How to Be Productive – 8 Easy Steps

Do you know how to be productive? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Do you need a little boost to complete a task? Are you finding the time to do what needs to be done?

You are not alone. Many people find the same struggle daily.

I will be giving you eight easy steps to implement into your day to find pleasure and less stress and to become a more productive person. These steps can be used if you are a college student, stay at home moms or dads, a business owner, grandparent, parent, whoever you are and whatever you do.

I was talking with my oldest son the other day. He was starting his second year of college. I had him read my blog. He enjoyed it. He also brought to my attention some other topics to include that may help out him and some of his college friends. One topic he mentioned was how to be productive. Interestingly enough, I thought about this issue that many college students may encounter, but then again, it goes much broader. Many people endure the struggle of how to be more productive.

So, this article goes out to my son and all of his college peeps who are taking all of those classes and trying to fit in sports, work, and social life. To all the stay-at-home moms or dads that need that tiny break but cannot fit it in, read on. And to those business owners, grandparents, single people, parents, and everyone else, keep calm and produce on!

Watch this video to discover the 4 reasons why we should choose to embrace boredom. It can also be found on my Facebook Group page, or on my YouTube channel.

1. Time Management – Create A Study Study Schedule

Time management is difficult for a lot of us, It always seems like we need more hours in a day to complete the basic things, let alone the things we want to do for ourselves. Some people are organized and disciplined enough to manage their time, but then LIFE happens! Others may not even know where to begin.

As a blogger, I am juggling the parenting of five teens, I am a spousal unit, I work 40-50 hour work weeks, I am driving from here to there and everywhere. All of these duties require TIME. And then if that is not enough, I need to prioritize the 24 hours in one day to suffice most and sometimes all of these duties. Sound familiar?

Now, if you are techy and you like to have everything at your fingertips, you might try using Trello. Trello has two awesome benefits. You can create an organization board any way you want and customize it to your liking and IT IS FREE! It is perfect for those on a budget. And if that is not enough, there is also an app to keep you on track. Trello has a variety of work and personal uses including real estate management, software project management, college workload, lesson planning, accounting, web design, gaming, law office case management, and much much more.

Coschedule is another good tool to use and will allow you to attach documents and such, but it does come with a monthly charge. I am not too familiar with Coscheudle, but those who use it, love it.

Now for those who still love the paper, hand-held calendars, or agendas, please feel free to use those as well. My daughter would rather use those versus an electronic calendar. I use both electronic and paper forms. Hobby Lobby carries Agenda 52 which has an assortment of calendars, checklists, stickers, etc. They also have a variety of other “planner kits.” Check with your schools, they may have them too.

2. Take Breaks – Be More Productive

Taking breaks is crucial! Some people produce more in the mornings while others perform better in the afternoon or perhaps at night. Find out what works for you and plan your hardest and most difficult tasks during this time or schedule the most tasks for this time to be effective. It’s all about your style and preference. With that being said, you still need to take breaks.

So, what is the ideal length of your work and or study breaks? After reviewing studies and research the average consensus appears to be as follows: take short breaks every 5 to 15 minutes, every hour or so. Take a longer break, at least 30 minutes, every 2 to 4 hours (depending on your task).

Here is an interesting thing I learned through a podcast: You should do something productive during your break. This may include, walking, stretching, taking a shower, calling family or friends, meditating, power napping, whatever takes your mind off the task at hand. While doing this, you are re-energizing and completing another task. Be creative with your outlets.

Working for long stretches without breaks leads to stress and exhaustion. Taking breaks refreshes the mind, replenishes your mental resources, and helps you become more creative. If you want to read more about taking breaks, click here.

3. Find A Quiet Space

Believe it or not, you can get a lot accomplished and be more productive if you have a quiet space to work or study. Having a quiet space allows you to focus more and with little to no distractions. Guess what this also means? This means turning off the cell phone. Yup. You read correctly. Turn off those cell phones and tablets so you can focus on the tasks at hand. Electronic devices are really a deterrent if you are trying to get things done. There are occasions when they are warranted, but you catch my drift.

True story…. I was taking Insurance Education classes at work. This shit was boring! It was hard to stay focused on such boring, boring content. I was a new mom and things were always busy and noisy at the house. I managed to study and study and study more. However, I always had background noise.

It never occurred to me that when I went to take my first test, I would be stuck in this tiny room surrounded by glass. I felt like a test subject. LOL 🙂 Anyway, the room was exceptionally quiet. I could hear myself breathing. To me, that was very annoying. I also found out that it was very difficult for me to take the test because there was no background noise. The same noise I was used to while studying was not there where I was testing. When I finally realized what was going on, I had to change my study habits and find quiet places to study/work.

4. Free Tutoring- Work Study – Or Delegating

For those young souls battling their way through college, you might open your mind to free tutoring. This could fall under time management perhaps. But using free tutoring, you might free up your time using this service and learning from someone who knows the material, versus spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. Then you not only don’t know the material, but you have also lost valuable time.

Again, if you are a college student, you might also try the work-study programs, Here you can work, make money while working, and study on the downtime while on the clock. This also looks good on resumes. So you are making the most of your time when you choose this option.

For those of you in the working world, parents, etc……delegate! Have someone pick up the kids while you do laundry. Have someone write the code for the little project so you can make sure you are getting the BIG presentation done. Offer to pick up groceries for your spouse so that they can go pick up your mom from the airport.

Final word…..work smarter, not harder!

5. Don’t Procrastinate – Or Do Procrastinate?

We all know what procrastination means and most likely have procrastinated at some point. Others of us are frequent procrastinators. Which one are you? Do you know there can be two ways to procrastinate? One is positive and the other can be negative.

Let’s start with the negative first. Some people get so easily distracted from things they want to do or need to do and they put it off to do something else. Then, at the end of the day, they struggle to get whatever it was they needed to do, done. When you do this frequently it will overtake you and your time. Then you start creating a lot of stress for yourself. This is not fun. To avoid procrastination, create a to-do list and check off each task when you complete it. You will see the list get smaller and smaller and you then start to feel less stress and more gratitude and satisfaction. The more you do this, the less you procrastinate.

Another form of procrastination can simply be due to lack of confidence or you know there will be conflict. Either one causes great stress, hence why you keep putting it off. I take the “screw it” approach and just develop the mindset, that I am not going to let this task take over my wellbeing. And then I just do it! Simple as that. I don’t overthink it with “what if” questions, or second, guess my ability. I just do it and come to peace with I did the best I could at that given time. After I complete the task, I then feel really good about myself.

I am a procrastinator from time to time. But there is some good to procrastination. As a writer, I need to be in the mood to write. And sometimes I write better under pressure. I try to blog every Sunday, but not every Sunday am I ready to blog. I may procrastinate by watching TV or going to the store or something until I am ready to write. You may be the same. Not all procrastination is bad. Especially, if you are not causing stress for yourself. If there is something you need to do but are not in the mood to do it and it does not have to be done at that time, take a break, or do something else until you are ready.

6. Do Not Stress the Small Things

Part of being productive is getting things done and prioritizing. In order to accomplish big things, don’t stress the small ones. If little Johnny is wanting to talk about being hurt on the playground today, stop and take the time to comfort him. The dishes can wait. If you are invited to have a coffee with a friend and you need a break, take it. If you need to study for a big test tomorrow, set aside the time to do that instead of a smaller assignment. At the end of the day, remember, you are human. You will make mistakes, you will underestimate the time you may not have, we are all flawed individuals. Learn and pick up from there. Move on!

With stress, also comes a lack of focus and tiredness. If you are stressed, you cannot be your best. And if you are not your best, you are prone to making more mistakes than usual.

7. Know When To Say NO

I used to be a person who could not say “no.” I did not value my time for myself. I placed others’ needs before my own needs. With this lack of self-respect, not intentionally, but regardless, I was not productive. I felt I was doing things haphazardly and not to my potential. And I was. Gradually I learned when to say no to others when I needed to be productive. If you deliver your message politely, they will understand.

8. Get The Appropriate Amount of Sleep

Lastly and most importantly, if you want to be productive, be sure you are getting the appropriate amount of sleep you need. Your body and brain need sleep to re-energize, rest, and regroup. When you sleep deprived you make poor decisions. You cannot focus well and you are even more tired.

To work your best, you need to be your best! Check out my article on The Importance of Sleep To Your Health and Well-Being.

To conclude, procrastination is a habit. Habits can be broken by using a few or all of these tips. If you practice these tips daily, they will become second nature to you. The rule of thumb is, if you use them every day for 21 days, they will be instilled into your daily routine. So start small and try a few, then add a new one each time you are comfortable. It is all a matter of preference. No one person is the same. So keep in mind, what may work for your friend, may not work for you. It’s up to you to take control of your day. Do not let your day control you. Work smart and be smart. Think ME first!

Leave a comment and let me know what works for you. Let’s share with others to make our lives easier.

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