10 Tips for Being More Productive

I tend to be a procrastinator. It drives Tracy crazy when I put things off until later. She tends to stress and worry about everything until she has it completed and I am the complete opposite. There are very few things that cause me actual stress and worry. Occasionally when something really important is coming up at work I will stress a little or if I have to do public speaking in front of strangers then I stress. But most tasks don't worry me.

I have been working on doing better though. For some time, I have been trying not to procrastinate so much. I have realized in the past that procrastination has caused me to miss out on some things because I have waited until the last minute and have to dedicate all of my time to finishing a task instead of going to some great experience. So, I have realized that I should be more update and not let myself get so close to deadlines before actually doing anything. Over the pass year I have been doing way better with this and even pride myself on my togetherness now.

Just this week I had an awesome experience that related to this. At work now we are divided into groups based on what we decided we wanted to work on to make ourselves better teachers. Our groups meet once a month and our teacher leader provides us with some new tools or information that will us and we are suppose to share what we have done since the last meeting. I was the only teacher in my small group of 6 that showed up with anything! I had taken pictures of a strategy that I used with my class and already emailed them to our teacher leader. I had typed up a reflection of the strategy and since I had already used two of the other strategies I was prepared with them as well! Since I only needed one this time (I hadn't realized this I had thought we were suppose to bring evidence of all of them that we had used) I have evidence to share next time already! Our teacher leader was impressed and asked me afterwards to email her my reflection so that she could email it and the pictures to our administrators.

So, just what have I been doing to make myself more productive and less of a procrastinator?

ONE // Messes create chaos. Clutter can cause stress, which will keep you from being at the top of your game. So keep a clear workspace. When you finish a task clean up and put materials away. At work I clear my desk at the end of every day so that I can start fresh the next day. At home, after making a recipe I clean up right away.

TWO // Just say no. If you are constantly saying yes to everything people want you to do, you are going to run out of time to complete the tasks. Then you are going to feel stressed because you are letting someone down. Be reasonable. When you have enough on your plate, politely decline unless the person can wait until you are free. This leads into my next point.

THREE // Go into ninja stealth mode. Every day you need time to yourself. Time when you can reflect about your day. Time when you can just relax and enjoy life. If you have to make yourself scarce for an hour to have your me time, do it. Sometimes I go to town after work on Fridays and look through a few stores and stop for a treat by myself to get my me time.

FOUR // Be healthy. Honestly, we should all try to schedule in some exercise every day. This will help us have more energy and feel better in general. You also need to make sure you stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, being dehydrated can zap your energy.

FIVE // Take a cat nap. You will also be less productive if you are cranky because you are tired. You really need to get 7-8 hours of sleep every day. So, if you need a nap take it. You will wake up refreshed and ready to finish your day.

SIX // Nothing is perfect. Someone will always find something bad to say about something. So don't stress out by trying to be a perfectionist. Do your best and then let it go. Don't waist time worrying about how to make a project better, when you could be using that time working on your next task. You also can't wait around for the "perfect" time to get started, because you will never get started.

SEVEN // Watch your screen time. It is so easy to loose yourself in a TV marathon or in catching up with friends on Facebook or in responding to e-mails. None of these are helping your accomplish your tasks though. Limit your screen time when you have something you need to work on. When responding to emails keep it short and simple.

EIGHT // Tackle your toughest task. Completing this task first will be a major confidence booster for the rest of the day and may help you accomplish even more than you thought possible. After getting this off the list the other tasks will seem like a breeze.

NINE // Use your time wisely. One chunk of time that I could definitely use more wisely is my commute time. I spend 40 minutes a day to travel to work and back. I could be using that 40 minutes listening to podcasts or books on tape. This would allow me to use that time to further educate myself. Granted sometimes, especially in the evenings on the way home, I just have to turn the music up and belt out some tunes to minimize my stress after a hard day.

TEN // Reflect before bedtime. Before going to sleep each night, reflect on your day. What went well? What made you happy? Then set your goals for the next day. What do you need to work on tomorrow? Setting your goals at night will let you wake up focused the next day because you have a plan.




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11 Tips For Staying Focused and Productive

I work in a busy law office with a to do list that is often scary long. Add to that a side job, this blog, and trying to maintain an active social life and I am one busy girl. I have never been one to procrastinate (procrastination is one of Jessica's traits that drives me insane) but even I need some help staying focused and checking items off of my to do list. Below are 11 tips that have always worked for me.

TIP ONE // Set specific times to check emails and social media. Constantly checking emails and social media can quickly take up a lot of time. Having set times to check and respond to emails and social media will keep it from always looming over your head.

TIP TWO // Focus on 3 tasks per day. Each evening make a list of 3 big tasks you want to complete the next day. Keeping your list at a manageable number it will prevent you from getting overwhelmed.

TIP THREE // Get your most important task finished first thing in the morning. By getting your most important task done at the beginning of your day no matter how crazy the rest of your day gets you can still feel like a success at the end of the day because you got something significant finished.

TIP FOUR // Set a deadline and do not break it. If you do not have a deadline to get something done you can push it off until tomorrow.

TIP FIVE // Use a timer. Set the timer on your phone to give yourself 30 minutes to focus completely on one task. After which you can take a 5 minute break to prevent yourself from becoming bored.

TIP SIX // Use apps to block distractions. As noted above it is easy to get wrapped up in social media, emails, or browsing various websites. I cannot even begin to tell you how often I have gotten sucked into Pinterest and then an hour has passed before I know it. There are plenty of helpful apps out there that block distracting websites during work hours. Find one that you like and use it consistently.

TIP SEVEN // De-clutter your work space. It is so much easier to stay focused when your work space is organized.

TIP EIGHT // Set up a mini reward system. It is okay to bribe yourself sometimes. We all need the occasional award especially after completing something you were really dreading.

TIP NINE // Get a good night's sleep and wake up early. It is nearly impossible to be productive when you are exhausted. Be good to yourself and get the rest you need. I have also found that waking up early does wonders for my productivity level. It is so much easier to get things accomplished when most of the rest of the world is sleeping.

TIP TEN // Take a break when you really need it. But use those breaks to get something productive done such as a workout, tidying up, or running an errand.

TIP ELEVEN // Know what works for you. Pay attention to what works for you and use that knowledge to up your productivity. Are you an early bird or a night owl? Do you get bored easily? Do you need a quiet place to work?

image via: Knotted Tassel Necklace, edited by Sunny Days and Starry Nights