When a problem is large or complex, and the optimal solution is unclear, applying simple mini productivity hacks allow you to begin making progress towards a solution even though you can’t visualize the entire path from your starting point.
Consider these productivity hacks a reminder.
“It’s not knowing what to do, it’s doing what you know.” ~ Tony Robbins
1. Daily goals. Without a clear focus, it’s too easy to succumb to distractions. Set targets for each day in advance. Decide what you’ll do; then do it.
2. Worst first. To defeat procrastination learn to tackle your most unpleasant task first thing in the morning instead of delaying it until later in the day. This small victory will set the tone for a very productive day.
3. Peak times. Identify your peak cycles of productivity, and schedule your most important tasks for those times. Work on minor tasks during your non-peak times.
4. Mini-milestones. When you begin a task, identify the target you must reach before you can stop working. For example, when working on a book, you could decide not to get up until you’ve written at least 1000 words. Hit your target no matter what.
5. Timeboxing. Give yourself a fixed time period, like 30 minutes, to make a dent in a task. Don’t worry about how far you get. Just put in the time.
6. Early bird. Get up early in the morning, like at 5am, and go straight to work on your most important task. You can often get more done before 8am than most people do in a day.
7. Deadline. Set a deadline for task completion, and use it as a focal point to stay on track.
8. Resonance. Visualize your goal as already accomplished. Put yourself into a state of actually being there. Make it real in your mind, and you’ll soon see it in your reality.
9. Slice and dice. Break complex projects into smaller, well-defined tasks. Focus on completing just one of those tasks.
10. Single-handling. Once you begin a task, stick with it until it’s 100% complete. Don’t switch tasks in the middle. When distractions come up, jot them down to be dealt with later.
11. 30 days. Identify a new habit you’d like to form, and commit to sticking with it for just 30 days. A temporary commitment is much easier to keep than a permanent one.
12. Optimization. Identify the processes you use most often, and write them down step-by-step. Refactor them on paper for greater efficiency. Then implement and test your improved processes.
13. Do it now! (That should be your mantra) Recite this phrase over and over until you’re so sick of it that you cave in and get to work.
14. Proactive. Just do it, and deal with the consequences later. It’s easier to request forgiveness than permission.
15. Declutter. Remove all distractions, on your desk and on your computer. If you’ve got a clean, simplified workspace, you can better focus on the tasks.
16. To-do lists: You’re only productive if you are doing work that moves you towards a goal.Eliminate non-essential tasks from your to-do lists, and start to say no to new requests that are non-essential.
17. Disconnect. To increase your productivity, disconnect your Internet connection. Have scheduled times when you’re going to check your email, and only let yourself check your blogs or surf the web when you’ve gotten a certain amount done.
18. Experiment. Try out a tip, and if it doesn’t work, try another. Life is an experiment, after all.
19. Do less. Doing less will make you happier, because your life won’t be so hectic and filled with stress.
20. Slow down. By doing less, you can actually get more done, even if you work more slowly. And when you’re not working, you should definitely try switching to slow mode.
21. Review goals. Setting goals is important, but the key to making them a reality is actually reviewing them (at least monthly, but weekly is better) and taking action steps to make them come true.
22. Plan. Give purpose to your day by determining the three most important things you can do with your day, and making those a priority.
23. Maintain focus. One important key to achieving your goals is to maintain focus on them. To do this, again, it’s important that you select one goal at a time. This will prevent your focus from spreading too thin.
24. Routines. These are two great ways to add structure to your day, make sure you review your goals and log your progress, and get your day off to a great start.
25. Create simple systems. Once you’ve simplified your life, the way to keep it simple is by creating systems for everything you do regularly.
26. Single-task. Stop multi-tasking, at least not on a day-to-day basis. Instead, focus on one task at a time. This leads to greater productivity and less stress.