Do you feel like you are super busy all the time, but your productivity has never been lower? If you want to solve this issue, see results instead of procrastination and get more productive then these productivity tips will help you.
13 Productivity Hacks To Get Stuff Done
#1 REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
The easiest step to stop wasting your time is by removing distractions. Declutter your workspace, put your phone away and turn off the notifications. If you are not sure about your own distractions you can write a list over the next few days. Find out which things distract you the most and remove them afterwards.
#2 PLAN AHEAD
If you write yourself a to-do list or you plan your day ahead you will be more likely to actually do your tasks. So prepare yourself a little plan in the evening and I promise you in the next morning you will be way more productive when you start your day with a clear plan than you would be without it. I mean, who is ready to face their tasks, when you don´t even know where to start, right?
#3 TINY TASKS
Breaking big to-dos down into little tasks helps a lot to make the starting moment easier. For example, writing a whole uni essay doesn´t sound much fun, but if you know that you just research books that you could read about the topic it´s not too hard. It will take you just a few minutes and afterwards you might feel motivated enough to even structure the chapters of your essay. If your break down your tasks into little pieces you´ll be surprised how motivating it is to get them done. And checking 10 to-do´s per day feels way better than working for a week on just one big essay task. That way you see your progress and might even feel motivated to finish earlier.
#4 TIME BATCHING
If you have your to-do list ready and split it into tiny tasks, then have a look, at which ones belong in the same category. Look for similar tasks for example all the phone calls you have to do in the upcoming week or all the appointments you have to make and write them down in one category. Schedule one time batch in your calendar, where you do all these calls. That way you don´t have to motivate yourself over and over again to make a call. And believe this trick helped me so much, cause there isn`t anything more annoying to me than making calls. But when I`m already over with the first one, I don`t mind doing a couple more.
So task batching is definitely a good thing, but I would recommend you to not make the groups too big. To make you feel most motivated to start a time batched task it should take 20 to 30 mins maximum. With calls, for example, it would be max. 5 calls, cause if you look at your to-do-list and see that there are 12 calls waiting for you the time batching won`t help you and make you procrastinate instead. If you have too many things of the same category just open a second time batch a couple of days later, instead of overloading one.
#5 SET A TIMER
The next tips go together with the tiny tasks and the time batching. If you have your to-do-list ready than set yourself a timer. This motivating technique is called the pomodoro method and it advises you to break down your tasks into 25-minute blocks. Between each block, you will get a 5 to 10-minute break and after a few productive blocks, you get a 15 to 30 minutes break.
A typical pomodoro session looks like this:
- 4 x 25 minute pomodoros blocks
- 5 to 10-minute short breaks in between
- 15 to 30-minute long break at the end
The technique helps you to have an easier start, as it doesn´t sound as bad to just sit down for 25 minutes to do something. And if you want to stop afterward the first 25 block, that´s totally okay. I´m telling myself pretty often that I have to just try for 25 minutes and if I want to stop afterwards it´s alright because I did at least a little bit. But the thing is once I´ve actually started, I am so into my project that I don´t want to stop anymore. So if you want to have an easier start and stay more focused then try this method.
#6 USE YOUR TIME WISELY
Sometimes you have to spend your time on meetings, calls or other things that take way more of your time than you want. But you can actually win a lot of time when you set a time for those tasks as well. For example cut meetings down to 30 minutes, most of the time that is absolutely enough to talk about a topic. And if you have a phone call I recommend you to put a timer on, that makes a loud sound. So if you are already talking for 20 minutes, but the other person is just repeating himself and you need a polite way to stop the talk, then this will help you a lot. As the other one will hear your timer as well, you have an easy and nice way out of the talk.
#7 LEARN TO SAY NO
We all know this and yet we spend our time doing stuff that we neither enjoy nor does it help us with our own goals. Of course, it is always good to help other people and I personally like to do that a lot. If you help a friend, attend an event or celebration party or just say yes to a great opportunity you should obviously do it as long as you enjoy your time. But the thing is, when these things just make you feel bad and while you are there you wish you could escape, because you really need to do something else instead, then please say no. For your own sanity. Just do it in a respectful way and the more you get used to it, the easier it gets.
#8 PRIORITIZE
This means not only that you should prioritize your main tasks of the day (the 3 most important tasks that you want to get done on that day), but also that you have to prioritize in your life. If you are only spending your time doing things for others (your boss, your family, your friends, your partner etc.) you shouldn´t be surprised, when you lose your energy after a while. It is important to look after yourself and sometimes you have to make the decision to better spend a Friday night at home just with yourself, instead of going to a party again, because you need some rest time. Prioritize smartly and you will be more energized and motivated to face your tasks.
#9 BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC
You might think that you are absolutely capable of writing a to-do-list and maybe you are, but writing it doesn´t automatically mean that you can work well with it afterwards. The better your to-do list looks like the easier it will be for you to work with it. So rule number one is to make your tasks as clear and specific as possible. Instead of „doing exercise“ better write down for how long, when and where you want to do it.
For example: „going to the gym directly after work for an hour“ or „doing the yoga video of person x in the morning“. The more specific you are the easier it will be to actually do it, cause your brain is already used to the thought of it. And when your write down the 3 most important things of the day, prioritize them by importance. Start with number one and really focus on that one task. Don´t multitask ´cause it doesn´t improve your productivity and you will just feel overwhelmed quickly. But you want to be the most productive version of yourself so you better concentrate fully on that task. In your break afterwards, you can do whatever you want to do and enjoy it fully without a guilty conscience.
#10 CREATE ROUTINES
By creating routines you can increase your productivity a lot. Your mind will not tell you to procrastinate as it´s used to the task already and expects it to happen. So if you have a big goal try to make it a habit. For example, when you want to write a book, set a time when you will always sit down to write. Like 30 minutes in the morning before you start your day. The first times it might feel weird and new, but after a while, it will become a routine and you will be reaching your goals.
#11 BETTER DONE THAN PERFECT
This is the most important lesson I had to learn in the last months. Instead of wasting your time with unrealistic expectations rather finish a thing. Better concentrate on the progress that you are making and not so much on how great or perfect your result is. It is alright, sure it could get better, with more time. But if you work on it over and over and never finish it, then it´s not really better than not starting at all. So don´t be so hard to yourself and let yourself finish it. It´s alright, and done is way better than perfect.
#12 TAKE A BREAK
Accept that some days will be less productive than others. You might sit down, but you can´t concentrate properly and that is totally okay. Don´t fight it, better give yourself the rest that you deserve and need. If you will fight your mood and try to be productive anyway, you might just create a big blockade and even though you will sit for hours on your to-do list, you will not get it done anyway. Better give yourself the time you need right now and tomorrow you will feel more energized again. Taking a break and time for yourself is also productive, cause you take care of yourself and that is the most important thing you can do.
Something that could help you on a bad day is writing down your fears. Pretty often when you want to procrastinate there is an actual reason for it. Find out why you don´t want to do something. Maybe you like writing, but are actually scared of being successful with it, ´cause that would mean that you have to quit your full-time job, which you also like. You might be afraid of the unknown and your own potential scares you.
There can be one hundred things that could stop you. Finding out which they are, can help you understand why your brain is stopping you from doing your tasks. Self-doubt is one of the biggest productivity killers, but you already learned you don´t have to be perfect right from the beginning. Just try to be better than last month. Or the year before. Look at all the progress you already made and concentrate on that instead of the big goal in front of you.
So these are my 13 tips for more clearance and better productivity. Now I would like to know what are your productivity helpers: do you listen to some music? Do you work with treats or have another great tip that I could learn from?
Have a great and productive day,

99 comments
Yes to all of these!!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
Thanks Jen!!! <3
I think that creating routines is so underrated in the grand scheme of things. I definitely need to try and get back into some routine!
https://wandering-everywhere.com/new-york-photo-diary/
Hi Amy I totally agree with you! Routines can be really helpful and we underestimate them too much in my opinion
these are such great tips! I really want to get better at time batching!
Oh thanks Biana!! 🙂
Hope the tips helped you
I’ve really had a lot of success time batching different tasks myself. It helps me make sure I am staying focused and I’ve found that I tend to waste less time when I give myself a specific amount of time to complete a task.
Hi Heidi,
it`s the same for me! 🙂
I don’t feel like I can adequately comment on this post, I just loved every single point you made! All of it is SO good and so very helpful. You are spot on, as always, Tiziana! 🙂
Make Life Marvelous
Haha thanks Ashley!! You are the sweetest <3
Liebe Tiziana, was für ein wunderbarer und wichtiger Beitrag. Ich denke, manche der Punkte sind uns sicher prinzipiell bewusst, aber es ist einfach viel einprägender sie einmal so wunderbar gesammelt vor sich zu sehen und dann sie vielleicht auch wirklich mal nach und nach explizit umzusetzen. So ist bereits dein erster Punkt sehr wesentlich und ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass manche gar nicht merken, wie viel Ablenkung sich rund um sie befindet und wie sehr sich davon unbeabsichtigt einnehmen lassen. Aber auch das Nein-Sagen ist so ein Thema, das wohl sehr viele betrifft und dass uns natürlich auch unmittelbar mal an unserer Arbeit oder auch an unserem Wohlbefinden hindert – wie du angeführt hast, ist hier natürlich nicht die allgemeine Rücksichtnahme und Hilfsbereitschaft, sondern wenn wir uns eher überfordert und vielleicht sogar ausgenutzt fühlen. Vielen Dank für diese Anregungen.
Hab einen wunderbaren Tag und alles Liebe
Liebe Gesa, danke für dein liebes Feedback. Deine Kommentare sind wirklich immer eine Freude zu lesen 🙂
So many great informations here! Thanks for sharing.
Infinitely Posh
Thank you so much for your nice comment!
Das sind klasse Tipps, danke! Ich versuche grundsätzlich nichts zu Verschieben, und vor allem die Aufgaben die erst mal nicht so cool aussehen, gleich zu erledigen 🙂
Liebe Grüße, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Danke liebe Rena, das ist ein guter Tipp: Unliebsame Aufgaben gleich erledigen!
Hello Tiziana, first of all hope you’re doing good and thanks for taking the time to leave feedback in my latest blog post.
I’m pinning this blog post right now since I’m always looking for this kind of motivation. These tips are really good and really down to earth, actually nothing impossible, because sometimes I find a lot of content with productivity routines but made by CEOs of big corporations or rich bloggers, so the most important part is to adapt those tips to a feasible lifestyle.
I loved that you’re listing a lot of useful proposals…. I noticed that more or less we’re following the same routine. I used pomodoro blocks too and installed the app on Google Chrome , also routines, learn to say no and small tasks are great proposals!
Do you save some time for the unexpected tasks or those that pop out of nothing? I try to plan ahead, but there are some unexpected things that happen from time to time!
Best and keep safe!
These tips are very helpful. One of these days I will set a timer on my tasks, thank you for giving the idea. That seems to be a very effective one to get my workload organized.
Kudos to you and looking forward to more posts like this!
Ann | http://www.annchoi.me
Hi Ann oh it makes me so happy to read that I inspired you to try out a new productivity hack 🙂
Hello Pablo
oh thank you so much for your sweet comment!
I haven`t planned in a time spot for unexpected tasks so far but that is a brilliant idea!
Progress not perfection is something I strive for, and time batching is such a good idea – some great tips here, thank you for sharing 🙂
Thanks Lisa! The saying of progress not perfection was on my phone screen for half a year to motivate me! 🙂
This is so good. I’m finally learning to give up the idea of perfect, and just go with it.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Progress over perfection!! Totally agree with you 🙂
Ah this post came at the perfect time I have been feeling sluggish and unproductive though have a lot of stresses in my life but yes implementing a few of these strategies will totally help. Thanks for posting and love your desk BTW.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Thanks Allie, every now and than it helps to remind yourself about some procutivity hacks. Even though we know most of them, we forgot living after them so often – especially I do haha 🙂
Yes to all of these tips! I need to try setting a timer.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks Kathrine!! Always appreciate your nice comments 🙂
omg I needed this so bad!!! thanks for sharing your tips and hacks! loved this post !
JadieeGosh
Thanks so so much Jade!!
What great tips and ideas! I can definitely use some of them in my work and in blogging as well. For me, procrastination is the biggest huddle so „just doing it when it comes to my mind“ seems to help. I also take breaks in between whenever I can.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Thanks Lena for your nice comment. Breaks are really important, you are totally right 🙂
I like that…creating tiny tasks and getting them done one by one. Also, having a break somewhere in between.
http://www.fashionradi.com
Hi Radi always good to get some productivity boost 🙂
These are all great tips to abide by. Especially during uncertain covid times…the point about priority and time management is truuuuth!
Have a lovely Sunday, Xo
Oh yes!! Thanks gorgeous 🙂
Amazing tips here.
I tend to get distracted really easily so it may be really useful to put my phone away for some times.
But having a routine helps me a lot to be more productive and I also love to night before a new day to think about everything I want to be done.
xx
Margot
https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com
Hi Margot planning the day ahead can really increase your motivation and productivity 🙂
Priorisieren ist total wichtig für mich! Ich warte allzu gerne bis zum letzten Moment und dann wirds sehr hektisch. Liebste Grüsse
xx Simone
Little Glittery Box
Oh ja das kenne ich nur zu gut! 🙂
Mit ein bisschen Planung läuft das Leben viel entspannter
I love these tips. Time management and completing tiny tasks always make me feel productive.
https://www.comfycozyup.com
Me too!! 🙂
Totally agree, dear. I like your style!
xx
Mónica Sors
MES VOYAGES À PARIS
NEW POST: ZEBRA PRINT DRESS
Thanks so much!
Planning ahead is one of the most, if not the most important thing for me to be productive. I write down everything I want to achieve that day; sometimes I even plan for the week.
I then prioritise and I always get it done! Planning gives me an idea what I have to achieve for that week. I then have a mental guide of what I need to do.
Love this post as its educational and apt!
xxxx
https://ooomaye.com
So true! I also like splitting tasks in little tasks a lot. If you start little you will see your progress better 🙂
Ooo I’ve never heard about the pomodoro technique, but it sounds so interesting! I’m going to give it a try this week!
https://sundaydahlias.com
Go and try it!! 🙂
I agree, creating routines and prioritizing have been so useful for me. Thanks for sharing these great tips. 🙂
Thanks for your sweet comment! 🙂
Great tips 🙂
Thanks Kinga!! 🙂
Such great tips, babe! I love being productive, so this post is totally up my alley. 🙂
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Amazing Ashley! 🙂
These are all wonderful tips
Thanks lovely!!
These are all great tips!
Thank you for sharing them!
Minimalist Jewelry | No Piercing Ear Cuffs
Thanks you so so much!
So many very much needed tips here, Tiziana! I really need to get better at prioritizing and planning ahead. Thanks for sharing this xx
Naya
http://www.nayatilly.com
Oh Naya you are always the kindest!
So many great tips, thanks for sharing!
Oh so sweet of you!
This is an inclusive list. I need to learn more about the Pomodoro method. Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
It’s such a great method!
These are all such great tips! I love the idea of setting a timer!
It can really help to keep you concentrated 🙂
Guten Morgen Tiziana, diese Tipps sind super, ein paar setze ich auch schon um. Doch bei anderen denke ich immer, es geht auch ohne – mal mehr und mal weniger. Auf jeden Fall sollte man sich nicht verzetteln, daher ist eine Priorisierung unerlässlich, meines Erachtens. Ich wünsche Dir ein schönes Wochenende. Liebe Grüße Jana
Nicht verzetteln trifft es so gut! 🙂
Hi Tiziana,
super Tipps, danke dir dafür! Vor allem „Nein“ sagen und den Perfektionismus hinter mir lassen ist etwas, was ich noch lernen darf – aber ich glaube, ich bin auf einem guten Weg 🙂 Jedenfalls ist der Beitrag ein toller Reminder, nochmal daran zu arbeiten!
Liebe Grüße!
Hallo Vanessa, das freut mich und mir geht es da ganz ähnlich 🙂
Thank you for sharing these great tips! I need to learn to say ‚No‘ and I’m definitely going to try the „Pomodoro“ technique.
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Great choice!! 🙂
Liebe Tiziana, ein wirklich toller und hilfreicher Beitrag mit vielen tollen Tipps. Das Nein-Sagen ist bestimmt einer der schwersten, daran muss ich auch noch dringend arbeiten. Mir hilft es auch am meisten, wenn ich eine Routine habe, dann passieren die meisten Dinge wie ganz von alleine. Ich wünsche dir eine ganz wundervolle Wochenmitte und hab eine tolle Restwoche, alles, alles Liebe, x S.Mirli
https://www.mirlime.at
Danke meine liebe Mirli, ich habe vorhin erst deinen schönen Hamburg-Post gelesen 🙂
So tolle Tipps. Ein paar setze ich schon um und bei ein paar anderen war es echt toll nochmal daran erinnert zu werden.
Liebe Grüße
Laura von http://www.laurasjournal.de
Das geht mir ganz ähnlich! Eine kleine Erinnerung hilft einem oft dabei sich nochmal neu auf seine Ziele so fokussieren 🙂
Ich brauche auch definitiv meinen festgelegten Rhythmus aus Arbeite und Feierabend. Gerade dadurch, dass ich eh viel von zu Hause aus arbeite.
Und das Handy ist wohl echt die Ablenkung Nummer 1, wenn ich mich mal vor irgendwas drücken will… 😉
Das stimmt gerade wenn man von Zuhause aus arbeitet ist es so wichtig eine Routine zu haben 🙂
Great article!Set a timer is really important as I don’t like to delay my tasks too.
Thanks for sharing
♡————————————————————–♡
Fashion┊Lifestyle┊Japan ―https://happyesme.com/
So true 🙂
These are good tips! Prioritising to make the most of the time you have is so important 🙂
Hope that you have a nice weekend ahead of you 🙂
Thanks Mika wish you an awesome weekend too!
Interesting post, I will use your tips 🙂
Thanks so much that is so nice of you 🙂
Well I’m working on my productivity right now. I’m trying to do all these things, especially face my fears and set alarms (I’m using the Tomato method : basically be productive for 25 min and 5 of rest, using timers. and every 4 breaks do one of 15 min. It’s helping!)
I hope to increase my productivity, thanks for your tips btw!
xx Dasynka
http://dasynka.com
Thanks Dasynka yes the pomodoro method is really a key changer 🙂
Hallo Tiziana,
wertvolle Tipps, von denen ich einige regelmäßig umsetze. Feste Rituale habe ich hier nicht, ich schaue immer, was mir im Moment gerade gut tut.
Komm gut in die neue Woche, herzliche Grüße, Tati
Danke liebe Tati das klingt doch sehr gut! 🙂
Such a great post! Thanks for sharing!
xx- Nina
http://www.stylingwithnina.com/2020/10/hello-fall-2020.html
Thanks Nina! 🙂
The one thing I notice with me that you pointed out is perfection isn’t always realistic, and sometimes it’s best just to be done. I really think this is a great list, and I really like the tips here. Have a good week 🙂
Hi Tiffany, start little and don’t look for perfection! Those two sound so easy but they actually changed my way of working so much 🙂
So many great tips here! #11 is one I need to work on, it always causes me to procrastinate!
Eileen | yesmissy.com
Hi Eileen oh yes I also struggle the most with perfectionism! 🙂
Hi Tiziana, thank you for sharing! Great list for daily steps to continous self-improvement. #13 „face your fears“ is form me. Best, Semra | skinra.beauty
so many great tips, I definitely need to plan ahead a little more.
Thanks for sharing
You are s right! I literally get nothing done without a to-do list!
https://www.georginahart.co.uk/blog
Set clear goals: Define specific, measurable goals that you want to achieve. This will give you a clear direction and help you stay focused.