Perhaps you’re wondering; what are the habits of highly productive people like bigtime entrepreneurs, CEOs, businessmen, and even athletes?
How do these people motivate themselves to be productive every day and become better versions of themselves?
Where do they get their unlimited energy, that infectious zeal, and burning desire to do well every day?
This article will provide you with the secrets and habits of highly productive people.
These are people whom you look up to, those who never seem to let any time go to waste, and those who are never procrastinators.
The following are ways on how to be productive and the habits that you need to get yourself acquainted with in order to be among the productive people.
They Start Their Day Early
There is something about starting your day early in the morning that makes you become more productive during the rest of the day.
When you’re awake before the rest of the world greets the morning, you have more time to spend for yourself and reflect.
This also means more time thinking about how you will prepare and accomplish all tasks at hand.
When you wake up early, this also means extra hours before the phone calls start to come in, emails start to bug you, and few more hours before you face all the hassles the day brings.
It has also been proven that your creativity and strength of mind are strongest early in the morning, so make sure to make the most out of this time of day.
They Eliminate Distractions
Yes, and this means all kinds of distractions.
They make it a point to automatically shut out all unwanted distractions, big or small.
These people know the dangers of interruptions while at work or while doing something and trying to finish it the soonest possible time.
So if you are in a situation wherein you find it hard to concentrate and finish your task, do not be afraid to take actions.
It is totally fine to wear headphones in the office when you’re bothered by a noisy coworker.
Place your mobile phone inside a cabinet or somewhere away from sight so you won’t be tempted to browse, and avoid opening any social media accounts while you’re busy.
Highly Productive People Delegate Their Tasks Wisely
This is considered to be one of the most effective productivity tips/habits for productive people.
They don’t carry the burden all by themselves.
Instead, they delegate the task. This way, it would is easier on their end, and most importantly, the task gets done fast.
Smart delegation of work does not only help you pay attention to the bigger picture but also enhances your trust and confidence in the people around you.
Keep in mind, there are many skilled and talented people in the workplace.
They only need to be delegated with the right tasks.
Highly Productive People Don’t Multitask
You think that when you multitask you get more things done right?
Wrong.
According to research, multitasking only slows down one’s cognitive processing.
Highly productive and successful people in various fields spend hours on one task.
This gives them a deeper kind of mental focus and concentration that ultimately produces good results.
So the next time you think you’re hitting more birds in with one stone, think again.
Take the time to just give your whole attention to a single task and accomplish it without letting in any distractions and additional work on the side.
You’ll be amazed at how fast you will get things done.
Highly Productive People Set Aside Non-Important Tasks From Their Daily Routines
To become an effective and productive worker, you must learn how to differentiate important tasks from not-so-important ones.
Ask yourself, do you really need to conduct a catching up meeting for 30 minutes when it can easily be reduced to 5-10 minutes?
Administration can also be done every once in a while whilst answering calls or emails.
Time-wasting tasks should be taken out of your habit if you really want your day to be productive.
They Know When To Take Breaks
Taking a break every 2 hours greatly contributes to your ability to be productive.
Even the most successful people do this to replenish their energy and freshen up their minds.
This habit is actually a crucial part to become successful in what you do.
Just as the body needs time to refresh itself after an intense workout, so does the brain after several hours of focusing and concentrating.
During your break, try to go to a quiet place where you can meditate.
You can also take a walk and just enjoy the outdoors.
Avoid screen time as much as possible during your breaks because this will only drain you.
Try doing light exercises as these will help renew your perspective and give you the energy to do your job effectively.
Highly Productive People Know How To Say ‘No’
Working effectively means not being afraid to say “no” even if it means that you’re turning down a superior.
Truly productive people make it a habit to think of their own time and welfare and know the value of it.
They also know their limits and capacities.
So, if you think you can’t give your full energy and time in a given task, do not say yes to it.
Politely turn down the offer and try to propose an alternative work that you are confident enough you can finish on time.
They Create Fixed Time To Answer Emails And Other Communication Channels
Don’t you find it taxing to repeatedly open your inbox just to check if there are new messages and answer them?
To practice better productivity at work, it would be best if you try to create a specific time in a day to check and answer all emails and messages from all your communication channels.
This way, you won’t have to constantly check your mail or phone and then totally forget about what you’re doing at the moment.
Doing so also ruins your concentration and focus on a specific task.
Highly Productive People Are Not Easily Discouraged
How to increase productivity? Do not be afraid to make mistakes.
See failures from a whole new perspective.
Do not be too harsh on yourself.
What being productive truly means is that roadblocks and misfortunes hardly discourage you.
If you want to evolve into a person who’s highly effective and productive at what he does, you should know that everything involves risks.
And you should not be afraid to embrace said risks.
Highly Productive People Do The Most Difficult Task First
There’s this quoted adage that says “One must eat the frog first early in the morning so that nothing worse will take place during the rest of the day.”
It is same as saying one should be productive.
If you tackle the most taxing and difficult task for the day first, the other tasks would feel easier and simpler.
Also, crossing off the most difficult task makes you accomplish more without having to push those tasks into tomorrow.
Highly Productive People Use Automation And Efficiency Shortcuts
Automations and shortcuts are meant to make your life easier and simpler.
With the advent of modern technology, it’s easier to just make use of business automation.
They include scheduling your social business posts, automating your email marketing and invoicing, using cloud-based technology, and timed website popups among others.
Shortcuts do not really harm the outcome of a project.
Taking the easy route doesn’t mean you’re cheating, it’s just a means of simplifying your job to make room for more tasks to be accomplished.
Highly Productive People Know How To Set And Define Clear Goals
Increasing productivity means that you know how to set goals.
If you don’t, you’ll just let yourself fall into the act of being busy for nothing and for the sake of doing something without any purpose.
If you want to make yourself productive, make sure to set reasonable and SMART goals, which literally translates to (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-based).
How To SET S.M.A.R.T. Goals
“S” stands for Specific. There’s no room for vague goals.
Unclear goals only result in a vague outcome.
When you don’t identify your goals properly, you do not expect to meet the kind of outcome that you want to achieve.
When you say specific, it needs to be detailed and explicit.
“M” means Measurable. Measurable goals support specific goals.
“A” stands for Attainable.
Along with specific and measurable are attainable goals.
One of the ways to increase productivity is to make sure that they are possible to accomplish.
Do not set impossible standards.
It will cause you to put too much pressure on yourself.
“R” means Realistic. These are goals that are practical.
When you set to achieve them, they should be achievable and you’re confident enough that you can really make them come true.
Goals don’t necessarily have to be big.
They can be small, baby goals that you can set to achieve at the shortest possible time.
“T” stands for Time.
There needs to be a timeframe in achieving specific, practical goals.
Set your timeframe and make sure to comply no matter what.
Highly Productive People Have Minimal Things On Their Desks
Simply put, they have tidy desks.
Cluttered ones only result in a cluttered mind.
Haven’t you notice that when you have a lot of things on your desk, you find it hard to concentrate?
That’s what mess does to you.
When you work in a tidy environment, you’ll have an easier time focusing on what you’re doing at the moment.
So make sure to tidy your desk before you start working.
Highly Productive People Cultivate Deep Work Habits
It’s acceptable that there are really days when you just find it hard to concentrate on your work.
It happens to everyone.
However, you must learn correct work habits in order to eliminate this and practice deep work.
Given that there are tasks that are either difficult or time-consuming to finish, you can’t just multitask your way just to complete them.
There needs to be some serious time to devote as well as mental effort and intense focus to master.
In order to nurture deep work, there needs to be:
- Planned deep work – Yes, you can schedule and arrange deep work at the same time on a daily basis.
The best and most recommended time is in the morning where you still have a fresh mind and perspective.
Scheduling a time to do deep, serious work aids in developing it into a habit.
- Don’t be too easy to reach or contact – this is one strategy to eliminate frequent distractions at work.
While you can’t totally eliminate emails and calls in your everyday work, you can limit them to some extent.
Let your staff or co-workers know that before they email, call, or consult you, they must do their research first.
If they fail on this part, make sure that they write in detail all the things they want to discuss with you.
Doing so helps you minimize going back and forth checking your emails and messages.
- Avoid social media at all costs – this helps with your productivity.
You have to develop deep work.
And it eventually becomes a habit if you steer clear of checking your phone from time to time to open your social media accounts.
- Determine your work habits – Are you comfortable working in isolation? Do you practice periodic breaks?
Are you good at doing things fast when you’re pressed of time?
Know what works best for you, but make sure that you’re doing it right.
Set up your periods of deep working to maximize your good work habits.
Highly Productive People Know How To Be Always Organized
To start your day right, you must know how to create your plan for the day.
Start by jotting down all your to-do lists for the day, gather your thoughts, and think how you’ll execute your plan to accomplish your tasks for the day.
Note that everyone has his/her own way of doing things, and whichever you think is comfortable for you, do it.
If you think writing or journaling things will make you more productive then go for it.
Highly Productive People Know What Task To Prioritize
Make sure that you think all your tasks through.
Determine which ones need immediate attention and those that can wait.
Remember, being busy and active do not equate to being productive.
You need to do the work, and to do this, you must learn to prioritize, plan, and work on achieving them.
Highly Productive People Learn From Their Mistakes And Even Successes
There is no denying that when you work, chances of making mistakes are can’t be avoided.
This is normal and you shouldn’t let these mistakes get you down.
Learning from your mistakes is valuable.
When something goes wrong, assess the situation and identify why you made a mistake in the first place.
Learning and improving will help you become productive and definitely produces good results.
Just as mistakes and failures need to be carefully analyzed, your successes also need every scrutiny.
You should learn how to make the most out of your successes by means of discovering and realizing how you will be able to repeat them.
How did you do it?
What went on during the task?
And how did you manage to do it again?
Analyzing everything will help you develop a sound strategy to repeat the same success all over again.
This kind of strategy does not only motivate you to do well, but also saves you time on doing projects.
Highly Productive People Know How To Recharge And Fill Their Tank
What this means to say is that a productive person knows the value of taking care of him/herself.
You must know when to rest and recharge your mind and body.
How do you do this?
Make sure you get enough sleep, eat healthily, and devote time for exercise.
It is also important that you determine your individual habits.
Is 8-hours of sleep enough to get you through the day?
There are people who feel more upbeat and in the mood for work when they have slept for nine hours.
Remember, your productivity would depend on your personal habits.
Sleep.
Eat well.
Exercise.
Take care of yourself and everything will follow.
This is one crucial part of effective and productive work habits of productive people.
All the above-mentioned habits of highly productive people are proven to work.
The secret here is consistency.
So be consistent and you will eventually reap the rewards.
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