The Complete List of Productivity Dos and Don'ts

One of the most common tasks people are trying to achieve more productivity. Whether you're an entrepreneur, student, or office worker, here are some tips for ensuring your workload goes as smoothly as possible. 

Dos

1. Plan and keep it simple

Real-life situations are more complex. However, if you can build a plan of action that is clear and easily understood by others, you'll have a huge advantage over less organised people.

2. Take regular breaks – but don't daydream!

When we're focused on a task, it's easy to forget to take breaks. However, this can lead to long periods of continuous work without a break, likely leaving you frustrated and drained.

3. Make use of your own time

If you're a manager at work or studying at university, there's no need to fill your time with every possible task. Instead, you should be able to prioritise the most important tasks and leave the other things for someone else to do.

4. Take some risks

The biggest challenge for many people is to try something completely new. However, the content you're learning from a book or tutorial can lead to enormous enjoyment and a successful learning experience. So do not be afraid to take the difficult path!

5. Always do two things at once!

Many tasks only need one hand, but it's often easier to perform them simultaneously with two. So whether you're watching TV or browsing online, you can still work on a project without affecting your resting time.

6. Set your own pace

There is no need to rush through a project. If it takes you longer to finish something, that's fine! It will just mean creating a slower pace for yourself. 

Don'ts 

1. Be without work

In a world of opportunities, being inactive is not acceptable. So even if you don't have any work to do, you should always be looking for something to work on.

2. Never think "should."

If you feel that everything is in place for your next big project, then forget about it and move on to something else. You will never be able to finish your current project by constantly thinking about the "should" factor.

3. Leave your phone on the table

You may feel you're "multi-tasking" by doing two things at once, but the fact is that your ability to concentrate on both tasks at once is much lower than normal. So if you need to use your phone during working hours, it should be kept somewhere out of sight.

4. Don't over-estimate yourself

You may feel that you'll complete specific tasks in no time, but no matter how good a job you do, the project will still take longer than you think.

5. Don't plan more than 5 days ahead

This is particularly true regarding domestic chores, such as washing the dishes or cleaning your room. Even if you have a well-thought-out plan, don't expect to be able to complete everything in time.

6. Don't say no to ideas

If you've got a great idea, remember it! If the idea is irrelevant to your work or studies, it might not be worth pursuing. But if it can be helpful to someone else, then a good idea may be one of the most valuable things in your life.

7. Don't work

Be aware of the fact that avoiding work is easier than you think. If a friend invites you to go to a cafe or cinema, turn the invitation down and do something productive instead. You'll be surprised by how much more efficient this can make you!

8. Don't try to finish everything

If you have a project that is taking longer than initially planned, continue working on it. Instead, keep going and take things to step by step. However, don't turn the project into a marathon for yourself and expect to get everything done in one go.

9. Don't rush while you work

Even if you are working on a very important task, moving as fast as possible is unnecessary. This will only create high-stress levels and, as a result, make the project take longer than needed.

10. Take care of your body and mind

You are what you eat, and you are what you think! Simply put – take care of your body and mind; they need rest just as much as your work.

For more advice on productivity and time management, check more in my blog. In addition, I wrote some other posts concerning these subjects. I love to read them when I feel the need.

Here are a few extras that didn't fit anywhere else:

1. Set an alarm to focus all your attention on the project for 15 minutes (or whatever is needed) before the interruption. You can then choose whether or not to continue once you're back in the project.

2. Don't try to be perfect – Perfectionism is often a cause of procrastination and wasting time and energy. To be efficient and effective with your time, work with the resources before you, and don't try to achieve perfection.

3. Don't get too stressed – not only will worry put you off your job, but it can also leave you drained physically. If you're feeling under pressure, take a break and refresh yourself by having a nice bath or walking around outside for a while – this will help relieve your stress and positively affect your mental well-being.

As you can see, there are more Don'ts than Do's because we, as human beings, do more of what we shouldn't than we should.

I hope this blog post was helpful to you, and I will see you next week.