Don’t you sometimes wish that you have more hours in a day? Are there too many tasks and not enough time? Sadly, you cannot add more hours to your day. You can, however, control how you manage your productivity. Being mindful of how you spend your time is important if you want to get more things done. Here are tips on how you can use your hours wisely.
Wake up early
Start your day on a happy note by waking up an hour earlier. This way, you can get one full hour of extra alone time. You can use this hour to plan your day. Waking up early can also reduce your stress by eliminating the need to rush early in the morning.
Exercise
Research show that exercise can make you ready for the day ahead by boosting your energy, clearing your mind, and helping improve your problem-solving skills.
Have a checklist
It’s helpful to have a checklist of tasks so that you don’t forget anything. By writing your tasks down, you will have a clear picture of what needs to be done immediately and which tasks can wait. By writing and following a checklist, you’ll feel more organized and on top of everything you need to do.
Schedule your tasks
Scheduling your tasks puts everything in motion. You can do this by adding time frames to your to-do list. For example, you can allow 20 minutes for a status meeting, one hour for answering emails, two hours for writing, and so on and so forth. When you give yourself a schedule for each task, you avoid procrastinating and you accomplish more.
Remove distractions
Social media and texting are just some of the distractions you encounter daily. If you want to do more in a day, shut them all out. Don’t check your Facebook account every five minutes, resist the urge to text or tinker with your gadget. These things, although a lot of fun, can take up your time.
Set a deadline
Always set a deadline for important tasks. Deadlines are good for productivity because they push you to work hard and help you prioritize. Without a hard deadline, you can lose your motivation to work. When creating a deadline, the key is to give yourself just enough time to ensure that you finish the work.
Take a break
When you feel overwhelmed with too many tasks, never be afraid to take a break. Take a short walk in the nearby park or go to a café and treat yourself to your favorite coffee. A break will recharge you and allows you to feel more energetic when you return to your task.
Whether you need to complete a series of tasks at work or accomplish a personal goal, it’s vital to manage your time to help you achieve your objective.
So what’s your plan of attack tomorrow to make your day more productive? What strategies work for you?
