When you want to get more done in a day, the best thing you have going for you is a good plan based on smart goals, but you can do better by removing distractions and setting and sticking to deadlines.
Here are three tips to help boost your productivity and get you to your goals even quicker.
1. Set Your Daily Goals and Objectives
You should always be working towards a long-term plan or vision for your life.
Within this long-term plan, you can establish short-term goals or milestones to be used as checkpoints towards success in achieving the longer-term goals.
Start with the end in mind…and then work your way backwards in your calendar to today planning small actions that will lead to the result you want.
Related: 3 Time Management Pitfalls You Need To Avoid Now
For example, if you have a goal to write a 100,000-word novel in six months, you’d start with the due date, and work your way in your schedule until today, listing chronologically the task that you need to do to constitute being done on the due date you’ve set.
2. Remove Distractions
Once you know what will move you towards your desired result, it’s also important to identify and remove distractions that would keep you away from sticking to the schedule you set for yourself.
Set aside non-negotiable time… schedule time in your calendar to work on your goals, and say no to anyone or anything that tries to interrupt you during that time
Using the novel example from earlier, besides the writing itself, you’ll also need to consider the editing, cover art, book matter, marketing, and other actions that need to get done in order to complete it in six-month timeframe you originally set.
That could mean blocking 4 hours each day to work on the novel in a quiet or distraction-free environment.
3. Stick to Deadlines and Timelines
In order to establish a timeline with realistic deadlines, you’ll first want to take note of how you’re currently allocating your time.
This can easily be done by reviewing your calendar to assess where and on what you’re spending your time.
You could also get fancy and use a time tracking system.
Regardless of the method, the end goal is to identify blocks of available time in which you can dedicate to completing a goal or milestone.
Value your own commitments…keeping the promises you make to yourself plays such a critical role in your success towards achieving your goals.
Looking at the novel example, once you understand where your time is being spent, you can then schedule everything you need to do (i.e. work, socializing, meals, breaks, etc.) around your allocated writing time, ensuring a healthy balance between living the life you want now and preparing for the life you want to create for yourself down the road.
Planning strategically is the most critical part of ensuring that you increase your productivity.
Without a real plan, there is no way to know what has to be done and when. This could potentially lead to you coming against unnecessary roadblocks, falling prey to procrastination, or complete abandonment, which I’m sure, none of us want.
