10 Tips to Make You a More Productive Person

With all the distractions, fun things to do, and notifications going off, it’s hard to be productive sometimes.

If you’re an entrepreneur or work from home, you will know what I’m talking about.

Your concentration, and time is always under threat from distraction.

Even if you already do some basic time-management, such as making to-do lists and prioritizing.

It’s still hard to follow, and you’re probably not being as productive as you could be.

I’m not suggesting we all become productive robots. Squeezing a task into every second of every day.

But there is a lot you could do to get more done, in less time. Then that means you have more time to do some of the fun stuff you were putting off!

The purpose of this post is to highlight 10 of the best tips I have for maximizing your time, and being more productive. Hope some of these prove useful:

10 Tips to Make You a More Productive Person

Do the Task You Dread Most, First

We all have tasks we favor more than others. Which means we have tasks that are lowest on our priorities. Maybe it’s something you’re dreading, putting off, or don’t enjoy. It still needs to be done and putting it off just means more time spent avoiding it.

It’s also a massive motivational boost to know you’ve got the worst task off your list. Set you up nicely to tackle the rest of the day with a smile.

Turn off Known Distractions

This is a hard one to do, and certainly easier said than done. There is usually one overwhelming culprit for distractions. Maybe it’s checking your Facebook, watching YouTube videos, or texting friends?

Turn off the distraction completely. I’m here to tell you that those videos, messages, and updates will still be there later. There are programs for PC’s that disable browsers, you can switch your phone off, but it’s up to you to do it.

Schedule in Time for the Unexpected

There is nothing worse than having something unexpected come up when you’re already stretched on time. Break the habit of cutting things fine, give yourself some extra time in case the unexpected happens.

You can double in some instances if you don’t want potential idle time. For example, if you have some travelling to do set off early in case of unexpected traffic. Then park up and carry out some tasks you can do from your laptop if you’re early.

Dont Try to Power through without Breaks

It’s been proven that your ability to concentrate and be productive tapers off dramatically after 45 mins straight. So work in blocks of 45 mins maximum. Taking 10-15 to have a walk, stretch and take in some fresh air.

You will be more productive overall by taking breaks away from work. Work smarter, not harder. These breaks are also awesome for finding those moments of creative wisdom.

Incorporate Exercise into Your Schedule

Healthy people are more productive, usually in every aspect of their lives. There are so many positive benefits to exercising, and being in good shape. It’s hard to list them all here without going on and on.

It’s time to stop the excuses. You do have time. You don’t need to go to a gym. And, you do need to exercise. I have a cross trainer in my living room, 30 mins each morning over the last few months has had a massive impact.

Eat a Hearty Breakfast

In line with the last point, being healthy means you’re able to be more productive. Skipping breakfast is another mistake people make. They think they can save some time and get to the office earlier.

While in fact you’re being less productive. Take a little time to eat some protein rich food and give yourself a boost for the day. If you suffer from lulls in energy during the day, not having a good breakfast is probably the reason.

Outsource If Possible

If you’re in control of your own workload, it might be time to start outsourcing. Hiring a VA couldn’t be easier. They work for very affordable rates, and you can get all those time consuming, yet not terribly important tasks completed for you.

If you work for a large organization, maybe you’re in the position to delegate or ask for help. Either way, it’s time you looked into spreading your workload to be more productive.

Learn to Say No

It’s tough saying ‘no’ and turning people away, especially if they are friends and family. But you don’t have to say ‘yes’ to everything. Anyone with any consideration will understand if you tell them you’re too busy.

Reputation goes both ways. If you’re seen as someone who says ‘yes’ easily, people will come to you. Likewise, if you’re not afraid to say ‘no’, people will not rely on you regardless of how important it is.

Plan for Tomorrow, Today

I always make a note last thing at night of what I want to accomplish the following day. You’re much more likely to be in the state of mind after a working day to know what’s on tomorrow’s agenda.

Likewise, you are going to be more productive if you know what you have to do as soon as you wake up. It stops you procrastinating, or wasting time going over what you did the previous day.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Start looking into ways you can complete your work in smarter ways, not by working harder and longer hours. Outsourcing or delegating as mentioned above is a great way to be more productive.

Also look into programs that automate processes you currently do manually. There are all kinds of programs to automate tasks from emails, calendar updates, website updates, and more.

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Take advantage of the modern technology and processes we have at our disposal.

One of the key takeaways here is to remember that sometimes you have to spend money, or take time out of your day – to make more money, more time, and be more productive.

One of the points that made a big difference to my own productivity, and lifestyle, was taking exercise more seriously.

Once I started doing just 30 mins of cardiovascular exercise first thing in the morning I become so much more productive.

I feel better, I have more energy throughout the whole day, I am ill a lot less often and I love it.

I hope you found some inspiration from the above, and I wish you luck is finding that next gear. Here’s to being more productive, healthier, and happier.