Have you ever wondered how some people manage to do so many things in a short time and even have more time to spend with their loved ones and do what they want?
This is because they have developed a good time management routine which allows them to stay focused and carry out their tasks without procrastinating and then have more time later.
One of the important skills that you should develop to improve yourself is time management.
Good time management can change your life if done right.
If you too would like to do more in less time and develop good time management to increase your productivity then you are in the right place.
Today in this post I will share 11 tips tips to increase your productivity and beat procrastination to help you complete your tasks in time so that you can have more time for yourself and your loved ones.
Easy tips to increase your productivity and beat procrastination
You don’t have to be an expert to know how to organize your time and stay focused. In fact, you have to practice and with time everything will come more naturally.
Here are 11 tips that can help you with time management in order to increase your productivity during the hours you have to work and stop procrastinating.
It will allow you to have more free time later and do what you care about most, knowing that you have done all the work.
Don’t forget that to increase your productivity, you should also recognize what are the 16 bad habits that are killing your productivity and try to avoid them.
1) Decide what you need to accomplish on the day
Having an overview of what you need to do on that day could be of great help.
If you don’t know how to do it, simply take a sheet or your diary and write down all the tasks you need to complete that day.
It is important that you set SMART goals. This means that your goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based.
Having everything in front of you helps you visualize better and realize how much work you have to do.
So you can also add or remove tasks if you see that you have little or a lot of assignments.
2) Prioritize tasks
Now it’s time to prioritize your tasks.
Take the paper or your diary and assign your tasks an order of importance.
Let’s say you have five things to do. Assign number one to the most important or difficult task and five to the easiest or least important task.
Starting with the hardest things is not only great time management but it helps you not to procrastinate.
If you tackle the most difficult activities first, the rest will become easier and you will feel freer.
3) Assign a time limit for each task
Have you ever spent time just doing one thing and getting to the end of the day with the knowledge that you could have done more?
This happens because we don’t keep track of time and our brain thinks we are doing a lot by doing just one task.
Therefore it is important to set a time limit for each task, so that you can keep track of your time.
So once you’re done prioritizing your assignments, it’s time to decide how much time you would like to spend on each assignment.
Take the first task and write down the time you think it will take to complete it.
Do the same for the others, and if you need set a timer to let you know when you are done with a task.
4) Block out interruptions
Another key thing to do besides organizing tasks is to eliminate distractions.
Personally, I am a person who gets distracted very easily, especially by social media.
So I decided to deactivate and delete the apps from my mobile.
I did it because I felt the need to detach myself from social media, and I have to say that I mentally feel better.
I occupy the time spent on social media taking care of myself, spending time with my family, and using it more productively, like writing on the blog.
You don’t have to do the same.
You can use special apps to block cell phone notifications or computer extensions like StayFocusd, which is completely free, that blocks sites that make you distracted.
Another option could be to stay in a room and bring only what is necessary for the work.
5) Avoid multitasking
When it seems that doing many things at the same time can be effective, it is scientifically proven that multitasking is harmful to our productivity.
Not only does it make us less productive, but we are unable to do high-quality assignments as the brain has to work hard and shift from one task to another.
Take the first assignment, set the timer, and just work on that.
Better commit and do one thing at a time and do it well instead of doing many things at the same time and doing them badly.
6) Schedule breaks between assignments
Planning a productive day and not including breaks is definitely a bad move.
One of the most important time management tips I can give you to increase your productivity is to plan breaks between tasks.
To work well and always be focused, it is important to give your brain and body a break, where you can relax.
In this way, you can be more motivated and productive for the next task.
I usually take a break of ten or twenty minutes and then go back to the assignment, so I can finish as soon as possible.
7) Save time by removing non-essential activities
Do you know you can save a lot of time just by removing activities that are not that much important as you think they are?
The time you spend on those activities could be used to get ahead with assignments or for self improvement.
This could be learning new things or practicing some self-care activities.
8) Review your day
Every night, before going to sleep, I do a mental review of my day and what I did during the day.
- What did I do that was productive?
- What have I failed to accomplish?
- What have I lost a lot of time with and how can I improve?
In my opinion, it is very important to review our day so that we know how we spent it, what we wasted time on and what we can do better the next time.
If by any chance you have work that you weren’t able to finish, this doesn’t have to be a problem.
Ponder why you couldn’t finish it.
Time was it not enough for you? Or did you let yourself get distracted by something?
Write it down and try to organize yourself better next time.
9) Write a to-do list for the next day
Good time management to increase your productivity certainly includes writing a to-do list for the following day.
By organizing your tasks in a list, you will have an overview of the assignments to be done for the next day.
The to-do list is something to include if you want to be super productive and above all to stay mentally focused.
I usually make my to-do list the night before. I realized that if I do that, I am more encouraged to finish all the tasks I wrote on the list.
And once finished, the sense of satisfaction I feel pushes me to do the same the next day.
10) Stay organized with a calendar
Having a calendar or diary on which to write all the tasks and commitments is essential to be organized.
For my blog, for example, I organize myself by taking my calendar and writing down all my commitments, such as medical visits, work or going out with friends, and so on.
Then I prefix the dates to devote to the research of the topics that I will write in my blog and the day of publication of the article.
Thanks to the calendar, I can get an overview of my week or month and I know how to organize myself and divide the work.
If you don’t already have it, get a calendar or diary and write down all the commitments and tasks you need to do.
This will give you a great overview and you will know how to organize yourself according to your commitments, avoiding burnout.
11) Get rest
After a productive day, it is good to rest and reward yourself for hard work.
You can go for a walk in the fresh air or read a book, or watch your favorite movie.
By relaxing you recharge your body and above all you will not feel the stress of the day and you will remain motivated.
Conclusion
These are 11 tips to increase your productivity and beat procrastination.
In the end, even successful people have 24 hours, but the secret lies in knowing how to organize and prioritize.
Always start with the most important things, organize your to-do list and put away any form of distraction.
You can also start organizing yourself at the end of the week by implementing these 14 Sunday habits for a productive and organized week ahead.
Surely you will be able to do a lot in a short time and have more time for yourself.
With love,
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