10 Habits Productive People Have

Staying on task without being distracted, especially in this digital age, can be very difficult. Being productive is actually more than just checking off everything on your to-do list. In fact, sometimes, to be more productive, you have to start doing less.

1. Halve your to-do list

We can all fall victim to having too much to do in one day. We only have 24 hours and we can’t use all 24 hours to do work... We have to make time for meals, sleep, and socializing.

Instead of trying to get as much done as you can in one work day, try to focus on the tasks that really matter. With less tasks to worry about finishing, you can focus on the ones you really do need to get done. You can put more energy and effort into the tasks that are really important.

2. Take breaks

Just like you can physically exhaust your body, you can overwork your brain too. Your brain needs breaks. As powerful as you brain is, it cannot work effectively for hours and hours of hard work. Your brain needs glucose to function, and when it’s used up its store of glucose, take a break. Take a walk, eat a snack, or simply meditate.

Once you’re recharged, you will be able to think clearer. You will have renewed energy to get back to work and do even better. Just like you have more energy after a good night’s sleep or nap, your brain needs breaks to recharge.

3. Follow the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 rule states that only 20% of what you do produces 80% of your results. So find that 20% of activities that will yield the most results. Get rid of the tasks and things that don’t matter to your workday — the activities that will have minimal effect on your overall end results and productivity.

4. Start your day right

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During your mornings, try to use that time to focus on yourself. Don’t just jump straight to checking your phone and responding to emails.

Make sure you have enough time in the morning to get yourself a cup of coffee, eat a good breakfast, and maybe even get some exercise (walking, yoga, etc.). Maybe this means you wake up 30 minutes earlier than you normally do.

Our mornings often set the tone for the rest of our days. If we feel rushed in the morning, we’ll feel on edge the rest of the day. So try starting your day by doing things that make you happy (maybe that’s making yourself a cup of coffee, or doing some yoga). You have the rest of the day to focus on work, so why not take just a little bit of time for yourself.

5. Do difficult tasks before lunch

It’s best to do your more difficult tasks before lunch, when you are still energized and your brain is fresh. Most of us know what it’s like to get something done after a long day at work—it’s not fun. So try to schedule your work by doing the most difficult tasks first. So when you get more tired later in the day, you’re left with doing the easier tasks.

6. Stop multi-tasking

We always tend to think that we can get more done by doing more things at the same time. That’s actually not true! Often times, it might actually make you go slower.

If you really want to get things done, and do those things well, try focusing on just that one task. Put all your focus and energy into doing that. You might find it’ll take you much faster to do than trying to do three things all at once.

7. Plan for failure

We can plan all we want, but things won’t always go 100% our way. Some things will take much longer than you thought it would, messing up your schedule for the rest of the day. That’s why, it could help to have a contingency plan. Have you thought through about what you would do if a task takes you longer? How would it affect your day? How would you shift things around?

If we don’t “plan to fail,” when something doesn’t go our way, our days will often get thrown off. When we create plans for interruptions, we can quickly adapt to problems and find solutions. Maybe it means scheduling extra time between each task, so you have something to fall back on.

8. Don’t wait to get inspired

We often tend to wait for our moments of inspiration or motivation to start doing our work. But if we hold on to that mindset, we may never start what we want to do. So, why not just start? And you don’t have to finish it right then and there, but just start. Maybe that will start your wheels turning, and when you actually start, then the inspiration comes?

In the moments you don’t feel motivated, just start doing something. Even if it’s something small. Taking is action can lead to motivation, which then will lead to more action. Just start the ball rolling. Let the motivation and inspiration follow.

9. Manage your energy (not just your time)

When we think of productivity, we always think of good time management. But energy management is also very important. If you’re tired and burnt out, no matter how many hours you have left in your workday, you probably won’t be able to do anything well. When you’re tired, you won’t be able to use your time in a productive manner.

So it’s important to keep a lookout at your energy levels too. When are you most energized? What times are your “peak” productivity hours? And then schedule your work tasks to those. You know yourself best. If you’re the kind of person that gets sleepy after lunch, then maybe don’t do difficult tasks after lunch. Or maybe you’re the opposite: you need time to wake up in the morning and get more energy after lunch.

Tackle your most difficult tasks for when you have the most energy to handle them. And only you know when those moments are.

10. Get better at saying no

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It’s so easy to say yes. To get excited at new projects and activities you can be a part of. But you can’t be a part of everything. And you can’t do everything either.

Saying no can be hard, but when you learn to say no, you are consciously choosing what matters most to you. You have the choice to only do what you want to do. It’s up to you to set aside some things and just focus on the most important ones—the ones that will get you closer to your goal.