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Welcome to week two of Project: Purposeful Productivity! Last Monday we kicked off this new series by talking about goals (one of my most favorite topics!), and today I wanted to run down a list of oh-so-simple things you can start doing right now to be more productive. I think we often feel like we need to entirely overhaul our current schedule or routine in order to increase productivity, but I've found that many times a little tweak here and there can make a huge difference! The list below contains some little things I've tried that have really helped me make the very most of my time throughout the day.

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

1. Set goals.

After talking about the importance of goals last week, it's no surprise that this one tops the list! Goals help me stay focused and motivated. I make better use of my time because I have something that I'm working toward rather than just stumbling through my days and weeks aimlessly. I start with great big goals and then break them down by months, weeks, and days to make them more manageable. You can read about my entire goal setting process in this post.

2. Develop evening and morning routines.

I've found that building good habits is huge when it comes to productivity, and two of the key times this comes into play is at the beginning and end of the day. For me, a productive day starts the night before. When I take the time to get the house in order (clean up the kitchen, straighten up the main living areas, etc.) and make a plan for the next day, I'm ready to hit the ground running when my alarm goes off in the morning.

Similarly, I find that my day goes more smoothly when I start out with a solid morning routine. When I have a quiet time, work out, and have a good breakfast with the Cs first thing in the morning, I tend to be a lot more productive than on the days I lay in bed and look at my phone for way too long, then end up running late, skipping breakfast, and feeling sluggish for the rest of the day.

3. Go to bed early, and wake up early.

Guys, I totally used to think that this didn't matter. I was a night owl. I felt like I could be so productive in the evening because my kids were in bed and I had all sorts of time to myself. I would stay up until all hours of the night trying to get things finished, which usually meant that my stuff was done but I was absolutely exhausted the next day. Then a few months ago I decided to make a major switch. Instead of going to sleep at 12 or 1 am and dragging myself out of bed at 7 the next morning, I completely stopped working in the evening, went to bed by 9, and woke up at 5. I could not believe the difference it made!

At first, the thought of waking up at 5 sounded absolutely horrible to me. But when it all came down to it, I was actually getting more sleep and I had much, much more energy throughout the day to get things done.

4. Make a list.

This sounds overly simple, but I definitely I accomplish more in a day when I have a list vs. when I don't have one. Sometimes I do time blocking. (If you're not sure what that is, there is an explanation and a free printable to help you in this post.) Other times I just make a list on a piece of paper or in the notes app on my phone. Having a list of things you want to accomplish in a day can help tremendously because when you finish one task, you know exactly what you need to work on next. (I find that I am also less likely to forget things that I should be doing when I have a list!)

5. Do the dreaded task(s) first.

I've often heard this referred to as "eating that frog," thanks to this book. We all have those one or two things on our to-do list that we don't look forward to doing. When we "eat the frog" and get those tasks out of the way first, we don't spend all day procrastinating and looking for ways to avoid them. If we knock out the difficult items at the beginning of the day, it frees us up to do the more enjoyable tasks and ultimately accomplish more.

6. Try the 25/5 rule.

I've sometimes heard this referred to as the Pomodoro Technique, but basically you set a timer for 25 minutes and commit to focusing only on the task at hand for that period of time. No playing on your phone or being distracted by other things-- just 25 solid minutes of focused time. Then when the timer goes off, set it for five minutes and allow yourself to do whatever you want during that time.

I was surprised at how much I accomplished when I started using this little trick. I was more likely to stay focused during the 25 minutes because I knew I would have that 5 minutes of down time at the end of it. I also couldn't believe how quickly the 5 minutes of down time seemed to fly by, which probably means that when I thought I was spending 3-5 minutes looking at Facebook or Instagram, it was probably more like 15!

7. Have a designated place to capture your thoughts and ideas.

I don't know about you, but I am SO easily distracted! I will be working away at a project and all of the sudden I'll remember something else I have to do that day, so I'll drop project one, and head off to project two, which reminds me that I have a third thing I need to do too. Then at the end of the day I end up with 5 or 6 half-done projects and nothing completed! Instead of jumping from thing to thing, I've tried to designate a place to collect all of those to-dos and reminders (this can be in an app on your phone or in a paper planner-- just have one definite spot!) so that when I think of something, I can make a note of it, finish what I'm doing, and then come back to the other ideas later. Honestly, my scatterbrained self has really had to work at being intentional about this one, but when I do it consistently, it really is a big help.

8. Batch your tasks.

This one takes some thinking ahead, but I find I always accomplish more when I batch my tasks. Let's say I have three blog posts I need to write. Instead of tackling each one individually, I shop for supplies for all three at the same time. I make the projects for all three at the same time, photograph them at the same time, edit the photos all together, and then do my writing all at once. I am always amazed at how much time is lost when switching between tasks (it's more than we think-- we are so easily distracted!), and batching minimizes that and helps us to use our time wisely.

9. Delegate.

Anyone else suffer from superwoman (or superman) syndrome? <Raises both hands in the air.> I, admittedly, like to be in control of everything, so I figure if I do the tasks myself, I have the most control and they'll get done the way I want them to. The reality is, though, that there are many things that I do that could be done just as well (and often better!) by other people. Or sometimes it's not essential that it be done perfectly, and I just need to let go a little bit. There are plenty of things around the house that even the Cs (ages 4 & 6) could be responsible for. Sometimes Donnie and I need to reconfigure who does which tasks for the family depending on our schedules and abilities. Then there are those committees where we keep saying "Oh I can take care of that" when really we should be spreading out the responsibilities a little more. We don't have to do it all! Delegate!

10. Put "down time" on the calendar. In pen.

I know. You're probably thinking, "Abby! You even schedule your down time?! You are ridiculous!" I am ridiculous. For many reasons. But hear me out on this one. Sometimes I get so attached to my to-do list that I'm constantly "go go go" all the time, and that is a recipe for burnout if I've ever seen one. Putting down time on the schedule makes me stop and take a breather and get reenergized. It also keeps me from trying to multi-task too much. Writing a blog post while "spending time" with my family won't really result in much quality time with my loved ones or quality content for my blog. If I choose to put the work (and my phone!) away and really give all my attention to my family or even just kick back with a good book, I will come away feeling rejuvenated and ready to accomplish more with the rest of my time.

{photo by elle and arre photography}

Nothing on this list is rocket science. They're all easy little changes, but I know they've made a big difference for me when it comes to productivity! I should also say that I usually am not doing all 10 of these things super well all at the same time. We all go through different stages and phases of our lives, and some will be more helpful than others at various times. If you're looking to boost your productivity, I would choose one or two to work on, see how they work for you, and go from there. Productivity can definitely be a process, but if we're striving to be purposeful about how we spend our time, we will get there!

One of the things I've struggled with over the years is having one place where I can house my goals, my to do list, calendar, captured thoughts and ideas, etc. I've tried all different kinds of planners and apps, but none of them seemed to cover all of the bases in the way I'd hoped. I decided it was time to fix this problem, so I came up with a solution of my own. I am so thrilled to finally be able to spill the beans about our newest project... The Intentional Life Planner!

I have been wanting to do a planner for such a long time now, but life always seemed to get in the way. Not anymore! This goal-focused printable planner will be available on November 9th, 2015, just in time to get organized for the new year! It will include beautiful, colorful pages to help plan your months, weeks, and days, while always keeping your priorities at the forefront so that you can crush those goals in 2016. We will be sharing more details as release day nears, so keep an eye out for that!

What are your favorite productivity tips and tricks? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! Have a wonderful day!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.