Before I even get into this post, I want to state that productivity looks different to everyone and can mean something different to you every single day. One day, you get everything done yet the next day, it can mean just getting out of bed! Whenever I feel a little demotivated, I hit the reset button and this is how I make my days more productive.
TRACK YOUR TIME FIRST
It’s always good to know just how long certain tasks take. Ideally, I’d say to take about a week or two on this activity. Christmas is the perfect time to do this but obviously, it means you probably won’t be able to include work tasks. Many of us say that something will take us 10 minutes yet in actual time, it’s more like 45 minutes. Jot down your tasks and timings in a spreadsheet or a notepad and review at the end.
FIND A TIME MANAGEMENT TOOL
Tools such as Pomodoro, time-blocking, time tracking, or using a timer are all great options. However, it’s all trial and error here! I recommend trying a tool for at least one month to see if it’s for you. Personally, I use time tracking for work and blog writing and time-blocking for my weekdays. I’ve used a form of Pomodoro for major productivity but 25 minutes is quite short. When I get in a flow, it’s hard to just stop so I aim for 50-minute sprints with a 10-minute break.
RELY ON YOUR ROUTINES
Because I’m a weirdo, I have all of mine typed up on Notion to remind me of what I like to do every morning and evening as well as my reset routines. It’s something I’ve worked on massively in 2023 by fine-tuning them all so 2024 is the year I follow them properly! Because I make a nice-to-do routine, I simply pick and choose exactly what I need for that day/week/month.
PLAN THE NIGHT BEFORE
It’s so much less stressful to wake up knowing what you have to do for the day! I’d say it’s probably more important if you work a 9-5 and especially if you leave the house! When I worked in retail and an office, I’d pack my bag, prep my lunch and get my outfit ready for the following day. Now I’m self-employed, I try to have something ready for lunch and write up my to-do list for the next day. Whatever will make your mornings easier, do it the night before!
FIND A PLANNING SYSTEM
This can be anything such as a to-do list, diary, calendar, or project management tool. Just make sure you use it. Once again, it’s even more trial and error! You’ll find you’re in one of three camps: paper, digital or hybrid planning. I’m in the latter camp myself! I’ve always been a paper planner but it’s not always practical. I’d say I have 70% of my planning online and 30% on paper, using a mixture of Notion, Asana, Google Drive, Google Calendar, diaries, and calendars. It seems like a lot but it started off with just one diary at school. Since then, I started to plan out more things and now, I still have to plan out my planning!
PRIORITISE SLEEP
7-9 hours is the norm but some work off six (I am not one of them). The whole idea is to try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Of course, it’s not going to happen all of the time but I’d say aim for 80%. You might be like me and have a slightly different weekday and weekend sleep schedule. The experts will tell you you shouldn’t but I’d rather sleep in a little on a weekend! My windows are 10.30pm-7am on a weekday and 11pm-8am on a weekend. Did I mention that I love sleep?
FINISH A TASK BEFORE STARTING THE NEXT
Or at least try to make as much progress as you can. Sometimes, you might be working on a task that requires information or input from another though. Doing as much as you can first means that you’ve done your job! For me, when it comes to client work, I always try to finish an article before starting the next. However, in an ideal world, I take 24 hours off after writing to then come back and edit it. It might just be my type-A personality but I hate leaving a task unfinished!
GROUP SIMILAR TASKS TOGETHER
This is what I call staying in one mode. It works for admin, housework, or content, and helps you to focus on one type of task at any one time. It helps if you’re into timeblocking too because you can block out one chunk in your day to focus on one thing. An example would be what I call my CEO morning on a Monday. That’s when I respond to any weekend emails, update my business accounting spreadsheet, track my social media stats, and schedule any content for the week. It helps me to stay in that admin ‘mode’ because I’m never fully awake enough on a Monday morning to do creative writing or client work.
FOCUS ON YOUR HABITS
Get enough water, move your body, get outside, eat nutritious foods. These are the little habits that make you feel better and they soon add up. It might seem silly to say but especially when you have a lot going on, we tend to neglect our health and wellbeing. Even when you’re busy, you can still stay hydrated, go for a quick walk outside and cook a decent meal. There will be times when you can’t be bothered and that’s okay. However, try to remember you only get one body and the way to perform at your best on every level is to look after yourself!
SET GOALS
You all know that I’m big on goals. Here, I’d recommend setting yourself big, lofty, annual goals. Break down your annual goals into monthly/weekly goals and daily actions to move closer to your dreams every day. Take baby steps every day and make progress. I find it best to track my progress too, especially on bigger goals. Of course, they can’t always be tracked but you can definitely review your weeks and months. Don’t forget to look at your goals regularly. Don’t just set them at New Year and leave them to rot!
And that’s the main way how I make my days more productive. It’s something that I’ve worked on since I was in college and had to balance client work, blogging, studying, and my personal life. Of course, I have days when I don’t do anything but this is the process I follow to stay on top of everything and get my days back on track.
If you enjoyed reading about how I make my days more productive, you can find my other organisation posts here. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram too!
