Everybody is looking for the way to
accomplish most of the daily task as soon as possible to get more time off the
responsibilities of the day. Neil Patel, co-founder of Crazy Egg have some
tips.
1. Schedule
your day the night before.
Every day, you should list all your tasks and
when you're going to do them the following day. You will not be productive
unless you plan out everything you're going to do the next morning.
Quick tip: Don't schedule too much. Keep your
to-do schedule light to actually accomplish real work.
2. Clean your
office the night before.
Clutter in your office creates distractions.
A sticky note on your desk that says "Call Bob ASAP!" can throw off
your whole day.
Showing up to work in a spic-and-span
environment helps you to think clearer and work harder.
3. Wake up at
an ungodly hour.
To really get stuff done, you've got to get
up in time to make it happen.
I recommend anytime from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. If
your morning routine takes a little longer, bump your wake-up time back a
little more.
4. Exercise.
Scientific evidence shows that morning
exercise can make us think better, work better, and become more productive.
Harvard's John Ratey is the author of Spark:
The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. He writes that
exercise is essential for reaching "high-performance levels in
intellectually demanding jobs."
A quick jog or 30-minute yoga session can
prepare you for a powerful session of getting stuff done.
5. Stick to
your schedule.
Don't let yourself veer off the course that
you've mapped out. You have a limited amount of time. Don't ruin the schedule.
Take your schedule, allow it guide you, and
you'll be able to accomplish more.
6. Give
yourself 20 minutes to reach flow.
Flow is when you're in the zone. This happens
when you are completely absorbed in your activity, singlemindedly accomplishing
things at a high level and rapid pace.
It takes some time to reach flow, so if you
don't feel productive or engaged in your work, just give it some time.
7. Make
60-second decisions.
Decision making is a time-draining vortex.
When you're faced with a decision in the course of your work, give yourself a
one-minute limit. Your decision will be just as good, but it will take less time.
8. Wear
headphones.
Headphones can shut out distractions and keep
you focused. Harvard Business Review advises workers to put on their headphones
to be more productive.
9. Do the
toughest tasks first.
Mark Twain wrote, "If you eat a frog
first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all
day." Brian Tracy turned this statement into an entire principal (and even
wrote a book on it)--"Eat that frog!"
If you get your biggest and ugliest task done
first, the rest of the day will be massively productive.
10. Do your
writing early on.
Writing is one of the most mentally demanding
tasks. However, writing also has the power of focusing your brain and improving
your productivity. Do you writing early in the day, and you'll improve both the
quality of your writing and the rest of your day.
11. Don't
commute.
If you typically have a lengthy work commute,
do everything you can to avoid it
It's not just wasted time that you want to
guard against. It's the mental havoc. A commute is one of the most stressful
parts of the day. Starting your workday with that level of stress can
completely ruin your productivity.
Don't even commute to Starbucks. (Have
Starbucks bring it to you instead.)
12. Don't
hold meetings (even over the phone).
If you've been in business for very long, you
know that most meetings are a waste of time. Avoid meetings if at all possible.
13. Don't
check your email first thing.
The electronic communication pipeline can be
as destructive as meetings. Sure, you need to deal with email. It's important,
but don't let it swallow your day by starting out with it.
14. Stick to
a routine.
If you do something repeatedly, you'll be
able to do it better and faster each time. Once you find a routine, stick with
it. Your routine is the ramp to your productivity.
15. Make
yourself comfortable.
Do whatever you need to do to position
yourself for success. If that means showering, shaving, eating breakfast,
journaling, meditating, feeding the dog, opening the blinds--do it. When you
accomplish these preparatory tasks, you are creating an environment that will
make you more productive.
16. Reward
yourself at a certain time.
Set the clock--a countdown timer if you have
to. At a certain point, you're going to stop. So, stop.
Break out the kazoos, throw some confetti,
and do your happy dance. It's time
to reward yourself.
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