Being productive is one of those things that has taken me a lot of time to figure out, I mean, lets be honest, how many of us plan an entire day of activities, chores, and errands only to end up binge watching Greys Anatomy on Netflix?...
Nobody?...Nobody?....oh, must just me then.
Weeellllll then, for those of us who aren't super perfect productivity super heroes, i'm going to share some of the tips i've figured out that help make my days just a little more productive!
TIP 1: MAKE YOUR BED!
The first thing I do when I wake up is make my bed......ok no, it's turn on my Keurig, BUT while its heating I make my bed. This helps make my room look more tidy and reduces my urge to lay back down and get sucked into the blanket monster.
TIP 2: TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO FOCUS ON YOURSELF.
I like to start my day by taking 5-10 minutes for myself before the kid wakes up...some days I sit in silent meditation, some days I read or watch the news, some days I squeeze in a little morning yoga if I woke up a little sore.....whatever it is that makes you happy, take some time to do it...it's a big productivity killer if you wake up and automatically overwhelm yourself with tasks and to-dos.
TIP 3: CUT YOUR TO-DO LIST IN HALF
Once my coffee is made, I like to sit at my desk and make a to-do list for the day. I write down things I would like to get done that day but I don't overwhelm myself...don't go putting 20 things on your list and then pull your hair out trying to finish them all. Keep it short but keep the most important tasks at the top of the list and tackle those first. That way, if you don't make it through the entire list, at least your most important tasks were completed...you can move the rest to tomorrows list!
TIP 4: GET DRESSED.
While it's really easy to lounge around in your pajamas all day, the simple act of getting up and getting dressed makes you feel productive! I like to drink my coffee and make my list and then shower, get dressed, and get ready for the day.
TIP 5: DONT MULTI-TASK.
So you've gotten a little "me" time in..you've had your coffee, you've made your list, you're dressed and ready to tackle that list...you're energized and feel like you can do 5 things at once.....WRONG!
Tackle one thing at a time, trying to multi-task will set you back. Multi-tasking reduces your efficiency because your brain can really only focus on one thing at at time. When you try to do more than one thing at at time, your brain doesn't actually have the capacity to complete each task successfully so things end up half finished or not finished as best they possibly could.
So now that you've got it all figured out, go forth and carpe that diem!
Xo, Jeanice :)