How Can I Be Productive All Day?

A strategy that includes creating routines, planning, setting goals, prioritizing tasks, learning time management techniques, getting enough sleep, and dedicating some time to self-care will help anyone have a productive day.

Nowadays, it doesn’t matter what you do for a living – whether you are a student, a professional, a stay-at-home mother, a freelancer, or a politician – everyone has lots of tasks to accomplish in a day and just 24 hours to tick them all. More often than not, it all becomes overwhelming, and we feel the need for a change.

Being productive means using your time effectively to make progress in all aspects of your life. 

In this post, we’ll give you tips to stay productive all day, and walk you through the steps you need to take. You’ll learn to plan out your day, create routines, create checklists, and set goals, as well as how to avoid distractions, prioritize tasks, and better harness your time. 

1. Create routines

Have a system for what to do in the morning, how to complete your duties throughout the day, and an evening routine. Having a structure in place guides decision-making and will eventually create a productive habit.

It has been scientifically proven that we can better concentrate in the morning, given that our energy levels are higher during the first part of the day. 

Morning people tend to be more agreeable, have better moods, are more conscientious and proactive, procrastinate less, and are more productive. 

That’s why it is important to create good morning habits. 

These should include: 

• Get up early. If you start your day early, you can get more things done. 
• Always eat breakfast. A healthy breakfast will help you focus on your tasks, remember more things, and perform better.
• Exercise or meditate. Something as simple as a 10-minute walk can help you feel more energetic. Physical exercise is good for your mental health and well-being as it raises your energy levels and makes you feel happier. 
• Read or write in the morning to sharpen your brain before actually getting to work.

But routines are necessary during the rest of the day too. 

Create a system for your working hours. It should involve taking regular breaks – a few minutes every hour to relax your brain and move your body will help you recharge. 

Evening routines are also important for productivity. Habits such as creating a to-do list for the next day, reading or meditating to de-stress, and keeping a consistent bedtime contribute to efficiency.

2. Learn organizational skills

With an organized schedule, you can fit more tasks in the same amount of time. Organizational skills include planning out your day, creating to-do lists, setting goals, and prioritizing tasks.

Plan out your day

Our advice is to start preparing for tomorrow this evening if you want a productive day. Before going to bed, set your clothes for the next day, make a to-do list and inform the people in your household about your plan so that they know how to help.

It’s also good to use your free time to plan your week, create a checklist, find new books to read, plan your meals, and set meetings.

However, always stay flexible, as unexpected things can occur, and you might need to be available to respond and act. 

Create to-do lists and set goals

When creating a to-do list, make sure it is realistic and doable.

For example, on days when you have bigger tasks to achieve that involve complex processes, like preparing for a presentation or writing a report, stick to a lower number. On the other hand, if you have regular tasks to complete, set 4 or 5 smaller goals for the day ahead. 

Regardless of the situation, try to stick to the “less-is-more” approach, set realistic goals, and focus on accomplishing critical things. 

Writing down your main goals for the day can help you prioritize, which leads us to our next point. 

Sometimes people don’t have a productive day because they simply can’t set priorities and don’t know where to start. They feel overwhelmed by the number of goals on their checklists. But there is a solution: prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency.

Prioritize tasks

All busy professionals have long lists of goals, but productive people stick to three or five main goals, and their daily tasks are created to advance these priorities.

It is also important to get the most important and challenging things done first, usually before noon when your brain is fresh. 

After you tick the boxes that matter on your to-do list, your stress levels decrease, and you manage to be productive the rest of the day. 

3. Limit distractions

Distractions truly dampen productivity. So, whether you work from home or at the office, always keep a clean and organized desk. And put away unnecessary files, notes, or devices because a messy atmosphere can easily kill efficiency.

Some people get easily distracted by background noise or blinking lights. In this case, working or studying in a library with your headphones on would be a good solution. 

Also, compulsively checking your emails or your phone is a common habit that can reduce productivity. 

Our advice is to set time slots throughout the day to read and answer emails and turn off notifications on your phone for apps you don’t need, such as social media accounts.

4. Learn time management techniques

Some things you can do to improve time management include:

• Set clear and achievable goals
• Create daily schedules
• Tackle pressing tasks first 
• Focus on one task at a time
• Learn to say “No” and delegate tasks
• Limit and avoid distractions
• Take regular breaks

We already discussed most of the points above in this article, so we won’t elaborate further. Instead, we’ll give you some tips to help you make the most of your “lazy” time as well. 

As it turns out, it’s impossible to keep your motivation levels high all day long. We all get midday slumps, but the productivity solution is taking advantage of these periods. 

So, instead of just idling around, try using your downtime for a low-intensity activity like reading the news or listening to a podcast.

You can also pair many mundane activities with productive tasks. For instance, you can exercise and listen to an audiobook simultaneously,  cook dinner while listening to meeting notes, or check your messages while commuting. Thus, you will feel like you’re relaxing, but you’ll also ingest new information. 

Countless tools can help you better manage your time. 

Some of them will train you to read faster (like the Accelareader tool). 

Others help you achieve personal growth, which in turn will help increase your productivity. 

One such tool ideal for students and professionals is the Personal Productivity course that includes valuable information about efficient time management.

5. Get enough sleep

Practicing a relaxing bedtime ritual, keeping the room at a comfortable temperature (65 degrees is advisable), sleeping in the dark with no lights or the TV on, and getting at least 8 hours of sleep will contribute to a more productive day.

Getting enough sleep is crucial if you want to be productive all day. It might sound surprising, but 1 in 3 adults in America get insufficient sleep at least once a month. That’s why it is important to have a consistent bedtime routine.  

6. Dedicate time to self-care

Along with a good morning routine, a self-care routine is crucial for boosting productivity. 

Simple things like starting the day with a glass of water and 10 minutes of meditation help you go to work energized. 

Psychologists recommend choosing self-care activities that focus on your senses, such as massages, breathing exercises, or aromatherapy. 

Things that make you happy, like reading a book, meeting with friends, or going to the movies, can also help you become more productive in the grand scheme of things.

Additionally, take breaks to avoid burnout and do things that help you unwind when you get home. Here, the possibilities are endless, and every person chooses whatever floats their boat. 

Conclusion

It is not easy to keep up with the endless list of things to do in this ever-changing age, but there are ways to maximize productivity and achieve most of your goals. It all comes down to good organizational skills, honed time management skills, and a lot of discipline.

The general guidelines include creating solid routines, planning, making to-do lists, prioritizing, avoiding distractions, and learning how to use your time better. 

Paying attention to your personal needs, sleeping habits, and self-care rituals will also pay off in the long run.

There’s no secret recipe for success in productivity, but each person should try out different tactics and learn what fits their personality, profession, and lifestyle. 

If you’re an autodidact and disciplined, you can always follow the advice included here. 

But if you need support from professionals, do not hesitate to enroll in the Personal Productivity Course by Iris Reading.