Getting More Done in Less Time? …to be or not to be: more productive
“At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.” Joshua Becker
It’s September! Back to school… Work distractions seem everywhere!
Are you feeling constantly bombarded with information from all directions?
Whether you notice it or not, these distractions affect your productivity. AND the pressure is on to be more productive than ever!
From relentless checking of emails to your physical shoulder tension and sore aching back, something has gotta give.
You work so hard to get proper results, right? Yet there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to accomplish everything you set out to do.
Your goal to be more productive in day can easily suffer when you’re not feeling 100 percent. So why not make health one of your priorities?
What can be done to check off that to do list? Can you focus on your most important items on that to-do list?
Read on… I’ve found some mental health strategies for you to get more done in less time, every single day!
Fundamentals of Minimalism
Modern life can be filled with hysteria, especially when you’re a passionate entrepreneur or business person working hard to fulfill your dreams. The process of finding efficiency and a system that works to get results is a completely internal process. A lot of it is in our heads…
When it comes to getting more done in less time check yourself. Do you know what your priorities are? Likely, health, happiness and abundance are high on your list. But in order to achieve these dreams for your ideal lifestyle, you must put a few systems into place.
Enter Minimalism:
In this mind frame you can emphasize what is truly important and allow the rest to fall to the wayside. There’s only so much time in your day, so let’s be realistic about what you can do within it.
First and foremost, you need your health if you want to be happy. The two go hand in hand. There’s even been studies pointing to happiness affecting longevity. this just makes sense, does it not? Taking care to eat nourishing whole foods instead of convenient junk is a priority.
Practicing better posture and alignment by being sure you’re not slouching over your laptop or your desk is a good start to feeling less physical work stress.
Check out these tips for healthier alignment strategies at work.
Keep healthy living simple! Life doesn’t have to be demanding all the time. Keep what’s really important at the top of your priorities. We can apply principles of minimalism in all aspects of our lives.
Look at your work space. Are you a tidy and organized person or is your desk a storm of papers and things? A clean and organized work space can make for cleaner and more organized thought patterns and therefor a more productive you.
Start with a Goal
Isn’t it true, when you start with the end in sight, you’ll be more likely to get to your desired destination? What does your ultimate business goal look like? I’m betting you became an entrepreneur or business person so that you could eventually have more freedom than your 9 to 5 counterparts.
If the ultimate goal is more freedom than you have to stop thinking from a 9 to 5 perspective. Think about the average work environment. People waste a lot of time socializing, reading and replying to redundant emails, and surfing the web.
Eliminating time wasting activities until you’ve accomplished your daily to-do’s will likely help you achieve your goals faster, become more efficient with your time and more productive.
SUGGESTION: Make it a habit to ask yourself this question: Will this activity get me closer to my goal? If it’s you going on Facebook for “just 5 minutes”, the answer is likely no. If it’s taking an extra long lunch break so that you can refuel on good food and be more productive afterwards, the answer is more likely yes. Remember to always prioritize your daily activities.
Delete Distractions and Forget About Multi-tasking
As business people, multi-tasking is an admirable quality and should help you get more done in less time, right? This could be further from the truth than you think.
Studies show that for every additional task you try to accomplish at one time your productivity goes down.
Some experts claim that the key to becoming more productive is to choose one thing at a time and focus all your energy on that task until it is accomplished.
As humans, it’s in our nature to have a feeling of satisfaction when we complete a task. It’s that feeling of fulfillment that creates a better attitude which will help you complete even more tasks.
I know it’s hard to ignore email for an afternoon, and the allure of searching the web is constantly just a click away. That’s why I suggest trying the free App Self Control for blocking distractions for a set time frame.
Take Care of Your Health and Your Health Will Take Care of You
Your health should be your number one priority! When you ignore your health by eating poorly, not getting enough sleep and not exercising, it might give you more free time in the short term but in the long term your health suffers.
Take the time to make a dedicated list of health promoting activities you’ll fulfill every day and each week and just do these things.
This healthy to-do list might include:
-Break a sweat daily doing your favorite forms of exercise
-Incorporate daily nutritional supplements to promote long-term wellness
-When sitting at your desk remember to practice good posture and take mini stand up breaks for every 60 minutes of sitting.
-Avoid sugary foods, refined carbohydrates and processed foods. These are energy drains that leak away your productivity.
Remember the 80/20 Rule
I’m sure you’re familiar with the 80/20 principle. I’m going to bring it to your awareness again because this method works!
The basics of the 80/20 rule, also called Pareto’s principle, is that in life 20 percent of your activities account for 80 percent of your joy and outcomes. How does this rule apply in your life? Think about when you are in “the zone” when your creativity is at its highest and you are able to produce your best work. This is likely the basis of what is bringing you the most results, happiness, and success.
When you can zoom in and focus on that highly productive 20 percent of activities which bring you the most fulfillment, you can likely boost your productivity and get more done in less time.
Procrastination, relentless attention to emailing, doing a job half-heartedly when you could leverage your time to do it better are all distractions to being more productive. These activities are using up valuable mental real estate and your time when you could just be focusing on the 20 percent of tasks that matter the most to achieve your goals. As for the rest of the 80 percent of the tasks, consider the power of delegation, elimination, and outsourcing of tasks that you really don’t do well anyways.
More Productive TIPS – Increase your productivity with these additional tips in this info-graphic by Quick Sprout. Find out what and when is your best time to work and create!
We invite you to comment below:
Is your health lower on your priority to-do list than it should be?
Do you struggle with keeping your work space organized?
What aspects of your daily life do you think you could eliminate to maximize your productivity?
I’d love to see your thoughts and views in the comments below.