Productivity has been a cornerstone for success in virtually every aspect of life from business to relationships and even general happiness. Most will agree that substantial productivity comes from a combination of time management, focus and planning ahead. I can say, at least for myself, that productivity does not start once you open the door to the office. Being productive starts from the moment you actively decide to be more productive and make the necessary changes to realize your goals. Here are 5 ways that I try to improve my productivity.

1. Keeping A Schedule

It may seem redundant to start by stating that you need a schedule. Let me clarify that I am not just mentioning it to say that you need one, but I am highlighting the importance of having a schedule and implementing it by sticking to your plans. A schedule does more than just notifying you of where you need to get coffee at 2 pm with your colleague, it additionally provides a consistent reminder that you have goals and milestones. Your schedule becomes your own personal coach, telling you for instance that at 5 pm you need to go research the most effective CRM programs, giving you the motivation to go about tasks with increased vigor.

Keeping to a schedule also helps your mind communicate with your body, dictating the levels of energy you need in advance. I found that to be the most effective part of scheduling for me. I don’t need a reminder to eat breakfast, nor to shower, but if you look at my calendar you will find them there. I’m already processing the fact that I’m going to have breakfast at a certain hour 5 days ahead of the fact! This has helped me tremendously, not only in remaining disciplined in my daily goals, but also in planning around the details of my day to maximize my productivity.

2. Early To Rise

Are you finding there are simply not enough hours in the day to be as productive as you’d like? I had the same issue. I had then come to realize that waking up just in time to get through my list of responsibilities by the deadline was not yet early enough for the maximum productivity required to accomplish my greater goals. I had to push my limits and step outside my comfort zone in order to start waking up earlier than my body was accustomed to. Essentially anything that you will do to boost your daily output will be a reflection of how hard you are pushing your ambitions. If you wake up at 7:30 am to be at work for 8:15 am, that is respectable (if you make it), but not remarkable. You want to get up at 6:30 am in this situation, one hour earlier will mean an extra hour in your day to invest in yourself.

Whether it’s organizing your thoughts for the day, helping yourself to a proper breakfast for fuel, or for the sake of a few laps around the park, you have started the day earlier than required in order to invest in yourself. This mental switch creates an outlook that will carry through your day, the outlook of investing in yourself and your work, including dedicated, energetic immersion in projects and facing every challenge up ahead with full force. If you continue adding hours to your day by going the extra mile and waking up sooner, you will undoubtedly witness a spike in your overall performance.

3. Focus

Have you ever been reading something at work, come across a sentence that makes you think of a word, you just can’t remember what that word was? That word is called distraction. You were distracted while on task and even though it wasn’t a 15 minute YouTube mini-marathon, your mind was taken away from the task at hand. I have had that happen to me so many times in the past, that I could sometimes sit for hours chasing thoughts and end up accomplishing in hours what should have taken mere minutes. I am now a big tomato head myself and I’ve never been more focused. Pomodoro (Italian for tomato) Technique, is a technique in which you set 25 minutes on a timer and for those 25 minutes you are in the zone. It feels like a race against the clock every time to achieve the tasks a person sets for oneself within a span of 25 minutes, with a 5 minute rest before the next 25 minute interval. I have found a lot of success with the method and would recommend that anyone who suffers from concentration issues or other similar problems at work give it a try. 

4. Get Physical

This one may not seem business oriented, but it very much is. Studies have shown that regular exercise will result in improved concentration, sharper memory, enhanced creativity and other benefits. Naturally, time is a large constraint for entrepreneurs looking to tackle their goals of the day. However, as mentioned above, this can be solved by adding another hour to your day by shaving an hour off your typical wake up time. Furthermore, physical activity is not restricted to gyms or pilates classes. You need to find an exercise routine that you will enjoy doing so that it naturally becomes a part of your lifestyle. Don’t fall into the trap of forcing yourself to partake in an activity you dislike so passionately that you are able to come up with the most creative, elaborate excuses in order to avoid it. I chose to venture outside of your average gym and dedicate one hour each day to physical activity. Whether it’s a bike ride, a run or various independent exercises, there will be one hour in my schedule where I get active no matter what.

5. Organizational Tools

Calendars, scheduling apps and other tools are in abundance today. If you are looking to stay on top of your assigned day-to-day tasks, or looking to automate part of your marketing routine, there are apps available for you to use, some of which are free. Since we spend a large majority of our day on our phones, tablets and computers, it would seem like quite an oversight not to take full advantage of the technology that’s sole purpose is to make you more productive.

There you have it, 5 ways to become more productive and subsequently happier in your daily grind. For any questions or ideas, feel free to get in touch and share your experiences. Thank you for reading!