Habits of very productive people
Productivity, something that is desired by almost all of us in a society where time is money. But what are the habits of very productive people? I looked at habits I am consistent with when I have very productive phases in my life to share them with you.
Preparing ahead of time
This is where most people already fail. Preparing things ahead of time takes a lot of stress out of your tasks and less stress means easier passage into the flow state of productivity. Productive people tend to prepare their day the evening before or at least take time in their morning routine to prep the tasks of the day. Others save time by meal prepping, putting out clothes for the next morning or packing their bag for work ahead of time. Prep is key!
Time Blocking
Blocking off time for specific tasks during the day is important to refer back to AND to have a harder time procrastinating. You might finish the task faster or take super long, but thatβs not the point of blocking your time. The point of it is holding yourself accountable and giving yourself a rough plan for the day and the week. You canβt expect to get dozens of things done in one week if you plan it out in a calendar application like Google Calendar. Youβll notice that doing the essentials will always be at the forefront and the smaller tasks will have to be put into days that you get finished faster with your main tasks.
Prioritizing correctly
Which brings me to this point. Prioritize your tasks and life areas. Prioritizing your life areas should be fairly easy: Health above work, family above friends, etc. But prioritizing work tasks can be a little bit overwhelming, at least it is for me. Thatβs why I use the Eisenhower Matrix whenever a long braindump list is overwhelming me. The Matrix is fairly easy to understand. I made a little graphic for you to understand it better than I can explain it:
Spending time with friends/family
You canβt push out energy and soul constantly without refueling through sleep and deep connections. Spending time with friends and family is important for your mental health. Take it from someone that socially isolated herself for almost three years and is still trying to build her social circle further. Connection is important, no matter if you are an introvert or extrovert. Youβll need it (outside of work) at least once a week, if you are working from home more often.
Making time
We constantly hope we had time to do this and do that. Hoping for time doesnβt accomplish anything, MAKING time accomplishes these things you desire to have time for. You wanna learn a new skill? Make time for it. You need to get your insurance papers checked through? Make time for it. You wanna spend more time with that person? Make time for it. Things donβt happen while you magically hope for more time to appear. Sometimes you got to prioritize and balance your time spent on different things.
Weekly Reviews
Looking at what you get done every week and what you want to do the following week is the work of an hour on the weekend and improves your clarity. Iβd almost say this is the ultimate habits out of all the habits of very productive people. Itβs super easy to fall off track with it too, since the way we productively work can change every few months. You need to find a way to implement this habit, no matter how the rest of your productivity system changes around it. Itβs truly a lifesaver.
You need a little help and advice on how to do a weekly review? Donβt worry, I got you! I made a downloadable little cheat sheet with everything that is part of my weekly review, so you can get more productive and less distracted too. Get it sent right to your inbox here:
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