What are the Keys to Productivity?
[guest post] It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to achieve: in order to reach your goal, you’ll need to be productive. You might be running a business, trying to organize an event, or writing a book — whatever it is, those things won’t magically happen all on their own. It’s your level of productivity that’ll determine whether they take 3 months or three years to accomplish, or, indeed, whether you accomplish them at all.
Some people are naturally productive. But most aren’t. They need some help getting to where they want to be. If you fall in that camp, then take a read below, where we’ll outline some of the most effective ways to turbocharge your output.
A Good Night’s Rest
It’s hard enough trying to achieve big things. It’s even more difficult when you’re tired. If your mind and body haven’t had a full night of rest, then you’ll be cranky, you’ll be thinking less clearly, and you just won’t have the capacity to dig deep and really get some work done. Of course, you can’t expect to sleep well every night. But by and large, you should be spending 6 - 8 hours in the land of Nod each night. If you struggle with this, then look at making some changes — avoiding caffeine, meditating before sleep, and taking melatonin capsules can all help.
Starting the Day Right
You should aim to hit the ground running when you settle down to work. But that’s not how it is for most people. For the first couple of hours that they’re at their desks, they’re still half asleep. While you may have physically woken up, that doesn’t mean that your mind is alert and ready to do wonderful things at your computer. So look at making that the case. A good morning could involve eating an energetic breakfast, going for a short run, and taking a cold shower. If you did all those things, you’d be alert and ready to go once 9 am rolls around.
Having a Workspace
You’ll find it much easier to work well if you’re doing so in a place that feels designed for work. You can work for a few hours at the kitchen table, sure, but eventually, that’ll begin to feel old — and it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to access the levels of concentration required to do your best work anyway. No, in order to be productive, you’ll need to have a dedicated workspace that pushes you to work as hard as you can. What this looks like will depend on your specific circumstances. It could mean putting together an excellent home office or renting a desk at a coworking space. Whatever it is, you’ll feel the impact almost instantly.
Digital Organization
Your laptop will be your best friend in the working world. But it’s also usually your best friend in the entertainment, social, and memory worlds, too. If your digital space is too cluttered, then you might find it difficult to really settle into long hours of work; there’ll just be too much going on. But this is something that you can resolve relatively easily just by making a few changes. If you have a Mac, then it’s recommended that you use Stage Manager, which will allow you to see all the files you need to see in one convenient location, and not see the things that you don’t. There are detailed instructions on how to use Stage Manager on Mac at https://setapp.com/how-to/stage-manager-on-mac, so give it a try. You may also periodically delete unnecessary files — or move them so they’re out of the way — to find it easier to get to the files that you do need.
Finding The Right Working Hours
People seem to think that working 9 - 5 is natural. But actually, those working hours were created by bosses, not by workers. If you’ve always thought that you were out of sync with that 9 - 5 routine, then don’t worry — your view is completely valid! The key to enhancing your productivity is to find the working hours that work best for you. If you work best in the late afternoon through to the evening, then work those hours. There’s no right or wrong time to work. It’s all about your own rhythm.
Regular Breaks
People seem to think that working longer hours automatically leads to greater productivity. But that’s not the case. In many ways, pushing yourself to work twelve hours in a row could be about the worst thing that you could do from a productivity standpoint. You’re not a machine, after all. You’ll find that you work better, which is more important than working longer if you take regular breaks. There are a few techniques you can use to find the right balance between working hard and giving your mind a rest. One such method is the Pomodoro technique, whereby you work for 25 minutes before taking a five break. Once you’ve worked for four chunks of 25 minutes, you’ll get a longer break. Try it for a day or two — you might be surprised at how much your productivity increases!
The Right Music
Many people like to listen to music when they’re working. However, it’s important that you’re listening to the right type of music. If you’re just playing some music that you already love, then the chances are, you’re impacting your productivity. Your brain is not designed to focus on two tasks at the same time, so it’s either the music or your work that will be pushed out. If you must listen to music, try a video game soundtrack — they’re designed to be enjoyable without being distracting. Another option is to listen to brown noise, which has a remarkable capacity to block out distractions in our minds so we can get down to business.
If you’re struggling with productivity, then we’re pretty confident that the above tips will help. Achieving anything takes hard work, and these tips will give you the tools you need to achieve your best.
