Productivity is one part necessity and about 10 parts motivation, and if you can figure out how to stay motivated, you will get things done. These tips from Lifehack are as much about staying motivated as they are about staying productive, and really represent the “meat” of a good productivity plan.
Before you browse through the list, though, I want to address another hurdle to productivity, and that is procrastination. If you are a
procrastinator (and most of us are at one time or another), you must first “cure” this tendency before you will be very productive.
Victor Hugo, the famous author of Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, had a particularly creative method for dealing with his tendency to procrastinate. He would order his servant to confiscate all his clothes for a few hours at a time. With little temptation to leave his room, he was forced to sit down and write.
Of course, that was back in the 19th century, before the Internet. Nowadays, poor Hugo would probably end up checking his e-mail and reading his favorite blogs.
You can overcome procrastination in a less “drafty” way by using
The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to work on self-acceptance. Ironic as it may sound, accepting yourself as you are is the first step in letting go of your self-sabotaging tendency to put things off.
Finally, for those of you who are really interested in accomplishing more, I recommend you pick up a copy of Tim Ferriss’ book
The Four-Hour Work Week. It’s simply one of the best resources I’ve read on the subject.
And now, on to the 50 tips that can help you to get more done and greatly increase your productivity.
50. Stay focused.
49. Divide your time for each task in hand.
48. Analyze the outcome of your effort and decide accordingly how much time you need to spend.
47. Take a break.
46. Spend time with your loved ones.
45. Share ideas with others.
44. Keep your home office out of sight from your bedroom.
43. Invest in comfortable workspace furniture.
42. Meditate.
41. Are you a day person or a night person? Plan accordingly.
40. Work slowly but steadily.
39. Ask for help.
38. De-clutter your workspace.
37. Back up your data.
36. Keep a wrist massager next to the computer.
35. Check your email not more than twice a day.
34. Exercise.
33. Use the morning air or evening breeze to cool off your mind.
32. Set goals, not a goal.
31. Have everything you need ready.
30. Have pens and paper available.
29. Shut the door to block distraction.
28. Set limits for yourself.
27. Plan a to-do list for each day.
26. Read books on subjects that interest you.
25. Walk, do not run, with your project.
24. Stay informed on current news.
23. Think how you can change your life for the better.
22. Find others that share similar interest to work with you.
21. Do something else every 30 to 40 minutes.
20. Take a nice warm bath.
19. Use a table lamp instead of overhead lighting.
18. Do not take phone calls, unless they are related to that particular project.
17. Divide your time between family and projects.
16. Give more time to family.
15. Keep it cool.
14. Don’t panic.
13. Find what others have done in related fields.
12. Ask yourself questions -- lots of them.
11. Let everybody at home know when you will be working.
10. Do not stress.
9. Love what you are doing.
8. Be passionate about what you are doing.
7. Give yourself credit.
6. Look in the mirror and compliment yourself.
5. Build confidence in yourself.
4. Keep a positive attitude.
3. Forget about what others are doing, and do it your way.
2. Productivity lies within you.
1. Read, learn, ask, and apply.
