5 Productivity Tips To Help You Slay Your Day!

I hate it say it, but the holidays are officially over, and it’s time to get back to the daily grind! January can be a tough month after enjoying so much quality time at home, but the one thing I love about it is that it’s the perfect time for a fresh start! I always set aside some time at the beginning of each year to reflect on the past. I then start planning new goals for the new year! It’s important to remember that goals and resolutions need to be realistic. I’ll be the first to admit that I used to get caught up in the concept of “new year, new me” and would set a ridiculous number of goals for myself, none of which I ever achieved. I was always left feeling down and demotivated. Over the years, I’ve learned to come up with practical goals that I can set deadlines for and work on during the year.

However, brainstorming goals has always been the simple part. Putting those goals into practice, mastering time management and managing to stay motivated throughout it all is what takes effort and dedication. So today, we’re kicking those procrastinating habits to the curb, and I’m sharing with you my top five tips productivity tips to help you slay your day!

Let’s jump right into it!

 

Make Time For Self Care

One of the first steps to take to become more productive is to forget about “hustle” culture. You do not need to be busy for the sake of it. Setting some time aside each day for yourself is crucial as it will help to reduce stress and avoid burnout. Taking breaks is one of the keys to working smarter and not harder. Give yourself whatever it is that you need to function, whether that’s going for a quick walk, or watching an episode of your favourite TV show. Giving yourself some downtime where you get a chance to breathe and relax will positively impact your work life as you will find it so much easier to stay focused.

 

Get A Head Start

Before you go to bed each night, take a quick look at your to-do list for the next day. Doing this will give you an idea of what’s to come and will help you mentally prepare. You will likely already begin prioritizing and will know what task to start with the next day. If there are tasks that you can complete the night before to save yourself time in the morning, don’t think twice about doing them. Put together an outfit, and have it ready and laid out with all accessories that you will need. Prep your lunch in advance and have it available for you to grab and go. The less you have to think about in the morning, the better off you’ll be!

 

Start With The Worst

There always seems to be at least one dreaded or burdensome task that makes its way onto to-do lists. The best thing to do is to get it out of the way. Each day, you should start with the worst tasks, and make your way down the list to the simple ones. There’s no need to prolong your stress, and you’ll be much more inclined to continue getting things done if you know the worst of it is over!

 

Stick To One Task At A Time

As a multitasker, this tip was initially hard for me to adopt. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Multitasking may give the illusion that you’re getting more work done, but your attention is limited and spread out across multiple tasks. You’re also more likely to complete tasks at an average level when you multitask. Sticking to one task at a time will help you focus and achieve more in less time.

 

Use Tools For Success

There are so many free tools and resources at our disposal. We often forget to take advantage of them. I’ve recently been putting the Reminders app on my phone to good use. Apps like these are great because you’re able to set deadlines, and you can hold yourself accountable to them. I get notifications reminding me to complete my daily tasks on my laptop, phone and watch. It’s impossible to forget to do something once I’ve inputted it into the list.

Aside from the average to-do list, I also use it for shopping! There have been countless times when I’ve thought of things that I needed to buy, only to forget what they were once I made it to the store! While I still use a physical planner to keep my life organized, I don’t always have it on hand. That’s where these additional lists on my phone come in handy. After testing out a variety of different apps, I figured out what works best for me. Don’t hesitate to try different things until you find something that works!

 

What are your top tips for increasing productivity? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

XO Angie