How to Be More Productive All Day? 3 Habits You Can Adopt Now
Updated: Feb 1
Imagine if you could squeeze a few more hours out of each day. Not only could you shrink your to-do list, but you might also be able to find time to unwind. What if I told you there was a way to get this done without wishing for more time in a day? You can get more done in less time if you learn how to manage your time effectively and be more productive. You're probably wondering what it will take to reach your ideal productivity levels.
You might want to learn more from those who are productive. It might be especially intriguing to you how people manage to:
Eliminate procrastination
Do tasks that are necessary but boring
Have the energy to do things that matter
Focus on things that are high priority
Before you can begin to be more productive, you must realize why being productive matters.
Why Is Being a Productive Person Important?
Don't you just hate admitting you've wasted time at work? You are not alone. There are a great many people who wish they could accomplish more in a day.
You are more likely to achieve your goals and have a clearer understanding of how to do so if you are productive.
It is challenging to be productive consistently, but it becomes much easier when you consider why being productive is essential. Here are a few reasons to consider:
You'll be closer to achieving your goals
You'll find the best way to do things
You'll avoid feeling guilty about not doing enough.
You'll find it easier to get around in life.
You'll feel better about yourself.
You'll free up more time for the things you love
In short, you will have a more fulfilling day if you can make it a more productive day.
Why Does Being Productive Start With Doing Nothing?
When you try to be more productive, you must also acknowledge that you are attempting to be more efficient at what you do. When you do nothing, you enhance your performance capacity and do better work when you return to it. Therefore, you need to take adequate breaks when you want to be more productive.
Doing nothing ensures we can give our brains the time to recharge before we revisit our work because most tasks we deal with are cognitively taxing.
While it might seem counter-intuitive initially, doing nothing is one of the best things you can do for your productivity.
Don't get me wrong: I understand how important it is to you to do more in every minute available. However, it is a fact that you were not created to work like a machine that doesn't need breaks. Focusing your attention for too long on a single task will wear you out.
However, doing nothing for even five minutes can help you return to your work with more energy.
According to psychologists, breaks can help you on multiple accounts:
Restores energy so you can do more when you're back
Prevents long-term burnout
Makes you more resilient
Improves your mood
Enhances your overall wellbeing
Boosts your performance capacity
If breaks are so helpful, why aren't they taken more often? Most people are too hard on themselves and expect too much of themselves without giving themselves enough time to rest and recharge. Instead of being too hard on yourself, you should practice self-compassion and recognise what you can and cannot do.
Breaks shouldn't be viewed as lost time; rather, they should be viewed as an investment in your future productivity.
Not only should your breaks be planned, but they should also not be cognitively taxing.
During this time, do not scroll through social media or read anything. Instead, go for a brief walk, strike up a small conversation, or meditate.
Once you understand the value of taking breaks, you can implement these productivity-boosting habits:
Habit 1: Set Your Daily Priorities
You should have a clear picture of your daily priorities at the start of the day.
If your daily to-do list is not organised correctly or you don't have a to-do list at all, you will continue to feel overwhelmed and confused throughout the workday. You will feel uncertain about the tasks you must complete and feel stressed when you realise an essential task is still outstanding. In other words, if you do not establish your priorities at the start, you may perform less essential tasks while neglecting more crucial ones.
Without setting priorities, we run the risk of succumbing to the mere urgency effect, where we focus on tasks that are urgent but ultimately less important.
Prioritisation is helpful because it:
reduces stressful feelings related to your work
reduces the complexit