Because it comes up a lot for all of us trying to manage schedules that slam more than 24 hours of work into a day, I thought I would make one giant productivity post for everyone to help us all out (including myself).Â
10 steps to GET MORE SHIT DONE in a dayÂ
JUST STARTâI think most of us find that sometimes the hardest part to starting a task is overcoming the âughâfuck this shit, I donât want to do thisâ feeling. So, trick yourself into it. Instead of saying youâre going to work for 8 hours, tell yourself youâll do an hour⊠and watch that hour turn into 2 or 3 or 4 magically.Â
Action fights anxietyâIf youâre terrified of a project hanging over your head, just start it!! Instead of waiting till tomorrow or next week when things might be right, just start right now! Do something to help yourself feel better about it. Youâll feel better getting through the rest of your day if you donât have the fear. If you wake up at 2 am panicked you havenât replied to an email, get up and do it now so you can go back to sleep in peace!
Make a listâNever underestimate the power of writing it down and crossing it off.Â
Take care of yourselfâItâs hard to work when youâre tired or hungry or havenât worked out, etc. So, prioritizeâmake yourself #1! Youâre fucking worth it. So work out, eat breakfast, sleep 6 or 8 or 9 hours (whatever you need). Do whatever it takes to make yourself feel ready to take on the day.Â
Stay organizedâI have a slightly OCD-type personality. If the desk is a mess, itâs hard for me to do my work. So put things back where they belong, take the time to keep things tidy so you can do your best work. Â Â
Donât multitaskâWe all think weâre good at thisâbut the truth is weâre shit. Weâre complete and utter shit at multitasking. Do one thing very well instead of four things poorly.Â
Shut offâTurning away from the work for just a minute can really decrease your productivity. Unless you are actively waiting on a text to hear the test results from your motherâs biopsy or an emergency call from your best friend that your house is burning down almost anything else can wait another hour until you finish your task. Even an email from your boss can probably wait another 10 minutes for you to finish what youâre working on.Â
Be competitiveâBe a better you than you were yesterday. Do more. Show yesterday-you that theyâre a lazy bitch and you can do better!
Refocusâhereâs a list of how to do it in 3 minutes or less.Â
Give a fuck!!âIf you actually care about what youâre doing, youâll be more motivated to do it!
10 very specific ways to get more shit done
Work when you work bestâThis rule that people work better in the morning is bullshit. Some people work best from 5 am to 7 am, but some of us do our best work from 1 pm to 3 pm or 10 pm to midnight. Work when you do your best work and get things doneâwhenever that is!!
LocalizeâPut it all in one place. Stop moving between eight study resources or youâll fail to focus on one thing wellâinstead condense all your study materials into one place and then focus on that ONE thing.Â
Multi-task on the stuff that doesnât matterâIt takes no brain power to clean a counter, so when you have to clean your apartment you can also return the phone calls youâve put off. When you have to stand in line for coffee you can also answer emails, while your lunch is heating in the microwave you can put away the dishes in the dish washer. Get more done in the spaces between.Â
Be contraryâWho says you have to buy groceries on the busiest shopping day? Go at a weird time when other people wonât be there and you can get in and out faster. Donât waste your time waiting in line just because thatâs when everyone else does something. Do things when you can do it fastest!! Hit the post office at 3Â pm when everyone else is at work, go to the gym late in the evening after the post-work rush is over. Do it when you can get it done fast!
Buy the right shitâGo ahead and buy the best tool for the task. If you donât set yourself up right, youâll just spend more time fighting for things to work than actually working!!Â
In armâs reach or screw itâWhen you sit down to work, get all the things you need ready to go so you donât have to keep getting up for more paper or some water. If itâs not within armâs reach, move it or screw it!
Bribe yourselfâNever underestimate the power of a piece of chocolate, or a night out at the end of the week, or an online shopping spree for that shirt youâve wanted.Â
Turn it up (or turn it down)âIf you hate the quiet play music, but if the sound is too distracting shut it the fuck off. Work in a space that works for you.Â
Deep endâwelcome to it--Do the hard stuff first. Youâll lose energy as the day goes on, so leave the easy things for when youâre tired and donât need as much will power.Â
One touchâYouâve probably heard this one before, but hereâs my irreverent version of it. Pick it upâdonât put it the fuck down until youâre done. If you get an email from your professor saying you all have to complete a required form, do the fucking form now and email it back immediately. Why spend more time later having to look at that damn email again? If you realize youâre out of paper towels, check your level of tin foil and tissues while youâre at it so you can go to the store one time. Do it once, do it right, donât fuck around.Â
Oh, and donât forget to give yourself a break when you need it. Not every day can be a day where everything gets done. :)Â
amandla
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
