Imagine the impact you could have by working smarter than 90% of the people around you by following a simple framework that can be repeated day after day.
Take a moment to visualize the impact on your health, wealth, and relationships if you follow simple lifehacks that can make you more powerful, productive, and profitable.
Instead of reading another long article about productivity, here are 10 simple tips. If you follow them properly, your life will never be the same.
- Start every week with a plan. Don't begin your week without a clear plan in place. Set aside 30 minutes every Sunday to outline your priorities for the week and each day. Schedule your top three priorities for the week and pinpoint the top three priorities for each day. Additionally, allocate time for your relationships, hobbies, and self-care.
- Stop multitasking. I used to blame my lack of focus on my attention deficit disorder and justify my multitasking habits, but now I've realized that multitasking decreases productivity by up to 40%. I've decided to stay focused and prioritize completing my biggest task of the day before moving on to anything else. Research supports this approach, and I've found that it has made me much more productive.
- Avoid CATS. You heard more correctly. "CATS" makes you less focused and less productive. However, I don't mean cats; I mean caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and sugar. No one can claim that any of these substances make them more productive. These substances can have damaging effects on your body and overall well-being. Start by eliminating sugar from your diet, and let me know how you feel.
- Take breaks. Taking short breaks refreshes your perspective and can lead to discovering new ways of problem-solving. It is better to schedule your breaks; I stop working at 11:30 to eat and stretch. Don't force yourself to work when you are sleepy or tired. Take breaks and take care of yourself first.
- Be organized. The easier way to be organized is to declutter your home. Declutter one area of your home every day. Decluttering one area of your home daily develops a sense of order and calm. Start small, like a drawer or countertop, to build momentum.
- Measure results, and not time. Many people spend their days feeling busy but have little to show for their time. Don't fall into that trap. Instead of focusing on the hours you work, focus on the results you achieve. Before beginning a task, ask yourself, "What does progress look like? What does completion look like?"
- DEAL with your life. Define involves setting clear goals to guide your actions. Eliminate focuses on eliminating unnecessary tasks. Automate encourages delegating or automating tasks to save time. Finally, Liberate means freeing yourself from traditional work constraints, like fixed hours or locations.
- Finish what you start. Before, I used to have 100 open tabs on my computer, 10 ongoing projects, and 10 unfinished articles in my drafts. Now, I don't do any of that. I start working on one thing and finish it before moving on to a different task. It's crucial to finish what you start because it builds momentum, creating a sense of accomplishment that fuels further progress.
- Limit your time on social media. Limiting my time on social media helped me reclaim my time and mental clarity. I used to waste at least two hours daily on mindless scrolling. This habit severely impacted my attention span and my ability to focus on my family, which hurt my relationships with my wife and kids. Now, I have more time, a longer attention span, and better relationships with my family.
- Use the "Hell yes" or "Hell no" rule. If your answer is not an obvious yes, you should say no. I learned this from Greg McKeown, and it's been incredible. The idea behind "hell yes or hell no" is to reduce your options and only say yes to what you enjoy and add value to your life.
To be at your best, it's important to utilize tools that will help you become the best version of yourself. Think of the habits mentioned above as tools to assist you in achieving your goals more efficiently. Consider them as tools rather than strict rules, and use each tip according to what works best for you.
My productivity quickly increased after I incorporated more of these habits into my life. Now, I am happier and healthier and have better relationships with my family and friends.
I also researched why these habits work, so each habit includes a link to scientific proof or a reputable website for further reading.
What else would you like to add to this list?