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If you want to learn how to be more productive there are a number of productivity habits you can use to increase your productivity.  Using the habits of highly productive people will help you become more effective and productive.

As a productivity coach I help entrepreneurs and business owners develop the habits of productive people so they can learn how to be more productive and achieve bigger results in less time. 

Learning how to be more productive can take time, but, by using the habits of productive people you can start being more productive and achieve bigger and better goals. 

Using the 8 productivity tips I’m about to share will make you more productive at work so you can focus more of your time on your highest value tasks. 

In reality, learning how to be more productive is a way of thinking and being, rather than doing.  Highly productive people identify and work on high value activities first.  They leverage their time to get that work completed in the simplest and easiest way possible. 

Habits of highly productive people 

Here’s how to be more productive.  Highly productive people focus on results, not time spent on task. 

They make sure to focus on achieving bigger results in the simplest and most productive way possible.  By learning how to be more productive, you can use these habits to overcome procrastination, stay motivated and energised, work smarter, not harder and increase your focus.  

It’s difficult to become more productive overnight.  But, if you implement some of these habits of highly productive people you’ll be on your way to being more focused, effective and productive.  Read more on the habits of highly productive people.

Use these 10 habits of highly productive people 

  1. Manage your time better
  2. Set smaller goals
  3. Get clear on the result you want 
  4. Make better to-do lists
  5. Track your time
  6. Eliminate procrastination
  7. Focus on one task at a time 
  8. Set better boundaries 
  9. Eliminate multi-tasking
  10. Schedule your time 

How to be more productive 

Use these 8 productivity tip to be more productive.

1. Cut your to-do list 

You will be more productive with a smaller to-do list.  Imagine that someone took away all of the items on your to-do list and you could only choose to work on three crucial activities.  What would they be? 

To achieve increased productivity, choose only activities that create the biggest value and achieve the biggest results. 

Making better to-do lists simply makes you more productive and effective.  We all have skills and capabilities that represent us at our most productive.  These skills are unique to each of us.

We lose productivity when we have too much to do.  To be truly productive you need to narrow your focus down to only your most important work and do that work more often.  Having 30 items on your to-do list won’t make you a productive person.  Narrow your focus.  

2. Take more breaks 

Productive people work smarter, not harder.  They understand that improved productivity is the result of simplifying, not doing more.  Less is often more when it comes to being more productive.  

It’s difficult to stay productive when you feel tired, have no energy or lose focus.  To keep you mind fresh and your energy levels high, take more breaks from your desk or home office. 

Go for a walk, take a nap, get some exercise or simply meditate.  Calm your mind and body so you come back to your work recharged and effective. 

3. Set smaller goals 

The key to being more productive is to set better goals.  Improved goal setting gives you clarity, focus and direction. When you set measurable goals you’re instantly clearer on where you should spend your time.  Which boosts productivity.

Better goal setting helps you identify exactly what you want to achieve by a specific deadline allowing you to get more focused and productive on your high value activities that achieve results much quicker.

If you want to be more productive right now, choose a specific goal you want to achieve by a specific date in the future.  

Ask yourself:

What does this future result look like?

When do I want to achieve it by?

How will I feel when I achieve that goal? 

Setting goals helps you manage your time more effectively, and focuses your time and energy only on a small number of important activities, which helps you increase productivity.  Read more about goal setting

4. Find a productive environment 

The key to increased productivity is to set up the right environment so you can be fully focused on the activities that deliver the biggest results.

I call this focused preparation.  To be effective you need your physical and mental energy to be high.  You need to be in the right environment with a clear mind.

To improve your productivity, clear your calendar of other activities so you can be fully focused.  Set yourself up in a clean, uncluttered office or space so your mind can focus.  Organise things in advance so you won’t be disturbed. 

5. Make a commitment   

If you are not truly committed to being more productive and achieving your goals, then chances are that you won’t reach them.  Motivation can only take you so far.

When you’re not excited and motivated about the work you’re doing it’s easily to become distracted and feel overwhelmed.

Increasing your productivity starts with being intentional about achieving your goals and becoming intellectually and emotionally invested in achieving those goals.   Read more about developing an intentional mindset.

6. Set better boundaries

One of the keys to increase your productivity is to create better boundaries around your time and focus.  You can create better boundaries by learning to say no to activities, people and opportunities that don’t align with your goals. 

As we grow, more opportunities come up that can take us away from our goals and doing our best, most productive work.

Get clear on your goals and where you can provide the biggest value to your company, to your clients and to your team and spend your most valuable time in those areas.

7. Focus on productive progress not perfection

If you want to increase your productivity, focus on progress not perfection.  People waste valuable time on tinkering and polishing and amending until things are just right.

Until they’re perfect.

If you’re focused on perfection you risk:

  • Wasting previous time 
  • Holding things up
  • Missing out on opportunities
  • Being late to market 

Remember that done is better than perfect.  Realise that 80% right is good enough and work with other people or team members to help you with the rest.  Read more about how to overcome perfectionism.

8. Make time blocking a habit  

Multi-tasking or task switching can have an adverse effect on your productivity.  To build momentum and focus on big projects or tasks start working in blocks of focused time.

This focused time could be in 90-minute or 2 hour blocks to help you create positive forward movement on your most important work.

Try this.  Shut yourself away or go to a quiet space to avoid interruptions.  Working in focused blocks will dramatically increase your productivity and could be a game changer in helping you reach your goals.

Now I’d love to hear from you.

What’s your number one productivity tip?

Let me know in the comments.

Read also: 

Goal Setting: An 8 Step Process to Setting and Achieving Goals

8 time management tips to manage time effectively

How to stay focused: 10 tips to improve focus 

10 Ways to Improve Work Life Balance Starting Today

How to sleep better: 10 proven tips for better sleep

About the Author

Mark Pettit is a small business coach to business owners who want to simplify their time, energy and focus so they can multiply their freedom, impact and results. 

Get more articles, tips and tools to help you simplify your time to multiply your results on the blog.

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Productivity Planner by Mark Pettit of Lucemi Consulting

Make productive progress every day with my Free Daily Planner.

  

Clarify your daily priorities, simplify your tasks, and make productive progress every day with my free Daily Planner.  As an added bonus, you also get access to my free Weekly Planner. 

 

Use this Daily Planner every day to help you: 

- Simplify your focus by identifying your 3 biggest daily priorities 

- Schedule time to work and take action on them 

- Make positive, productive progress every day  

- Achieve 3 important results every day  

- Feel confident and happy with what you've achieved each day

  

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