Get Things Done
We explore how to get things done, and boost your productivity. Here are the top ten tips to help you do just that. Therefore, how to be a high-performance productivity machine and how to get things done: If you want to be a high-performance machine, you need to make sure that your body and mind are always at their best. There are many ways to help yourself stay focused and healthy: drinking lots of water, eating well, getting plenty of sleep, etc. In this article, we’ll go over ten simple tips for boosting productivity and getting more done each day. If you follow them all consistently, before long you’ll be crushing projects like never before!
Work from a “To Do” list
A to-do list is a list of tasks that you need to complete. You can set up your own system, or use an app like Any.do or Wunderlist.
Here are some tips for using a to-do list
Create one
Every day, write down everything you plan on doing that day. This helps keep you focused and organized so that nothing is missed! Make sure that the tasks on your to-do list are in order of importance or urgency—this way, when something crops up unexpectedly (like an urgent email asking for help), items on your list will not be deleted; rather, your list will simply be rearranged. You may, for instance, need to add a shopping list attached to an outing you are going on.
How to get things done: Make a schedule of tasks
Making a schedule of your tasks is paramount for boosting productivity. You don’t want to be wasting time on the wrong tasks, or doing too many things at once.
Here are some tips for making an effective schedule
- Identify the most important tasks that must be achieved. These should take priority when creating your schedule − they have the highest impact and are usually time-sensitive.
- Write down the tasks you must complete in order of importance, starting with #1 and ending with #5 (or however many you can fit into your day). This will give you a good idea of what needs prioritizing when developing a schedule based on this list.
- Write down all other smaller assignments (like emails) so they don’t get brushed aside or forgotten about until later on in life! Just remember, the average person spends around 2 hours and 33 minutes daily dealing with emails. That is time that could be diverted to something more productive. Remember that not everything is going to happen today; sometimes it’s acceptable just to know where it belongs on this list. It is better not to focus too hard on achieving every little goal perfectly every single day. This goes back to productivity, which means being more efficient = less stressors = less anxiety/stress etc.
Prioritize Your Tasks
- Prioritize your tasks based on urgency and importance.
- Also, prioritize your tasks based on value.
In order to be productive and to make progress towards your goals, it’s important to prioritize your tasks by urgency and importance. If you have a million things to do, you need to consider how much time each task will take, as well as whether or not it is critical to complete the other tasks later in the day or week. The less urgent but more important items are “must do” items; while the slightly less urgent but still very important ones are “should do” items (for instance, updating social media).
Take Regular Breaks
Taking regular breaks is a critical part of being a high-performance productivity machine. Why? Because when you’re working at a high level and pushing yourself, your brain becomes fatigued. And just like any other organ in the body, if you don’t give it time to rest and recover, it starts to slow down—and that means lower productivity.
So how long should these breaks be? 15 minutes seems to be the magic number for most people; after that period of time has elapsed, they return with renewed energy and fresh ideas. The best way to take your break is either by getting up from your desk or switching tasks entirely (for example, going outside for some fresh air). If possible, make sure that you have access to food during this time because hunger can also sap energy!
Avoid Multitasking
Multitasking is an exercise in futility, so I don’t recommend it. If you are working on multiple tasks at once, your brain will have a difficult time processing the information and you might make mistakes.
Studies show that multitasking can actually be detrimental to your health. According to Dr. Timothy Pychyl, associate professor at Carleton University and author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies That Work: “We need downtime because we’re resource-limited”.
The negative effects of multitasking even extend beyond our physical health—it has been shown that multitasking interferes with our ability to maintain relationships with others (and sometimes ourselves). Multitaskers tend not only to be more stressed out than other people but also less satisfied with their lives overall. and
Keep a Clear Desk and Office Space
The first step to boosting your productivity is to keep a clear desk and office space.
Keep only what you need, and organize what’s left.
The worst thing you can do for your productivity is to have clutter lying around in the workspace that distracts you from the task at hand. A clean desk makes it easier to get things done, which leads to higher productivity levels overall. When I say ‘clean’ I mean free of clutter, not empty; there are certainly times when having nothing on your desk but a laptop or tablet would be distracting (but if that happens often then maybe now’s the time to look into buying more storage). Staying organized while maintaining a clear work area takes some effort. However, here are some tips:
- Keep an inbox folder for papers to go into as soon as they come in—this will help prevent them from piling up on top of each other and becoming disorganized
- Use labels or tabs on folders, making it easy for you or co-workers to identify.
Create a productive environment
When you’re working from home, it can be tempting to start work in your pajamas. However, if you want to stay productive and accomplish more, a dedicated workspace that is clean and organized is essential. That includes having all of your tools and supplies at hand—and away from the sink or refrigerator! You also need a comfortable place to sit while working (be it at a desk or on the couch with a laptop) as well as an office in which there are no distractions (e.g., loud noises). If possible, choose a room that has sufficient natural light—this will help keep you awake so that the workday doesn’t end too early!
Become an early riser
One of the most effective ways to boost your productivity and do more is to become an early riser. The earlier you wake up in the morning, the more time you will have to accomplish your goals before the day ends.
Here are some tips for becoming an early riser:
- Set a consistent bedtime and rising time each night. This can help train your body’s internal clock so that waking up earlier feels normal. If possible, sleep in a dark room with no noise or light sources (like laptops or mobile phones).
- Focus on quality over quantity when it comes to sleep—eight hours of restful sleep per night is ideal. However, if you only manage six hours’ sleep every night, make sure that those six hours are restful ones!
Snack on nuts for mental alertness
Nuts are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats. Eating nuts can help you feel full, so you don’t need to snack on other foods. Nuts also contain healthy fats and nutrients that can help you stay focused.
Vitamin E:
This antioxidant helps your body build strong bones; it keeps your skin looking young, and fights off free radicals (cell-damaging molecules). In fact, vitamins A and E work together as a team to protect against aging skin by preventing damage from ultraviolet rays. Just make sure to buy raw or dry roasted nuts for maximum nutrient value; processed versions lose most of their nutritional benefits!
Drink lots of water for mental alertness and health
As a productivity machine, you should drink water to stay hydrated. This is an important part of your health, both mental and physical. In addition to staying hydrated and healthy, drinking water can help you stay focused, alert, and awake throughout the day. Drinking water can also keep you in shape and in good health so that when it comes time for working out or playing sports, your body will be ready for action!
You don’t have to spend all day glugging down gallons of water (unless that’s your thing!). Just make sure that at least half of the drinks you consume are cold or are room temperature bottled water. If this sounds like too much work for one person − don’t worry! You can always buy yourself a designated bottle so all those essential nutrients go where they need to without having to think about it too much!
Key tips of how to get things done is to stay focused, healthy, and productive, and keep the stress at bay
Keep a clear desk and office
If you have a cluttered desk, it’s difficult to stay focused. You might be tempted to work in the kitchen or the living room instead of at your desk, but those places are too distracting—a messy environment can make it difficult for you to concentrate on what matters most.
Create a productive environment
Your environment has a big impact on how much work you manage to do, and how effectively you do it. If possible, create an office space that allows for maximum productivity by placing items where they’re easily accessible (for instance, pens should be near paper). Always create sufficient space so that, if possible, nothing is blocking your view of the screen or computer monitor.
Snack on nuts for mental alertness
Nuts contain magnesium which helps keep our minds sharp; magnesium also helps boost memory function as well as reduce anxiety levels! More so, according to research published in ‘Nutrition Journal’, eating 20 grams of almonds every day may help reduce symptoms associated with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Conclusion
I hope you’ll find that these tips make it easier to stay on top of your productivity game. These little reminders will also help you feel more confident in your abilities as a high performer. Yes, there are certain aspects that can hold us back from being at our best (poor sleep, poor nutrition). However, with the right mindset and approach, it’s possible to achieve just about anything.
Also, remember, that a virtual assistant can be there to take over some of your low-level tasks. If you delegate such tasks, you will have more time to focus on what is important. What this means is better time management, as well as energy management.
Book a complimentary discovery call with our outsourcing expert. Let Aristo Sourcing help you on your journey to better productivity.