Do you ever feel like there’s too many things to do, but so little time? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one having the same thought. But let’s face it, we should find a way on how to get things done, or else tasks and deadlines will start to pile up. And when that happens, things will be more difficult to resolve.
That is why, ‘productivity system’ is there to help us focus on achieving our goals and tasks in a timely manner. This works by helping you keep track of your priorities and analyzing them so you would know how to do it and when to get it done.
This article will teach you simple productivity systems that are highly effective and easy to do.
Simple productivity system
Visualize your work and goals
Visualizing what your goals are will give you a positive mindset. This will give you the push because you know in yourself that you already have an obligation.
When it comes to visualizing your goals, you should have a long term goal and short term goal. Both are needed but you need to progress on the short term goal first, before you proceed to the long term goal. The good thing about short term goals is that they serve as your stepping stone, training, and foundation towards making big things happen.
Prioritize your tasks/goals
All tasks and goals are important, of course. But you should know which ones are urgent and which ones can be done at a later time. Do the hard and important tasks first. And once you’re finished, you can move on to the easier ones. Most people save the difficult tasks for the last. But research says that if you want to be more productive and progressive, you have to deal with the harder tasks first. Always keep in mind, ‘train hard, fight easy’.
Simplify your productivity system through list
No matter how sharp your memory is, if you have mixed up things to do, you will still forget one task or two. This is when the effectivity of ‘to-do-list’ comes. To-do-lists helps you organize tasks or goals in minimal effort. All you need is a white board, or a planner, or an application like ‘Trello’ or ‘Reminders’. Whichever of these three is okay as long as you bring it with you at all times. Some people like to write, while others like to type.
To do this properly:
- Do tasks one after the other. Multitasking is good, but if you’re not doing it right, you are just draining your energy, making it less difficult to finish the tasks. And sometimes even if you do finish it, the results are not as good as you expect it to be.
- Cross out the completed tasks. This will give you a clear vision that you have more things left to do, or you are close to finishing your tasks.
Evaluate your progress
Now that you have to-do-lists, surely you have achieved some goals or finished some tasks. Assess and review how the results are, and how long it took you to achieve them. This will help you assess if you’re working slow but effectively, or too fast but not so effectively. Doing so will also help you evaluate your mistakes or errors that you might learn from. Do a weekly evaluation of how your system goes.
Time-blocking technique
This system is all about limiting your work in progress to give your body and mind a break. Let’s say you are doing some uninterrupted task for almost an hour, if your body signals to take a break, do it for 10 minutes or so. Do not worry about wasting any time due to resting because your body needs it. Time-blocking techniques will improve your chances of finishing your tasks, while avoiding mental and physical fatigue.
Some people do this by:
- 30 minutes of uninterrupted work, then 5 minutes break.
- One or two hours of uninterrupted work, then 10-20 minutes rest.
This means the longer your uninterrupted work is, the longer the rest should be.
Stick to your system
Doing all the said system won’t be effective if you break the chain. You have to do it consistently without excuses and limitations. The only limitation that you should have is when you get sick or if there’s an emergency. Don’t worry about getting sick, that’s why we have a time-blocking technique, right? And don’t worry about missing important events or family day, that’s why we have to-do-lists to keep you organized.
What kind of consistency are we talking about here? Well, ‘66 days habit’ for sure. Sticking to the system for 66 days will help your body instinctively do the routine without even thinking. But if you break the chain, even for a day, you will have to go back to day one again.
Reward yourself
Everytime you achieve some tasks, whether big or small, reward yourself. You deserve it for being a responsible and goal-oriented individual. But do not over-reward yourself because instead of being productive, you may turn out to be less productive.
If you achieve small tasks, have small rewards first. Like taking a day off by doing the things you like, preparing yourself a nice meal or ordering delicious food.
If you achieve bigger tasks, you can go shopping or take a vacation. Eitherway, you deserve it!
So now that you’ve already learned the simple productivity systems, here are three simple tips to boost its effectivity:
- Stay focused – distractions are everywhere and excuses are always there. But how you stay focused will keep you away from all these negativity. Always think before you get distracted or start making excuses, ‘are these things worth losing what I have started?
- Be organized – find a quiet and comfortable place inside your house or office where you can do the evaluation and add or remove tasks. Clear your desk, tidy up your area and declutter to focus more.
- Be open minded – staying consistent and doing all these systems are pretty hard, but it will even be harder if you’re not open minded. Always think outside the box and move out of your comfort zone. Convert negative things into positivity and always think first before you act. Being an open minded person will allow you to see the bigger picture.
