impact on your goals.
  2. Consider Deadlines:
    • Have a clear idea of your deadline when starting any project.
    • Make sure to prioritize tasks that need to be completed sooner.
    • Ensure you are completing steps following your deadline needs.
  3. Focus on the Most Important Project:
    • When juggling many different projects, identify the project that is either the most important or needs to be completed the quickest.
    • Spend a larger portion of your time and energy focusing on this project.

Set Goals

Setting goals is a fundamental step in increasing productivity. Well-defined and achievable goals provide extra focus, motivation, and direction for you.

  1. Break Down Larger Goals: For larger, long-term goals, break the tasks down into more manageable tasks. This can make the overall goal seem less overwhelming to reach and will help you stay on track with steady progress.
  2. Prioritize Goals: Figure out which goals are the most impactful and take steps to make these your priority. Identifying and focusing on those high-priority tasks ensures your time and energy go where they are most needed.
  3. Set Realistic Timelines: Make sure that you are being realistic with your timeline expectations when setting your goals. If you try to take on too much or you are overly ambitious, you could burn yourself out very quickly.
  4. Establish Both Short-Term and Long-Term Goals: Make sure to include both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals give you some quicker wins and having long-term goals helps motivate you for continued forward progress.

Limit Distractions

Limiting distractions is a great way to ensure you can focus on the task at hand. By increasing your ability to focus on the task, you increase productivity.

  1. Create a Dedicated Workspace: Have a space that is solely for work. This helps your brain stay focused on work while in that space.
  2. Declutter Your Workspace: Keep your workspace free of clutter and keep it organized to help improve focus and increase productivity.
  3. Turn Off Notifications: Switch your notifications to silent if it’s not something related to the task at hand. This will stop you from getting distracted while you focus.
  4. Communicate Boundaries: Make sure you clearly communicate to those around you when you need dedicated time to focus. Let them know when you will be available again if they need you.
  5. Limit Multitasking: Try to focus on one thing at a time. Allow yourself to fully commit to what you are working on and not be distracted by trying to do other things at the same time.

Use these together or individually to increase productivity. Find what works best for you.

Delegate Tasks

Something to keep in mind for your own sanity’s sake is that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING.

Delegating tasks is not only a valuable leadership skill but also a way to optimize productivity and foster teamwork.

Whether it is at work or home, delegate some of that to-do list to those on your team. Communicate your needs and expectations clearly and trust your people to help you.

Batch-up Tasks to Increase Productivity

Batching up tasks is an effective strategy that involves batching up similar tasks to get a lot done in a specific time block.

Group tasks that are similar or require similar mental processes. This allows you to focus better and not jump around from task to task, which will help increase productivity.

Combining the task batching approach with time blocking can be a great way to increase productivity.

Use Technology When You Can

In this crazy, tech-savvy world we live in, there are so many different ways to utilize technology to help us increase productivity. Use what you can to help you out and make life a little easier.

  1. Task Management Apps: You can use task management apps to help you create your lists and prioritize your tasks. You can have all of your notes and lists at your fingertips.
  2. Note-Taking Apps: Utilize a note-taking app to keep your lists and notes on hand across all your devices.
  3. Calendar Apps: There are many different types of calendar apps available that can help you stay organized and you can even sync some of them to your note apps to stay organized across apps.

Get Dressed For the Day and Keep Your Shoes On

No matter what is on your to-do list for the day, getting dressed is a great first step to increased productivity for the day. When we get ready for the day, it signals our bodies that it’s Go Time and we are ready!

Another little way to tell your body that you are still in productivity mode is to leave your shoes on. If you come home and take your shoes off, it tells your body that it is time to get comfy and that is counterproductive to your productivity.

I hope you will give some of these tips a try if you don’t already include them in your daily life. I would love to hear about your favorite productivity tips as well, friends! Drop me a comment here or jump on over to the Just Your Everyday Mama‘s Facebook page and share them with me there! See you there, friend!

.

Similar Posts

2 Comments

  1. O, distractions are my big problem! I am always trying to do something more interesting instead really important things. Thank you for useful tips.

  2. Even though these tips seem to be for helping mothers with their duties, a lot of these tips are also handy for bloggers who want to be as productive as possible. Thanks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *