Throughout my years of working in the fitness industry, I’ve noticed similar patterns of behaviour and habits that successful people have when it comes to being productive. This inspired me to research more into the topic of productivity. I could probably write a list of 100 tips but I’ve stuck to my top 10.
Hack 1: Don’t underestimate the power of ‘Deep Work’ (inspired by the book itself) – This is something I’ve implemented which has had a tremendous impact on my own productivity levels. Set yourself 3 lots of 60-90 minutes of deep work throughout the day. No distractions, internet off (unless you need it), phone on silent or out of the room and purely focus on the task at hand.
Hack 2: You are what you eat… not literally but it does have an impact on how you feel! – Consuming good nutrition, such as protein-rich meals, lots of fibre, low sugar and high anti-oxidant fruits like berries and staying hydrated are just a few of many. This is an article by itself so I won’t go into too much detail here. Making sure your nutrition is on point will make a big difference on how you feel internally, how you look, your focus levels and will help you absorb important information.
Hack 3: Do you work in settings where music is playing but you have control over? – Well, you might want to change this behaviour and I’ll explain why. When we listen to music with lyrics in, our subconscious mind actually relates to these words which can bring on certain emotions, therefore distracting us from the task. My tip here is to either work in silence or listen to instrumentals, a personal favourite is ‘Coffee House Instrumental Jazz’. You can thank me later!
Hack 4: “Make your good habits easy and your bad habits more difficult” (Atomic Habits by James Clear) – This is a personal favourite of mine and what this means is when you set yourself a time dedicated to work, make sure you have all of the resources that you need, ready before you start. There’s nothing worse than being halfway through a task, then having to refer back to something that’s in another room. It may not seem like a lot but again it’s another distraction that can avoided! Also, make your distractions more difficult, for example, if you have your phone next to you when you work, you can simply leave it in the other room for when you finish the task.
Hack 5: The 2 Minute Rule – A small task like an email that doesn’t require much attention, deal with it in 2 minutes. If you have a long list of 2 minute tasks, they may seem like they would take hours to get through, so don’t spend longer than a few minutes on a small task. If you value your time more then this ones for you.
Hack 6: Have clear clarity on your goals for that day – Just before each day ends, list your top priority tasks that you need to get done for the following day. Humans are lazy when it comes to getting things done and we always put off the most daunting tasks. So get these done first to clear your headspace and to save you more time.
Hack 7: Your environment is everything! – What’s your environment like? As crazy as it sounds, a cluttered environment leads to a cluttered mind. Unless this was my OCD talking from back when I was growing up, but it does have some sense to it. Create an environment that inspires you to get things done. Even just having a few quotes in a photo frame can make all the difference.
Hack 8: Follow up a task with something that YOU want to do – This is a game changer because it allows us to enjoy the process which is the most important part of life. We feel guilty for watching an episode on Netflix because deep in our subconscious mind we feel like we need to live up to our own expectations all of the time and work ourselves into the ground. This is completely the wrong perception and I think most people need to apply this tip in their life. Even if it’s watching an episode on Netflix for 30 mins, or going for a walk, meditating, making a tea or coffee.
My personal favourite is watching a YouTube video on something that doesn’t require too much thought and attention, this gives my mind a rest and sets me up nicely for my next task. So don’t feel guilty about doing something that YOU want to do, especially if you’ve done the tasks for that day.
Hack 9: Exercise – Even if it’s going for a walk, or a run, lifting weights, yoga, whatever it is, this should be part of your lifestyle. Exercise alone has been shown to boost cognitive brain function, boost your immune system, improve your mental wealth, decrease body-fat and so much more! Include this as part of your daily ritual!
Hack 10: Be present to the moment – This goes for everything that you do. If you’ve read my previous articles, you’ll understand how to be present to the moment. This means that our thoughts aren’t in the past or future and we are fully aware of what we’re doing NOW. We go into a deep state where the body is connected as a whole to get the task done at hand. A good way to get present is by taking 3 deep breaths before you start on a task, this is a great way to become reconnected.
SUMMARY
Most importantly, stop being too hard on yourself if you’ve felt unproductive for that day. Become aware of the barriers that have created this, accept it and let it go.
I’m not saying you have to take all these tips on board but try a few and continue to stick to the ones that you find works well for you.
Remember that life is about enjoying the process, continuous growth, learning, connections, experiences and laughter.
Conor Morrison
Be Inspired Coaching for – Liberation – Strength – Compassion.