Are You Busy or Are You Productive?
There is a big difference between being busy and being productive, yet many of us use the two terms interchangeably. Stop confusing busyness for productivity, and you’ll get more done. Are you making progress on mission-critical tasks and projects? Then, you are productive.
“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
We believe having a productive day is all down to planning, prioritising and focusing. Check out our tips below:
- Get enough sleep every night.
- Wake up early, probably just after sunrise. Many studies reveal that morning birds are more creative, energetic and motivated than night owls because the human body and mind can resonate more energy if it aligns itself to the cycle of Sun.
- Eat a proper breakfast. Is the most important meal for the entire day. A healthy mind first needs a healthy body.
- Exercise before work. You can think better for two hours after gym, since more glucose and oxygen gets to the brain.
- Do the things you don’t like to do first.
- Do what make you happy and be proud of it. Remember, productivity is a state of mind, your mind must lift itself to that zone, which is impossible if you’re not proud of who you are and not happy of what you do.
- Take a lunch break away from your desk.
- Take regular short breaks.
- Be positive.
- Stop multitasking. When you turn from one task to another, you interrupt brain functions. Plus, multitasking adds stress and boosts toxic hormones such as cortisol, which clouds thinking and can destroy brain cells.
- Don’t be ruled by your inbox. There is a slew of research that says managing your life by email or text response might not be optimal.
- Stay away from negative people and thoughts. avoid people who sound complaining and condemning; stay away from people and gossip stations that discuss negative thoughts, events or actions.
- At the end of your working day write out your “To Do” list for tomorrow and prioritise the tasks.
- Technology is not always efficient. Avoid distractions. Hide your smartphone, you’ll be surprised at the difference it makes when you don’t check your phone while you’re working.
How many times per day do you check your email? Are you too connected to your office through technology? What about at home? Do you log on to your personal email or Facebook as soon as you get home? Try waiting instead and using access to both as a reward for getting a productive task completed. How do you make each day productive? We would love to hear your tips below!
Have a productive day!
