Success in business and career isn’t for the faint-hearted. For many years, I have encountered successful entrepreneurs; people with exceptional knack when it comes to putting in the hard work. I have never for any moment thought that any of them built their success overnight. There is always hard work, commitment, persistence behind each of those success stories. In short, being productive is the middle name of success. Here are few of the best productive hacks I have learnt from successful people:
1. Knock off the most important tasks first
When do you feel most energized? Is it in the wee hours of the day or late in the evening? In most cases, morning risers experiences the most productive periods, early in the morning. If that is the case with you, learn to do your most important task of the day in the morning, while you are still bustling with energy.
2. Become an early riser (at 5 a.m)
If you are the type of person who finds himself/herself still lazing in bed by 9 a.m then I bet you could have done better and more. Make the habit of rising up at 5.00 a.m your daily routine. I discovered that I accomplish more by noon when I wake up by 5.00 a.m than I am able to do the entire day when I wake up onwards from 7 a.m.
3. Focus on a single task
I grew up being told that multitaskers are the most productive people. Have you heard of that myth? There is no evidence to suggest that multitasking is a tool of productive. Instead, what researchers reveal is that single-mindedness and focus is the age-old trick of becoming insanely productive. As I have already mentioned, pick the most important task and focus on it until it is accomplished before moving on to the next task.
4. Learn to say No
Just imagine what would happen if you kept saying Yes to every request made to you. Your ability to concentrate will be determined by how many things you say No to.
Say NO to idiotic TV shows
Say NO to the temptation to take one more nap
Say NO to the urge to sleep one more hour after your alarm goes off
Say NO to unnecessary tasks
Say NO to unproductive friendships
Exercise maximum restraint
5. Use Sunday evenings to plan your week
Well, you need to plan your week in advance. You can’t become productive without planning.
6. Stop waiting for the perfect conditions before starting your project
There is no such thing as perfect condition. So waiting for perfect conditions before starting your project is another way of saying you will never get started. Start with what you have and where you are.
7. Turn off your email and social media during working time
Your email and social media can be the greatest distraction during working time. If you open your email while working on an important project, you might end up spending a lot of time responding to emails, getting excited or being enraged. One thing will lead to another and before you know it, you have spent 4 hours doing nothing but responding to emails, commenting on social media and so on.
8. Stick to the job at hand
Most people are scatterbrains; as soon as they get started with a project, their mind wanders off to other things. I have made it a habit that never should I think of anything other than the task at hand and that I should not stop working until I have accomplished the task at hand.
9. Run away from the energy vampires in your life
You know those things that just drain your energy? Well, when you see one, just run. Some of the things that drain my energy include negative friends around my place of work.
10. Fixed routines
When the term fixed routine is mentioned, one extra-ordinary person that comes to mind is Thomas Edison. Remember the number of inventions he managed to do just by staying disciplined and following fixed routine every day of his life. Figure out your fixed routine and follow it strictly for 21 days. It will eventually become your habit.
11. Begin with the end in mind
In his book, 7 habits of highly effective people, Steve Covey wrote that beginning with the end in mind will make you stay on track.
12. Don’t follow news especially online
Most news is bullshit and pure gossip. You can do better with your time by completing your projects.
13. Don’t be a perfectionist
If you become a perfectionist, you are not going to accomplish anything. The process of fine-tuning your tasks to reach perfection will make you to take a longer time to accomplish your tasks.
14. Exercise and free your mind
Exercising is a great way of rejuvenating your mind. You can practice meditation or yoga or simply work out. When your body is in shape, your mind is also in shape.
15. Don’t play computer games
Computer games are meant to eventually become addictive; besides, you are an adult. Getting yourself something better to do.
16. Practice the 80/20 principle
The Pareto principle states that only 20% of what you do contributes to 80% of your results. How about identifying your 20% activities in order to increase your productivity?
17. Outsource things you can’t do
Accept the fact that you are not super human. If there are tasks that are not within your core competency, then ask someone else who is good at them to do them for you at a pay while ypu concentrate on the things you can do at the highest level.
18. Drink more water
Research has shown that those people who drink more water get more done. Hydration improves your body’s performance.
19. Write a stop doing list
Identify those things that derail your development and make an earnest decision to drop them. It is difficult but you have to exert willpower on yourself.
20. Stay quite in a room
With the endless distractions surrounding us inform of friends, television, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Porn and so on, it is difficult to find a quiet moment where we can think, plan, strategize and allow our creative juices to flow. Find time to be alone, away from distractions.
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