If you’re like most of us, you may be struggling to find your focus and jumpstart your productivity. There’s a ton of crazy stuff going on in the world, and sometimes getting things done can seem like an impossible challenge. But it doesn’t have to stay that way forever.
You can’t immediately change what’s going on in the world, but you can improve your focus and productivity by taking control of your environment and health. Today we are going to look at several tips you can start using today to help you get more done in your personal and professional life.
Let’s dive in!
Minimize Common Distractions
Have you ever sat down to work on a project, only to get pulled away every 5 minutes due to distractions? If so, you’re definitely not alone. We all have to deal with common distractions in various capacities. Some folks get distracted by their phones, while others are continually being pulled away by roommates or family within their home.
You have to find out what’s distracting you. Write down the reasons you leave your desk mid-project, and see if there are any distractions you can handle before you get started for the day. For example, let’s say you have a habit of getting derailed during lunch, and your productivity comes to a screeching halt.
If this sounds like you, consider preparing your meals the night in advance, now you won’t spend too much time away during lunch and lose your focus.
Another common distraction is text messages and emails. Some people have friends that won’t take the hint and still send messages after you’ve explained that you’re going to be busy for a while. In this case, you should silence your phone while you’re busy so you can cut out these extra distractions.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness, by definition, is a term used to describe the psychological process of thinking and acting in the moment. When you’re aware of what’s happening in real-time, you’ll have a much easier time staying productive and focused.
We all have the habit of letting our minds wander, and that’s perfectly fine. The problem arises when people daydream but don’t pull themselves back in when they start to fall behind on their personal and professional goals.
If you practice mindfulness, you’ll have a much easier time bringing yourself back into the moment instead of letting one small diversion drive you down a rabbit hole. When you feel yourself drifting into a daydream, or otherwise doing something when you were supposed to be productive, catch yourself and get back on task.
Let’s say that you want to start a blog where you talk about a hobby you love, but every time you open the blog editor, you end up opening another tab and browsing the internet. The goal is to catch yourself as you’re opening the new tab and go back to your project. Practicing this technique will help you control your thoughts, and consequently, your actions throughout the day.
Avoid Social Media During Peak Productivity Hours
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you have a social media account. Over 3.8 billion people currently have social media profiles across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Social media helps people connect with everyone from relatives, to co-workers. It’s an excellent resource for meeting like-minded people, keeping in touch with friends and family, and reading news. However, due to all of the features social media offers, most people spend way more time than they should on these platforms, and that’s a big productivity killer.
For context, the average user spends 2 hours and 22 minutes on social media every single day. Imagine cutting that time down to 30 minutes per day. I don’t know about you, but I think most people could benefit from an extra 14 hours every week.
You can become a more productive person by using social media less, especially during peak productivity hours. Don’t spend the most valuable part of your day browsing your Twitter feed. While this could fall under the distractions and mindfulness topics, it’s worth pointing out here because this one small change can jumpstart your focus and productivity.
Learn from Your Mistakes
Finally, you can get more done if you’re willing to acknowledge and learn from your mistakes. We all make mistakes, but success stems from figuring out how to turn inevitable mistakes into learning experiences.
When something doesn’t go your way, think about why that happened and what you can do to avoid that issue in the future. Look deep into yourself, and don’t be afraid to give fair criticism.
This practice will help you fine-tune your thought process, which will help you get more done. You may also come up with some interesting solutions to work around these problems.
We all have unique ways of thinking and working, so your journey to productivity bliss may look different when compared to someone else. The tips mentioned here today will give you the framework to work on self-discovery and become a more productive person.