Blogpost
How to be productive
How can you be more productive and get the most out of your day? The past 5 years I had multiple jobs, I studied, I have my own company and I had a social life. But how did I do it all? It is not as simple as: just do it. I created a routine, where I smashed large amounts of work in a short amount of time. What my colleagues and friends do in one day I do in 4 hours. So let me tell you how to be productive.
how does your brain function?
This might sound like a science question but it isn’t and it is also very easy to answer. When are you most productive during the day? Is that in the morning or in the after noon or maybe at night? For me I get most stuff done in the morning until lunch time. And then again after 8PM.
HOW TO PLAN YOUR DAY
Before lunch I plan all me must do’s and tasks where I need to focus like writing, analyzing, creating content,… After lunch I would get into meetings and do al the more ‘brainless’ things. Like filling in excel sheets, editing photo’s or videos. In the evening I only work if needed.
HOW TO BE PRODUCTIVE DURING THE DAY?
Not everyday will go as planned. You won’t be able to always be as productive so I use these small tricks to help me through the day.
TO-DO LIST
I start out by creating a daily to-do list, here I put all my tasks for the day. Even putting in the laundry or answering emails. Write them all down.
TIME BLOCKING
After that I put those tasks at certain times of the day. Sometimes per hour but sometimes per 15minutes. I also make sure I add a catch-up hour in my workday. Here I will get done the tasks that I couldn’t get done in the time I reserved for it. If at the end of the day isn’t necessary to use it, I either prepare for the next day or allow myself some rest.
25-5 RULE
This is one of my favourite tricks to use. You set a timer for 25 minutes where you work and after those 25 minutes you can take a 5 minute phone break. The important part of it is that you take that break away from your desk or space you are working. For tasks like laundry I like to change the timer from 25-5 to 50-10.
WORK MODE: ON
Just like silent mode you can also create a work mode. I created my work mode with important contacts and unknown number who can always call me during this mode. Why? I can’t just put my phone away for 4 hours and not respond on work calls. I turned off all my app notifications to have minimal distractions.
allow yourself to actually rest
I used to arrange personal items during my breaks or work on my personal business. After a while I felt like I wasn’t human anymore and couldn’t breath half of the time. SO I had to take a step back and actually take my break time seriously. Now I rest and I’m ready to get back to work after my break.
I hope this will help you to be more productive. Don’t work more, work more efficiently!
