Time is never enough for many of us. We always keep complaining about the lack of time. But what do we do when we have the time we wanted? Do we use it properly? Many times we do not realize that time is a valuable resource and once it has passed, we will not get the same time back.
We take time for granted ending up piling our tasks and keeping them for later thus resulting in procrastination. So, before you regret not ticking off those tasks on your to-do list here are some tips that will help you get up, get moving, and boost your productivity.
What is Productivity?
It is wrongly believed that if you finish your to-do list by the end of the day you were productive. Productivity is much more than ticking off tasks. It is not about the quantity but it also includes the quality of work that you do. It is about making sure you’re getting the right things done, in the right timeframe, in a successful and effective way.
Time management is a skill and a tool to successfully increase your productivity. Today it won’t be wrong to say that time management has become a life skill and the earlier one learns this the better one will become at managing their tasks and leading them to completion.
The tips provided below will help you do just this. Manage your time better and thus increase your productivity.
POMODORO Technique-
It is a classic technique used by many to increase their productivity. This is most suitable for students although anyone can curate it for their purpose. In this technique, you engage in your tasks for 25 minutes and then take a break for 5 minutes. Repeat this cycle 4 times then you can take a break for half an hour. You can change the working time at your convenience, especially if you feel like you are enjoying your work you can extend this for like 30 minutes and then take a break for 5 minutes. This will help you work by giving you the much-needed breaks in between that too without any guilt.
Two-minute Rule-
This concept suggests that if there is something that you need to do and you can finish it in two minutes get this done right now instead of putting it on your to-do list and procrastinating about it.
For example, if you want to reply to an email or a WhatsApp text and this normally takes less than two minutes then why not finish this task instead of keeping it nagging at the back of your mind?
Five-minute Rule-
The minute rules can become overwhelming but this concept is interesting as it targets your basic behavior. Procrastination generally happens when you fail to start with your tasks so this rule suggests that if you are thinking of postponing something that has to be done start doing it with the thought that you are just going to do it for the first five minutes.
After you do it for the first five minutes, your inertia sets in and you never know you may finish this task rather than keeping it for later!
Two-day Rule-
This concept is given by a popular you tuber and can be useful for those who often feel it difficult to stick to their routine. According to this concept, you should not give yourself more than a day off to do a particular activity. Again, this can apply to those who want to achieve a fitness goal but fall prey to laziness.
This method can help you take a few days off too without compromising on your goal and help you avoid falling into a slumber.
Having an Accountability Buddy-
If you have a friend or a colleague who has similar goals as yours, they can become your accountability buddy and help complete your tasks. In return, you may be helping them too by becoming accountable for what they are doing. You can create check-in activities with them to give yourself a deadline to complete your work before they check-in.
This method can increase the productivity of two people at the same time and hence is an effective method.
Time Blocking-
We have another blog dedicated to this topic alone as time blocking if done properly can boost your productivity manifolds. In this, you block out a certain amount of time for a particular task in your calendar and when that time comes you end up doing that task. Sometimes when you have an empty block of time in your calendar you may think that there are many things for which you can utilize this time but end up doing nothing productive.
So once you dedicate an amount of time to a particular task you don’t have to be confused. And this task can be doing nothing at all too!
Delegation-
There are always certain tasks that are urgent but it does not require you to work on them. It is absolutely fine if someone else does this work for you. These are tasks that need completion but not to the standard of perfection that you want to achieve. Delegate such tasks to others so that you can focus your tie and energy on something of higher priority.
Daily Highlight-
The idea behind the daily highlight is that you decide the single most important thing that you want to do in the present day and see to it that you achieve this task no matter what. This can be something that may be very productive like completing my blog or reading a chapter but this can also involve those tasks that may not look to be productive like hanging out with friends or calling your parents. If you complete that task for the day you will end your day with a note of satisfaction.
Identifying your Productivity Hours-
It is said that only you will know yourself better than anyone else. If you know and figure out the exact time of the day when you feel you get things done and you are highly productive, this can come as a game changer for you. This time can be the early mornings or the late nights, it’s your preference but scheduling your important tasks during your peak productivity hours will only mean that you are getting them done!
Do the Hardest Thing First-
It is human nature to keep those tasks pending that you think are more time-consuming or may require more of your energy. we usually focus on quick wins. This is again a psychological trick that gets your mind thinking that once you have finished the task that looked daunting to you, you will be able to complete the other small tasks too.
It will increase your motivation and focus. You can also keep the hardest tasks for the most productive period of your time and see how it finishes itself!
Your productivity can be curated by you. These tips and tricks may help you so far but as long as you are not willing to put in the effort to pick and choose one amongst them you will not know what may or may not work for you. So try these productivity hacks and let us know your productivity method in the comments section below!
Author: Dr Pooja Nilgar (Content writer and editor)
