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Whether you work in an office, work from home, or you’re a student; it’s essential to stay motivated and productive during the day. There is no better feeling than going to bed knowing you’ve accomplished your goals and crossed everything off your to-do list. However, this isn’t always an easy thing to complete. Some of you may be feeling less motivated working from home or have a hard time keeping away from your phone during the day. Maybe you’re back in the office, but that’s just promoting more time to talk with your coworkers and not enough time to sit down and work. If you’re struggling to stay focused during the day and need some reminders of how to push out the distractions and keep the workflow going, here are some fantastic tips to keep your day productive.
Begin Your Day Positively
1. Have your task list & schedule right in front of you – having your to-do list and schedule for the day laid out in front of you will keep you on track and moving forward throughout the day. Remember those small accomplishments throughout the day that I often talk about on La.Rue? There is no greater “small” accomplishment than checking something off your task list and moving on to the next thing. When you have those two things positioned in front of you, you’re motivated to stay focused and work harder to complete all of the tasks you’d like to get done that day.
2. Stick to the schedule you created for yourself – Returning to the subject of batch working and having your task list and agenda in front of you, a major success in staying productive is keeping on track with the schedule you made. During the day, your schedule should act as your bible. I know things come up, and other things take priority, but for the most part, remember, you made that schedule for a reason. So, complete your batch work and your tasks when you a lot for that time. That feeling of success I talked about earlier is amplified when you complete a task you really don’t want to do! So create your schedule & stick to it. You can read more about How I Design My Day for my most productive routine and how you can re-design your day.
3. Listen to music or a podcast to keep you motivated & in the zone – Listening to a stimulating podcast or even eBook while you work can help promote a focused and on-track mindset, especially if you’re listening to content-driven towards productivity, motivation, etc. Stimulating sound, whether it be music, podcasts, or books, all contribute to keeping you focused and help to push away any outside distractions like conversations around you. If you’re looking for an inspiring, manifestations podcasts, one of my favorites is the Big Conversations Podcast, with Haley Hoffman Smith.
4. Batch your work to keep you moving along – Staying productive also means using your time wisely, so if you’re working on a project or an assignment, batch all of the same work together to save time. In the Blog, Creating a Routine that Works for You, I talk about batch working and how it saves you time and keeps your work more clean and organized. More often than not, you’re already batching your work without realizing it, so maybe go more in-depth and consider how you could condense that work even more to save valuable time.
5. Put your phone away in a drawer or on Do Not Disturb mode – Phones and social media can be toxic; I tear up each week when I see my “screen time” notification pop up on my phone to tell me how much time I spent on my device. Although I realize a lot of my work requires a certain amount of time on social media each day, it’s still a lot to take in when sometimes that notification says I spent two hours each day on my phone. That’s just ridiculous. During the day, when you’re staying productive and on task, use your computer to listen to your music or podcasts and put your phone away. I know it’s hard, but Instagram and Twitter can wait until you complete your to-do list. Your task list for the day needs to take top priority, so unless you plan to spend ‘x’ amount of time on Instagram, check the app when your checklist is checked off!
Keep your Day Moving Productively
6. Keep yourself energized – Enjoy your morning coffee, afternoon energy drink, and a healthy lunch. I try and keep my energy moving consistently throughout the day. I start with my morning coffee and workout, which sets a positive and productive tone for the day. Then, around lunch, I usually drink a healthy energy drink, like a Celsius,or maybe a diet coke with a healthy and refreshing lunch to keep me moving. Lunch is your energy source for the second half of your day, so make sure you’re eating enough and getting the protein and neurotransmitters you need to keep your attitude and productivity level elevated.
7. Take a five to ten-minute break to walk or move around – I don’t know about all of you, but after staring at a computer for a few hours, my head and eyes start to feel exhausted, especially around two or three in the afternoon. So, around this time, take a short walk or sit outside to relax and close your eyes or do some meditation. You can read more about 10-15 minute meditation intervals and their benefits on the blog, The Importance of Daily Yoga & Meditation. What I can say for sure is definitely take this break for your eyes and your head, so keep your phone at your desk and walk away for a few minutes. This will help you to refocus and concentrate when you sit back down to finish your day.
8. Close up by planning for your day tomorrow – The best way to positively and productively close your day is to create your plan of action for tomorrow. I like to make a task list for my day full of everything I’d like to accomplish. I know not everything will get done. So when I’m making my list for the next day, what didn’t get done goes to the top of tomorrow’s list. I hate rewriting things on my list over and over, so after a task gets on my list a few times, it gets done just out my desire to stop writing it again the next day. Creating my task list beforehand lets me sit down the next day already with my agenda and to-do list in hand. I can immediately start my day with a positive attitude of what needs to be tackled and how to tackle it productively. If you’re looking for a new planner for the New Year, Day Designer is a fabulous planner I have been using for years. Or, you can purchase my Daily & Weekly Planning Pages at the La.Rue Shop!
As always, you’re a goddess!
