Best Productivity Tips To Getting More Done

One of our biggest challenges as moms is managing our time. Between school, helping with homework, working our own jobs, managing the finances, carting our kids around to friends and sports, keeping up with the home, and more – we are always trying to better manage our time. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to be able to work smart so we can get more done in less time. Being productive is all about doing more in less time. It is all about making the most of the time you have. Some of us are naturally productive, but for most of us who need a little help, I’ve put together a list of my most helpful and unique productivity tips for you.

Why productivity matters

Whether we are productive or not, we expect productivity from ourselves. Think about it. To be productive by definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary means “effective in bringing about” and “yielding results.” At the end of the day, no matter what we are doing, we are striving for some end result. The accomplishment of that result comes from being productive. When I have a good productive day, a day that involves accomplishing things and producing results, I end the day feeling proud, excited and energized.

Now think about the flip side, when we are not productive. I’m usually distracted, having negative thoughts about things, or just feeling very lethargic and cranky. I’m not in my best mood, and I’m not usually enjoying myself either. At the end of a non-productive day, I feel let down, sometimes exhausted, or I beat myself up for not using my time effectively.

This is why it is so important to understand how to use our time effectively, so that we can easily implement these tools and productivity tips to automatically start shifting out of a state of stagnate, and move towards results.

Related Reading:

• Learn 5 secrets to keeping your house clean
• Work smarter by doing the hardest task first
• Productivity tips for working from home

Biggest Productivity Tips: Busy does not mean productive

One more note before we get started is that busy does not mean productive. You can be busy without being productive. You can run around in meetings, in the car, do errands, and in general be non-stop all day, but that doesn’t mean you were productive. Being busy is what leaves you exhausted at the end of the day. Productive means results. Productive means pushing the needle forward towards the direction you want to be going. If you have a big work project, product means progress towards that finish line. Being productive towards a goal of relieving stress might look like implementing simpler routines, or starting a habit of self-care.

Top Productivity Tips

Now to get to the actual productivity tips to help you get those results you are looking for in less time:

Organize your time

• Track time – there are time tracking apps that will allow you to track how you use your time. Pen and paper work too.
• Pomodoro – set a timer, work for 25 minutes, the break for 5 minutes. Rinse and repeat.
• Time blocking – block off your day in chunks of time for specific tasks.

Work smarter

• Automate as much as possible – if it is something you are doing more than once, take the time to automate it.
• Delegate what you can – if someone else can do it and its not crucial, delegate it out.
• Stop multi-tasking – you can accomplish 2 tasks faster if you focus on each on in its entirety in turn instead of trying to do them both at once. The one time this doesn’t apply is if one task is physical, and the other is mental. An example would be doing the dishes while listening to a podcast where you are learning something.
• Avoid mistakes – having to go back and redo work takes more time than slowing down and taking care to do it right the first time.
• Batch similar tasks – do like tasks all at the same time.
• Keep things simple – the simpler things are, the less you have to rely on your brain. For example, work processes, physical and digital clutter, etc.
• Don’t touch something more than once. – if you have to touch something, especially papers, when cleaning more than once you are wasting time. That means you are just shuffling it around from place to place instead of just putting it away.

Have a plan

• Prioritize your tasks – according to your biggest goals and most prominent deadlines – not necessarily entirely by obligations to others.
• Separate a “master” brain dump list with a daily list – this way every day you only have to look at a small list you can manage, instead of a big overwhelming one where you look at the same things over and over again.
• Cap your daily list at 2-3 important things – by not overwhelming your to do list you can focus better and actually get more done. If you finish and still have time, even better, at that point you can do something for yourself, or choose to tackle one more thing.
• Break down large tasks into smaller ones – if you have a big project that is taking up a lot of mental space, see how you can break it down to the next manageable task you can complete to move forward.
• Set boundaries: don’t let something move from day to day more than a couple times – if you put something on your daily list several times/days, you are procrastinating it, and wasting mental space, therefore time, on that thing.
• Answer what is the most important thing I have to do today? – what is the absolute one thing I can do today that will move me closer to my goal. Do that thing first.

Trick your brain in the moment

• Set a timer
• Listen to music
• Clear the energy/change the scene – set the vibe, take a shower to symbolize a fresh start, use essential oils, etc.
• Find an accountability partner – find someone you know you can count on to keep you accountable

Minimize distractions

• Keep a distraction list – keep a pad and pen nearby, when you think of something that you need to do, add it to the list so you know you will remember it later and can move on and forget about it in this moment.
• Use website blockers
• Turn off mobile notifications

Keep it positive

• Focus on the outcome instead of the action – the intention is not to do more; it is to do enough in less time.
• Change your language – move away from pressure language such as “I have to..” “This is hard” “I need to”. Instead, start using terms like “I get to..” “I can do this.” “This is easy.”

The productivity tips that are most forgotten: work less

The last productivity tip I want to present to you is the option to actually just work less. Studies have shown that employees who work less hours actually get more done, and they are more productive during the hours they are working. In addition, other studies show that on average, about 17 hours of a 40-hour week is time not used in a productive manner. If it’s possible for you, avoid burnout, physically work less and use the time you are working to do more.

In conclusion, most, if not all of us, are striving to find ways to be more productive with our time. Using these productivity tips to organize your time, work smarter, have a plan, trick your brain in the moment, minimize distractions, and keep it positive, you can use your time more effectively. And remember, the goal is not to do more, the goal is to do enough, in less time.