Working Smarter, Not Harder

A blog informing readers about tips and tricks to be more productive with their time in the setting of a work place or everyday life.

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Staying Productive When Traveling

When traveling to a new place or even an old place it can be exhilarating. There are a lot of new things to explore and check out. It can be easy to get caught up in the glamour of it all and not get any of your tasks done. This is a common issue for people who travel and still have to work when traveling. There are a few steps you can take in order to maintain a productive work time. Doing some of these things will guarantee a productive travel experience.

Planning out your schedule for the trip can be tremendously helpful when trying to get work done while being there. This means planning for meetings, deadlines, phone calls, and work events. It is also essential to account for time zone differences in order not to miss that important meeting. Having a plan can relieve a lot of stress and keep everything on track. This will also help you double-check and keep your travel plans in order so you do not miss any flights or forget to confirm hotel reservations. This will also help reduce stress and allow you to focus on your work.

Another thing you should do when traveling is to allow yourself downtime. When you allow yourself downtime to explore and enjoy the place you are in, it can increase your mood and motivation levels. When you are in a better mood, it is easier to be efficient and to do your work. Letting yourself have this time also can act as a motivator. You can have a set amount of tasks to complete before allowing yourself this relaxing and exploring time. This will motivate you to complete your tasks and be productive, so you have more free time to enjoy the new destination.

Another step to take to ensure productivity when traveling is to maintain a good sleep schedule. When traveling, it can be easy to drift away from having a solid sleep schedule, whether it is the time changes or change of location. It is well known that getting a proper amount of sleep can enhance productivity levels. You can help aid your sleep schedule to adjust your time on your phone and watch to get used to the time change. You can also bring melatonin if you struggle to sleep anywhere else besides your own bed. When you are well-rested, you tend to be more productive and feel better overall!

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Habits That Install Productivity Into Your Day

Procrastination and distractions have the habit of popping up where we least expect them. More often than not, we won't even recognize them when they appear. People do things daily that are not productive and can cost them their time without registering what is occurring. I will talk about a few habits you can pick up that will help benefit you in the long run. These habits can help increase your focus and productivity.

One habit that can increase your overall productivity by setting aside time to plan out your next day. I have written about this in a previous blog, but it is an essential habit, so I decided to include it in this blog post as well. Doing this allows you to get a jumpstart on the next day with a game plan. Taking this time to stop and reflect helps ensure you are on track for meeting deadlines and completing your goals. This habit also has the potential to relieve stress as it is keeping you organized with a clear schedule. At the end of the day, I make a list of things I want to accomplish and ensure I am on track to complete everything I need to get done. I then check for any uncompleted goals to add to my list for the following day as an urgent task. Getting into the habit of doing this daily can set you up for having a productive work day.

A limit you may want to consider applying to yourself is the number of times you check your email. People will often waste a lot of time constantly checking their emails. It can also be used as a form of procrastination if you are avoiding a task by going through your emails. If you limit yourself to only checking your email twice a day, you can avoid wasting your time. The times can be modified to accommodate your lifestyle, but the key is to make sure you are limiting yourself to two times per day. Doing this has helped me stay focused on my tasks at hand and kept me from going astray.

A tool you can add to your workspace is a random thought pad. This pad is for all of those distracting thoughts that can often pull you away from the tasks at hand. When you address these random thoughts and concerns every time they come up when working, you can often find yourself procrastinating with random things. You may be doing this and be tricking yourself into believing you are still being productive because you are taking care of other issues, but it is a form of procrastination. When we give into these random thoughts, we lose a lot of productivity, and they can even derail us anywhere from five minutes to hours. To avoid this, you can develop the habit of taking a second to write down your thoughts but then forgetting about them until you have completed your work. This is an easy way to reduce distractions and the chances of procrastination. Developing this habit can help implement more productivity in your life.

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My Daily Routine

Especially with the pandemic and transitioning to entirely virtual schooling, I have learned to fully manage my time with a daily routine. I found a routine, in general, to be beneficial because it provided me with the structure that I recently lost by transitioning to online education. I have tried variations of my schedule and other additions of activities to find what worked best. What works best will vary from person to person, but I am going to explain some of the important aspects of my routine that have helped me be more productive throughout my day. Hopefully, this will provide you with some ideas or inspiration as to what you want your routine to look like.

One element I found to be extremely helpful is to keep your sleep schedule as constant and routine as possible. When you train yourself to wake up and go to bed at a specific time every day, it will become second nature to you, and you will start to do it without noticing. Having set times for when you wake up and go to sleep provides your life with more structure overall and can help ensure you are getting enough sleep to be productive and fully functional the next day. When you are well-rested, it is easier to stay motivated and productive with your tasks at hand. My current schedule is to go to bed by 1 am and wake up at 8 am. I am more of a night owl and find myself being very productive at the end of the day, so I have a later set time for going to bed. I also found that I feel the most rested with seven hours of sleep. I have tried eight and above and felt overly tired. I tried six and under and found the same result of feeling tired. This will vary for everyone, but I personally feel the best when I get seven hours of sleep.

Another step that I take to ensure I have a productive day is to make a plan for the following day at night. Before I end my workday, I will sit down and make a list of things I want to accomplish and looks at upcoming deadlines to ensure I am on track to meet them. I will also look to see if I did not complete any of my goals for that day to move them to the following day as an urgent task. Once I have planned my goals, I will rank them from most significant to least significant, so I know what tasks I need to start with. After gauging my workload, I estimate how much free time I will have at the end of my day and pick a reward to help me stay motivated throughout the day and unwind from a productive day.

Lastly, an aspect of my routine that helps me maximize my productivity for the day is to start my day off with the absence of social media and my favorite book of the time. After getting out of bed, I head downstairs to start my breakfast. After making breakfast, I grab a book and read it while I eat my breakfast and drink coffee. I avoid my phone entirely until after working on my school work for a few hours. Doing this allows me to have a calm and productive morning that assists me in transitioning into my workload for the day. Incorporating a calming yet effective morning can be the key to having a productive day! These are some of the few essential elements I have included in my daily routine to maximize my overall productivity for that day!

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Staying Balanced to Stay Productive

Leading a balanced life is essential for endless reasons, but today I will be focusing on one main reason. The major benefit comes in terms of productivity. When you lead a more balanced life, it becomes easier and even natural to be productive more often. There are a few different steps you can take to help implicate balance in your life. With the newfound balance, you can help boost your productivity.

One step you can add to your daily routine is exercise. This can range from lifting weights at the gym to taking a walk around the park. There is a diverse range of options guaranteeing a fit for any lifestyle. Exercising has many benefits. Exercising can keep your mind, body, and soul healthy. This is useful when it comes to adding balance to your life. Exercising daily can also help boost your mood, which can help increase your overall productivity. When you are in a bad mood, it can become more challenging to focus on your work. Exercising daily can also provide more structure to your day and help you develop a productive schedule. It can help add balance, routine, structure, and productivity to your life.

Another practice that can support balance in your life is meditation. Meditation can help people balance their mental and physical states. Having a mental balance when wanting to be productive is crucial. It would be best to be in a good headspace to be effective. It makes the process much easier and even enjoyable. Having scheduled meditation many days a week can help relieve stress and increase your overall productivity. Meditation can be implemented into any lifestyle because it is not restrictive. Meditation can be modified to any form or length that works best for you. It acts as a viable option for adding balance and improving productivity.

Another way to lead a balanced life is to maintain a balanced diet. This is not to say you have to get onto a difficult diet but instead make healthier choices when deciding what to fuel your body with. When your body is properly fueled, it becomes easier to focus and be productive on other things in your life. When you are hungry, it can be challenging to focus. But if you do not put food into your body that will fuel you correctly, you can also feel sluggish and find it hard to be productive. To prevent feeling sluggish, it is vital that you are consuming a balanced diet. To avoid being hungry, you need to be eating the right foods for your body as well as keeping healthy snacks nearby for when you need them. It is also essential to stay hydrated! A balanced diet can help you live a balanced life which can increase your overall productivity.

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Productivity for Two

Can studying with a friend help you be more productive? This answer will vary by person but generally speaking, working with a friend has the potential of benefits. Speaking from personal experience, I have found that studying with a friend has benefitted me greatly as well as made my course load less stressful. Based off of my personal experience, I would recommend working with a friend, but there are potential downsides you should be aware of.

My favorite aspect about studying with a reliable friend is that studying becomes more enjoyable. Studying with a friend allows for more enjoyable work time and breaks. Work time can become more enjoyable by having someone to consult occasionally about issues or questions within your work that they may have the answer to. Also, studying with your friend means you get to have study breaks with your friend. Personally, I found being with my friend during a break made it more enjoyable and encouraged me to work harder and more efficiently when studying so I could have a break. Overall, this prompted me to be more productive with my time.

Another benefit of studying with a friend is encouraging one another to stay on task and motivated. I will sometimes even do this over text with a friend. You can set goals for yourself and then keep each other accountable throughout the process. Just the other day, I told my friend I was going to complete five assignments before I went to sleep. About every hour, my friend checked in with me to see where I was with that goal. Knowing that my friend knew what I had to get done before quitting greatly motivated me to get it done. It was so effective that I ended up completing nine assignments that night! With each update I gave my friend, she provided me with words of encouragement and helped me stay motivated and productive! You do not even need to be physically with your friend to receive this benefit, but just keep each other updated and inspired. This is a fantastic option if you want to stay motivated and productive.

There can be conflicts and distractions when studying with a friend, so it is essential to pick someone who will respect and help you achieve your goals. A common mistake is studying or working with a friend who does not care very much about their work. If they do not respect their own work, there is a good chance they will not respect yours. Or if you know you can't focus when you are with a particular friend you should probably not study or work with them. You need to make sure you are selecting a friend that has your best interest in mind as well as someone who can motivate you and help you stay focused. If you make sure to take these factors into consideration there is a good chance you will have a productive and more enjoyable work experience when working with a friend!

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Self-Discipline & Productivity

The importance of self-discipline when it comes to being productive is imperative. Without it, drive and productivity start to drift into a growth less darkness. If you want to reach your full potential and goals, it is essential to stay productive, and without discipline and being able to hold yourself accountable, you will not reach them. You may not even be aware of your lack of self-discipline at times. You must look out for these certain habits and thoughts to maintain self-discipline and productivity.

Starting out, make sure your reasons are right. If your only reason for reaching a goal is because it sounds good or looks good, you will not make it through when it gets complicated. If you are not genuinely passionate about a goal, you will give up the minute it gets difficult. This is because you will not have the passion to fuel your drive to stay productive and making progress towards your goal. Not only will this waste your time, but it will also reduce your confidence in your ability to reach your goals. Going after a goal for the wrong reasons can lead to disappointment and discouragement, ultimately resulting in a productivity setback.

A method that can be used to grow self-discipline is the use of small daily promises. What I mean by this is to promise yourself you will do something small each day and stick to it. There will be days where this small task feels harder than climbing Mount Everest, and the completion of it daily, without excuses, will help build your self-discipline. As you increase your self-discipline, you will find yourself being able to complete daunting tasks without flinching. This is an easy method that can be implemented into your life in any way you'd like because it is so versatile. Growing this strength will not only lead to an increase in productivity but also assist you in personal growth!

Did you know that you're a liar? Yep, that's right! You lie! Everyone has lied in their life at least once before. But did you know it is most common to be lying to yourself? This habit can be detrimental to your self-discipline! Often when we do not want to do something or want to procrastinate, our brains will rationalize our irrational actions. We know deep down that these thoughts are wrong and self-destructive, but we know ourselves the best, so we are good at manipulating ourselves. To break this habit, you need to start recognizing when you begin to convince yourself why an irrational idea isn't that bad. When you are actively aware of this concept, it is easy and eye opening to see how many times you try to deceive yourself into not working towards a goal or task because of the workload you'd have to endure. Being able to recognize this form of self-destruction allows for the growth of self-discipline and productivity in your work!

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Rewarding Yourself

You need to start treating yourself! You have to start rewarding yourself for being productive and completing your goals and tasks. I will get more into the logistics of this concept in the next paragraph but what do you have to lose? You already have to or want to complete your tasks and goals, why not reward yourself along the way and make it more enjoyable? Giving yourself treats for completing your work is a useful method to stay motivated and productive.

The science behind rewarding yourself is quite simple. Rewarding yourself tricks your brain into getting a rush of dopamine each time you complete a task. When you treat yourself in some way after completing a task or goal, it creates a connection in your brain between completion of work and happiness. This results in your brain craving the reward and can help you stay motivated to complete your work. If you are completing work only to look forward to more work, it can be challenging to motivate yourself. When you are completing tasks for a little reward, it becomes much easier to motivate yourself to do your work.

Your reward can be anything you'd like. You could reward yourself with a piece of chocolate after completing a task or your favorite snack! Don't worry if this isn't your thing; rewards do not have to be food-based. You could reward yourself with time on social media or an episode of your favorite television show. If you want to get active with it, you can reward yourself with some time outdoors. This can be a great option when the weather allows because you are refreshing your brain and body in nature. If you have a pet, you can reward yourself and your pet with quality time, whether that is throwing a ball or cuddling! The options are endless for what your reward can be. You just need to find what reward motivates you! Not only does rewarding yourself make your work more enjoyable, it can also make you more productive overall!

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Daily Distractions You Need to Start Avoiding

              Oo, look, a squirrel! Do you ever feel like a dog who is constantly getting distracted from your work because of the ‘squirrels’ in your life? You’re not alone. There are a ton of things in our daily lives that pull at our attention, sometimes without us even realizing it. There are times and places for these common distractions, but the time for being productive is not one of those places. Here are some common distractors that are essential to avoid if you want to maintain your productivity.

      A more so obvious distractor most are aware of is smartphones. For many, our smartphones go everywhere we go and are attached at our hips or to our hands. On average, it is said that Americans spend about 5.4 hours on their phone. It is essential to make sure the amount of time spent on your smartphone does not diminish your productivity while working on something. One of my earlier posts, called "Apps for Success," contains information and suggestions on different apps smartphone users can utilize to reduce their distractions from their phones. If you don't want to download those apps, there is always another option that I find to be incredibly useful. When I want to minimize the potential distraction from my smartphone when doing school work, I will put my phone in a completely different room from the one I am currently studying in. This technique plays on the concept of out of sight, out of mind. When I do not have my phone near me, I am not distracted by new notifications or have the urge to check it randomly. No matter what technique is used, it is vital to recognize the damage your smartphone can have on your productivity.

    An important thing to consider when trying to be productive is your workspace. A cluttered room means a cluttered mind or something along those lines. It is the idea that it is essential to have a clean and organized workspace in order to be the most productive and stay focused. An example of how a messy workspace could be destructive is if you have papers all over your desk, you may be tempted to look at those or mess with them instead of focusing on your work you need to complete. I am a strong advocate when it comes to keeping desks organized. At the end of each of my study days, I will put away my materials in their designated spots and clear off my desk for the next day. Occasionally, I will leave my planner and plan for the next day out on the middle of my desk to get started right away when I sit down the following day. It can also be stressful to see a mess on your desk when trying to get started on your work. The stress can even be discouraging and make starting your tasks a more challenging thing to accomplish or approach. Starting with a clean and organized workspace can help provide an easier transition into your work for the day as well as minimize possible distractors, which ultimately helps you have a more productive day.

     Noise! Noise can be a colossal distractor, but it can also be beneficial to some in terms of focusing. This topic varies by person and preference. Some people need background noise to stay focused, while others need complete silence. It is good to know in what setting you concentrate best in terms of noise levels. If you are working in a noisy environment, a good option is to use noise-canceling headphones if you have them and play study music. There are a ton of study playlists people have created that you can pick from on platforms such as Spotify or YouTube. If you prefer complete silence when working, it is good to visit your local library and study there. If your household is not noisy, you can always work in a room away from the television or other appliances that may distract you with noise. If you do prefer some noise, you could try studying at a coffee shop and bring along headphones in case someone is talking too loudly for your liking. Considering noise levels and adjusting your location or tools to meet your preferences will help you eliminate distractions and get into the zone to be productive.

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Apps For Success

        Staying focused is a huge part of being productive with your time. Especially today, we have a million different distractions pulling us and taunting us away from the tasks at hand. Every time you take the time to look at that notification that just popped up on your phone or screen, you are taking time away from your work and ultimately result in a less productive work time. Because it is so crucial to stay focused while working, I will be covering different apps that will assist you with staying productive and distraction-free!

             An app that will specifically help you if you find yourself constantly getting distracted by your phone is Forest. Forest is an app where you set a timer for how long you want to stay focused and you plant a seed and grow a tree. This tree is virtual and if you exit the app before the timer is up your tree will die. During the time set, your tree will grow while you stay focused. Forest also partnered directly with Trees of the Future, which allows you to fund the planting of real trees with the points you earn by staying on track. Once the user reaches enough points from growing their virtual trees, they can spend them on funding the planting of a real tree. Forest allows the user to help the environment and themselves by staying distraction-free while working on a task.

     If you are addicted to Instagram, Snapchat, or just the internet in general, a good app to use to prevent the use of them is Freedom. Freedom is an app that allows the users to block distracting and time-sucking websites to prevent the use of them while trying to be productive or to just spend less time on them overall. If this isn’t enough, Freedom allows you to block all access to the internet for those who cannot seem to stay off of it. It is a customizable app that lets people choose specific apps or websites to be blocked off. Users can say goodbye to mindlessly scrolling through Instagram feed instead of writing that paper that is due tomorrow. 

      If the other more so complex or fancy apps aren’t your speed you can always turn to the timer app on your phone. Most phones come with this app already installed, but if not there are plenty of timers on the app store like mentioned above. With the timer app, you can set a 20-minute timer on your phone to help you stay focused during that specific amount of time. Then you can allow yourself a five-minute break after completing the 20 minutes of focusing on your tasks or work. You can adjust these times if you feel you can focus for longer than the 20 minutes or if you feel 15 minutes is all you can manage. Either way, despite personal adjustments, this method can be extremely useful when trying to stay focused. I personally utilize the timer app on my phone and find it to help me break up my work and be the most productive with my time.