Guys,
I believe everyone struggles to be PRODUCTIVE. In a world full of information, things to do, meeting to go, it is hard to remain focus and more important, productive. Today, I am sharing some tips that helped me to improve my performance and time management. Ready to know everything?
1. What really matters to you?
First and foremost, it is important to define what are the most important things for you. That will help you to prioritize a lot and get better at managing and finding time to do what you like. 😀 Again, everyone is busy but if you really enjoy doing something, you always find the time, CORRECT? So, define a list of 3 things and always have them in mind throughout your day. Keep your 3 main goals in a visible place so you can check from time to time to know if yours tasks of the day remain aligned with your main goals. Very often we end up spending our days doing little things and not focusing on the big picture. As so, pick your 3 BIG THINGS.
2. Treat yourself with GOOD sleep
I did not realize this until maybe last year but to perform well, you NEED to sleep enough hours. Everyone has his/her amount of hours per night that are ideally but today I definitely recommend good sleep as I way to perform better. For many years I would judge myself if I slept less than 6 hours, today I pay much more attention to my body signs and I sleep 7 or more hours per night because I can definitely see I have much more energy.
3. Find what is good for you
Everyone is different and understanding what works best for you is CRUCIAL. When you perform better is a huge thing. Have you identified yours? For example, I know I work much better in the morning and at night. I usually do things that require more thought process right when i wake up and ‘easy things’ during lunch time (the period of the day I feel the most lazy).
4. Have a morning routine
Having a morning routine CHANGED my life completely. Not everyone has to do the same but having an routine can have a very very positive impact in your day (at least for me). Let me share why! In 2018, when I left Australia I did not have a job and I started freelancing full-time. I used to work from home 24/7. I would have days super productive others that i would not do anything for the all day. That’s when I start reading about morning routines and the benefits of start working earlier. Within few weeks I established my own routine that has not changed much till now.
Look at my example (this might inspire you to find yours)
- 6:30: Alarm rings
- 6:40 – 7:30: Shower, journaling and mediation
- 7:30: Breakfast
- 8:00: Improving a skill (right now, I dedicate this time to improving my interviewing skills)
- 9:00: Start homework or Go to work
5. Plan, plan and plan
PLAN and write down everything. For example, I never go to bed without writing down or putting on my agenda everything that I have to do the next day. I usually set time and hours for each task. Believe me or not, I am so much more productive when I have a road map of what to do.
6. Find time to yourself and do nothing
I learned this one the hard way. When I was freelancing or even studying for the GMAT and working at the same time, I would never stop working. I would ALWAYS be doing something. Taking the time to do nothing is extremely important: you need to relax the mind and recharge your body from time to time. As an example, every quarter I take 3 to 4 days to really do NOTHING = sleep, read, walk, run… only things I like.
7. Turn off your emails and social media
This is maybe the hardest one but I get so much more work done when I turn off everything. 😀 First, I do not touch my phone and check emails on my first and last hours of the day. I have been doing this for almost a year (with some days failing but trying my best not to) and my life changed completely. I feel I have less anxiety and I work much better without first checking my phone in the morning. Another thing, I do not receive emails on my phone and I do not have any of my notifications ON. This was initially a big changed for me but I can definitely admit I get much more stuff done this way..
Hope these tips helped and let me know if there is anything else you would add on this list.
Beijinho,
Daniela
Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash and Aron Visuals on Unsplash