Don’t we all strive for a more productive life? It’s a common goal. Yet, many of us struggle to reach the level of productivity we desire. Whether at work or in our side hustles, time often feels insufficient. But is it truly a matter of time, or have we yet to grasp the fundamentals of productivity? In this blog post, I’ll delve into valuable insights on productivity—no longer secrets, yet still impactful when applied effectively.
The 2015 study in Nature Neuroscience revealed a 12% decline in attention spans from 2000 to 2015. I believe this trend may have continued into 2023. It’s not just shorter attention spans hindering productivity; it’s also the overwhelming abundance of choices in our lives, from what we eat to our career paths. This plethora of options often leads to confusion and impairs decision-making. Moreover, the constant influx of information via the internet exposes us to diverse content, ranging from entertainment to news, altering our cognitive processes and sometimes causing information overload.
Here are some tips to kickstart a more productive life.
1) Being truthful to yourself:
This is a prevalent hindrance to productivity, often overlooked. Let me elaborate. Suppose you’ve committed to certain tasks, but later, you abandon them. Instead, you pursue instant gratification, forgetting the important tasks at hand. To enhance productivity, staying true to yourself is paramount. It ensures you honor your commitments and prioritize essential tasks, avoiding distractions that impede progress.
Let’s delve into a practical scenario to clarify. Imagine you’ve been tasked with a new project and have meticulously mapped out the steps needed for timely completion. However, while working on the project, you may find yourself occasionally disinterested. During these times, you engage in light conversations with colleagues, perhaps discussing the latest Yankees match or superball, momentarily diverting your focus from the project.
After these brief pauses, you resume your tasks, yet this cycle repeats whenever you experience another moment of disinterest. Eventually, you reach a point where you decide to check your phone and explore a social media app, enjoying memes and videos. These small distractions accumulate over the day. As the day draws to a close, you realize that the project you intended to complete within the day remains unfinished.
The next day, you come back to work, and it’s only towards the end of the day that you manage to finish the project. Reflecting on the situation, it’s clear that due to not sticking to your initial commitment to finish the project on the first day, you ended up taking almost two days to complete it. This prolonged timeline significantly undermines productivity.
To maintain productivity, it’s crucial to stay committed to your plans and tasks, even when faced with unexpected circumstances or interruptions.
2) Avoiding Distractions:
Distractions are indeed formidable adversaries to productivity. Someone who easily loses focus due to their surroundings or interactions with others may find it challenging to maintain a high level of productivity. I won’t provide specific more examples of distractions, as we’re all familiar with their adverse effects on our ability to get things done.
To enhance your productivity in any task, it’s imperative to steer clear of distractions or, at the very least, minimize their impact. Achieving this goal involves politely asking your colleagues, friends, and family not to disrupt your work. It’s crucial to ensure they understand your need for concentration and are willing to support your efforts. Identify a dedicated workspace in your office or at home that is free from distractions and noise. This will help you maintain focus on your tasks and enhance your productivity. Additionally, consider turning on silent mode on your phone and disabling social media notifications. If you seldom use certain apps, deleting them might be a prudent step. The key is to remain resolute in your commitment to minimize disruptions as much as possible. By successfully implementing these strategies, you can significantly improve your productivity in your work.
3) Making the Most of Your Available Time:
At times, we find ourselves engaged in side hustles alongside our regular nine-to-five jobs. I work from 9 AM to 6 PM, and if I factor in my commute, my day stretches from 7:30 AM to 7:15 PM, nearly 12 hours. After allocating 6-7 hours for sleep and 2-3 hours for essential daily activities like eating, bathing, and personal time, I’m left with just 3-4 hours. Naturally, I’d prefer to spend this time unwinding and putting aside the stresses of the workday. Yet, here I am, writing this blog.
I understand that you might often feel fatigued and lacking the energy to engage in activities during your limited leisure time. However, my friend, if you aspire to achieve success in life, you must make the most of these precious hours. Your employer or company is unlikely to grant you extra time to pursue your dreams in a focused and productive manner. Relying solely on weekends won’t suffice. The key to productivity is to leverage your available time effectively.
You can efficiently utilize your daily commute time to acquire new skills or gain valuable knowledge. During your lunch break, consider working on your side hustle, perhaps taking an online course or reading a book. Always remember, my friend, we all have a fixed number of hours each day. The path to productivity and success lies in how we utilize our time.
4) Ensure you get an ample amount of sleep:
You might wonder how sleep is linked to productivity, but there’s a cause-and-effect relationship at play here. Everything around us happens for a reason, and your productivity, my friend, is closely tied to your sleep patterns. Remember how our mothers always told us that a good night’s sleep leads to feeling refreshed and energized? Well, there’s wisdom in that advice.
Having a good mood and maintaining high energy levels are crucial for completing tasks effectively. When we’re in a bad mood, overly tired, or just sleepy, our work performance suffers. That’s why it’s essential to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep. With sufficient rest, your mind functions optimally, and your problem-solving skills are at their peak. In contrast, productivity takes a nosedive when you’re tired, cranky, and drowsy. So, prioritize your sleep – it’s a key ingredient for your productivity recipe.
5) Embrace Technology for Productivity:
In today’s digital age, we have a wealth of technological tools at our disposal. For instance, I’m writing this blog in MS Word, a fantastic software with a multitude of features that greatly assist writers. While seasoned writers may create masterpieces on paper, most of us need the help of digital technologies.
Take, for example, a marketing manager who needs to conduct market or competitor research. Instead of laboring through it manually, they can utilize AI-powered tools, which are incredibly efficient. In project management, platforms like Trello can be a lifesaver. They provide a clear overview of ongoing projects, pending tasks, and those on hold. You no longer need to check your notes or ask team members about project statuses daily because everything is visible on the Trello dashboard.
In various fields, there are numerous digital tools available to enhance your productivity significantly. I highly recommend leveraging digital technology wherever possible, as it can make a tremendous difference in your productivity levels.
6) Focus on One Task at a Time:
Unlike machines or computers that can juggle multiple processes simultaneously, we humans aren’t wired for multitasking, at least not when it comes to complex tasks. While there might be exceptions, most of us find it counterproductive to tackle multiple tasks simultaneously.
You might think that doing more things simultaneously would enhance productivity, but the truth is quite the opposite. When we attempt to manage several complex tasks simultaneously, we often end up performing none of them effectively. Our brains simply aren’t adept at concentrating on multiple intricate tasks simultaneously. They excel at giving full attention to one task at a time.
So, remember the age-old saying, ‘You can’t ride two boats at the same time.’ Focus on one task at a time, starting with the most important ones. Insert simpler tasks between the more complex ones, but always concentrate on a single task at any given moment. This is the secret to unlocking productivity.
7) Seek support from teachers, family, friends, and colleagues:
To boost your productivity, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance from your family and friends. Consider this scenario: you’re working on a task, and you recognize that certain parts of it could be handled by your colleagues or family members. It’s a counterproductive approach to try and tackle everything alone. To enhance productivity, we need to master the art of delegation and entrust related tasks to others to help us complete the overall assignment.
For instance, if you’re writing a DPR and you’re pretty busy completing the task, but you know doing it alone is more challenging and time-consuming, you can approach your colleague and ask for their assistance with a specific task, such as research. Once they’ve completed that task, they can hand it over to you, and you can take it from there to finalize the project. The more you engage the support of your family and friends, the more productive you’ll become.
8) Prioritize a Healthy Diet and Exercise:
To enhance your productivity, it’s crucial to ensure that you’re mentally and physically well. Only when you feel good both mentally and physically can you handle tasks more effectively? Maintaining a healthy body and mind involves consuming nutritious food and engaging in regular exercise or meditation. Dedicate a portion of your time, perhaps half an hour each morning, to exercise and meditation. Always be mindful of what you’re putting into your body.
By doing so, you’ll find that you’re in a better mental and physical state, allowing you to carry out your tasks efficiently. This, in turn, will boost your overall productivity.
Navigating the ‘Knowing but Not Doing’ Dilemma-
A king or a prince who chooses war over peace commits Adharma, needlessly endangering his people. Duryodhan, an antagonist in the Hindu Epic Mahabharata, was also engaged in Adharma. Lord Krishna met him to guide Duryodhan to discern right from wrong and encouraged him to embrace righteousness. However, Duryodhan candidly responded, acknowledging his ability to differentiate between right and wrong but expressing his difficulty in consistently making the correct choices. It was his nature that was stopping him from choosing right over wrong. This situation of Duryodhana resonates with many of us in our contemporary lives.
In many ways, we can relate to Duryodhan’s predicament. We often find ourselves in a similar position, possessing the knowledge of what is right and wrong. Yet, despite this knowledge, we encounter challenges when it comes to consistently making the right decisions that would lead to a better life.
You may already have the knowledge needed to enhance your productivity, and if not, you’ve gained it through this blog. Now, the essential question is: Will you make the right choices and avoid being like a modern-day Duryodhan?
Concluding Remarks
I’ll conclude this blog with best wishes for your journey to discover productivity, whether it is in your business, job, or side hustle. If you found value in this blog and it has helped you in any way, please consider sharing it with your family and friends. Your sharing can potentially assist them in their pursuit of productivity and help me find the potential readers and audience I am looking for, which also benefits my website.
