9 Simple Ways to be more Productive

Do you feel like you’re too busy to accomplish your goals? In order to be successful, we have to manage our time well. This sounds like an obvious statement, but it’s surprising how many people are really bad at it.

Whether you’re just starting out in the workforce or you’ve been in it for years, there’s always room to be more productive and get ahead of the game.

To improve your productivity and to improve your lifestyle, these 8 productivity hacks will help you improve your lifestyle by cutting down on wasted time and boosting your success.

1) Eliminate the distractions

Eliminating distractions is imperative to being more productive. Try unplugging from technology and focusing on one thing at a time (see point 2). Try to identify your personal sources of distraction. Do you get distracted by social media or by browsing articles? If so, then remove these temptations from your desktop or browser home page until you reach your goal. If you work from home, then it would be better if you create a dedicated workspace where you can go to work and then leave it once you’re done.

2) Stop multitasking

Multitasking makes us feel like we’re accomplishing more, but in reality it takes a toll on our productivity and happiness. Neuroscientists have confirmed that multitasking actually decreases cognitive capacity. The truth is, we can either switch tasks really fast or focus intensely for a short period of time, but not both at once. So stop looking for new tricks to get things done faster—instead, focus on doing fewer things better by putting full attention into one task at a time.

3) Change your mindset

A common hack for better performance is to change your mindset. In other words, train yourself mentally for success. When you’re feeling in a slump or lacking motivation, it can be difficult (if not impossible) to get into that creative state of mind where you feel at your best. It will take time and discipline.

The key is to get into a success frame of mind by asking yourself questions that get you into a positive present moment attitude. For example, ask yourself, What can I do right now? or What’s one small step I can take toward my goal? These types of questions force you to focus on what you can control in any given moment. This kind of mindset allows you to be proactive rather than reactive, which is essential for getting things done.

4) Prioritize your tasks

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when there are a million things that need your attention, and even easier to spend time on tasks that don’t bring you closer to your most important goals. This is why prioritizing is so crucial. Think about what will give you the biggest bang for your buck—what tasks can you accomplish that will help advance your career or business without eating up all of your precious time? For students or non-working people, prioritize the most urgent tasks and then the non-urgent important tasks. Set aside some time every day (even just 10 minutes) for these tasks.

5) Sleep well

We don't have to stress this enough. Sleep well! Period. If you’re not getting enough rest at night, your brain doesn’t have time to refresh. Give yourself seven to eight hours of sleep and take power naps throughout your day for a productivity boost. All you need is seven minutes of shuteye. It might sound too good to be true, but it works! In seven minutes, your body produces enough of a natural sleep hormone (called Melatonin) that will help you relax and hit that sweet spot.

6) Eat right, eat enough, stop eating junk!

The first step in improving your lifestyle is eating right. If you want to be more productive, healthy eating is an obvious place to start. If you aren’t eating right, but are still hungry, it’s pretty much impossible to get through a day without feeling sluggish and unmotivated. So fix your diet today by reducing junk food and starting a regular meal schedule (and if possible, go Paleo!).

7) Train yourself to get stuff done

When you’re younger, you can usually get away with procrastinating or being less-than-organized in your day-to-day tasks. However, once you start to advance in your career and have many responsibilities on your plate, it’s time to rethink your approach to completing everyday tasks.

Here are a few tips that can help train yourself to get stuff done more efficiently: 1. Make a list of things you need to do each day and write down why they must be done. 2. Make sure your space is organized, making it easier for you to focus on your tasks instead of getting distracted by unnecessary items in your space. 3. Set a timer or alarm when working on tasks that take longer than five minutes or that you find yourself frequently procrastinating on. You can also use an app that blocks distractions for periods of time during which you need to get things done.

8) Take frequent short breaks

Take breaks. One of my favorite productivity hacks is taking frequent breaks during work. I know that for some people, working straight through can seem like a great way to maximize productivity—but in reality, there’s no benefit from burning yourself out; on the contrary, working too hard can make you less productive over time! Try scheduling microbreaks throughout your day; for example, take five minutes every hour or two to walk around or do something fun instead of focusing on work tasks.

9) Use technology wisely

We’re all vulnerable to distraction and most social media apps are designed for distraction. From email, to Facebook, Twitter and Google+, technology is a major source of distractions in your life. When you consider that social media sites such as Facebook require an average of 8 minutes per day, or 3 hours per week, it becomes apparent how easy it is to waste time on social media without even realizing it. Learning how to use technology wisely is key if you want a productive lifestyle and improve your work-life balance.