Get shit done: 13 hacks to increase your productivity

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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.

#13 FACE YOUR FEARS

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,

Tiziana

Tiziana

Hi I´m glad you are here. I am Tiziana and share on this blog my travel adventures, talk about my love for novel writing and encourage you to go after your dream life.

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99 comments

  6. 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

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  9. 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!

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    2. 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!

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    1. 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 🙂

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  15. 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!

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  22. 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

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  33. 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

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  34. 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!

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  36. 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

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  38. 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… 😉

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  42. 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

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  43. 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

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  45. 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 🙂

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  51. Pingback: Time to say GOODBYE - Tiziana Olbrich

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