7 Tips for Being the Most Productive

Let’s be honest - we all know someone who is incredibly productive. Some of us - okay me - I want to be that productive person. When I was a school counselor it was shocking the contrast between the students who got a lot done and those who didn’t do much. I’m not talking intelligence level, just pure productivity. There is a saying, “if you want something done, give it to a busy person.” That is your first and best tip on productivity -
#1 over schedule yourself so that you have no choice in the small windows of time you have available because if you don’t, you will procrastinate. I swear some people get a week's worth of work done in one day because they have to. 

#2 Decide. Yep. that simple - one word - decide. Part of the reason people aren’t productive is because they second guess themselves and then they end up floundering around in no man’s land. Make a decision and then make it work. Once a decision is made you can move forward. Without a decision you are stuck. 

#3 Give up the perfectionism - You are already perfect. Not all of Taylor Swift’s songs are good.  Not every movie or book is good. Research on productive people shows they make a lot lemons as well as masterpieces. The difference between productive people and others is they keep plowing through and let go of what doesn’t work. 

#4 Prioritize of your physical and mental health.  A hangover, a sleepless night, a sore, tired body - all of these things can result in no productivity so take care of yourself. 

#5  Be consistent. Consistency is at the heart of productivity - let’s be honest - some days we are more energized and productive than others but consistency is key.

#6 Scheduling when you are going to execute - nature has it own productivity schedule - the winter is a time for planning, the spring a time for growth and the summer and winter are for reaping. Whether you schedule is based on when your circadian rhythms - most people are very productive around 10:30 in the morning and less productive around three. Or, schedule with the lunar cycle - with the new moon being the planning time and the full moon being the completion time. The key is to find what works best for you and that takes some self-reflection. 

 #7 Make a list and plan it out. I once interviewed a guy who spent quite a few hours planning his Thanksgiving bash - the planning took a few hours - he made his seating chart, menu, etc… to the degree he had pages and pages of to-dos. He used the executive function part of his brain. Once he had the list, he could fully go in on executing and as long as he followed his plan, he was good to go.