Productivity has always been a major issue. In a world where everything is moving faster and faster, this is even more true today. Thus, everyone is looking to increase their productivity on a daily basis. The goal is to be more efficient in a minimum of time in order to be able to do more things or, and this is my advice, to have more time for yourself.

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Having more time for yourself is essential because, whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur, doing too much without ever resting undoubtedly leads to burnout. It is therefore better to give priority to productivity and to allow yourself rest periods. It’s the secret recipe for achieving great things in life.

To help you drastically increase your productivity, I suggest 6 great habits to adopt now.

1. Take Notes

“Always carry a notebook. Write everything down. When you have an idea, write it down. When you meet someone new, write down everything you know about them. That way, you will know how much time they are worth. When you hear something interesting, write it down. Writing it down will make you act upon it. If you don’t write it down you will forget it. That is a million-dollar lesson they don’t teach you in business school!” — Aristotle Onassis

This quote comes from merchant navy tycoon Aristotle Onassis. The founder of Virgin Richard Branson also has a habit of always carrying a small notebook with him too.

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Taking notes helps to clear your mind. Indeed, it often happens that you have excellent ideas but you will be afraid to forget them which will clutter your thoughts. In addition to the fact that you may forget some of your best ideas, you will be much less productive with a disturbed mind. Indeed, to work well and quickly, you need to be able to concentrate fully on a single task.

So, a simple notebook is your best ally to maximize your productivity. Try it and you’ll see the difference right away!

2. Break Down Your Objectives Into Elementary Tasks

You have undoubtedly already heard the following maxim:

“Rome wasn’t built in a day”

That’s very true! So, to achieve great things, you have to go back to the basics. Break down your objectives into basic tasks. Move forward step by step and you will surely achieve your objectives.

Breaking down goals into small tasks makes the path to success easier. Indeed, you will be able to celebrate small victories as you progress. This will only strengthen your motivation to keep moving forward.

This motivation will allow you to remain efficient and therefore productive over time. To help you break down your objectives into elementary tasks, you can get closer to David Allen’s Getting Things Done method, for example. He is a master in the art of productivity.

3. Prepare A List Of 5 Tasks For The Next Day

Once you have gotten into the habit of taking notes, take 10 minutes each night before you finish your day to write on your notebook the 5 tasks that you absolutely must complete the next day. Even better, you must classify these tasks from the most toughest to the simplest.

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Doing so will have two major advantages. The first is that you will clear your mind at night before going to sleep. This is essential because it will allow you to get a good night’s rest. This way, you will be able to fully recharge your batteries. The second advantage is that you will not waste time in the morning at the beginning of your work day selecting the task you need to perform first.

It would be a shame to waste energy when your productivity is potentially at its maximum.

4. Start Your Day With Your Toughest Task

You have therefore decided to prepare a list of the 5 tasks to be accomplished for the next day. This is an excellent decision! Indeed, once you wake up, you won’t waste time thinking about what to start your work day with. The decision has already been made the day before and you only have to start the first task on your list.

This task also happens to be the hardest you will have to do in your day because you have been careful to classify your tasks by decreasing level of complexity. This way, you will start your day with the most difficult task at the very moment when your energy and concentration level is at its highest. So it’s excellent for your productivity.

Always starting your day with your most complex task will allow you to achieve better results and increase your productivity.

5. Create A Routine For Yourself

In his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”, Charles Duhigg explains very well how small habits can make a big difference in everyone’s life. In order to increase your productivity, you must therefore absolutely discover the power of habits. Thus, you must build a routine of great habits. By doing so, you will gradually increase your productivity without even realizing it.

In the end, you will be a winner because you will achieve more in less time. In fact, you will have more time to devote to the essential things in life: you and your loved ones!

6. Tell Stop To Distractions

You don’t need to be a genius to understand that every time you interrupt a task to view a notification from your precious smartphone, you lose a lot of productivity. Some people like to think that they can be productive while performing many tasks at once. However, this is a mistake. Every time you interrupt to use your smartphone, you lose precious minutes to regain your concentration level.

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In order to increase your productivity, you must stop all sources of distractions. Silence is your best ally to stay focused and accomplish great things!

The best solution is to reserve specific time slots in your working day on which you will grant yourself the right to consult your smartphone. You can book a slot in the late morning and a second slot in the middle of your working afternoon.

By changing your behaviour with removing distractions such as smartphones or the Internet, your productivity will be boosted immediately.

Conclusion

Productivity is a subject that fascinates tens of thousands of people. However, it should not be an obsession because with a few great habits, it can be quickly increased to move up a gear.

The 6 great habits I have presented to you in this article will undoubtedly help you to maximize your daily productivity. So there is only one thing left for you to do: take action by putting them into practice as soon as possible!