How to be more productive: 7 main rules

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A business coach tells you how to develop your own strategy and start achieving more while spending less energy.

Mark Pettit helps entrepreneurs and companies do better. And over the years of practice, he formulated seven basic rules of productivity.

1. Have a clear picture of what is going on

Before you start making plans, you first need to understand where you are now. Analyze your work from the very beginning to the present moment.

This will give you a real sense of what you have already improved, what is already really good, and what else you want to change. To do this, you need to do the following.

Specify your desires

Be clear about your performance goals. Do you fully understand what you are doing and why and what the ideal result should be?

Once you answer yourself to these questions, you will understand what specific improvements you need. When you clearly see the result in front of you and are motivated to achieve it, you work more efficiently.

Think about what changes you expect

It's important to understand how specific improvements will impact your business and personal life - it's inspiring. Otherwise, you will only accept the change for a short period, after which you will return to your old habits.

To prevent this from happening, honestly answer yourself the following questions.

• Will you be happier?
• Do you want to work less and spend more time with your family? If so, what will you do?
• Is it important for you to build an effective team? What could you achieve with her?
• Are you career focused?
• Do you want to travel more?
• Do you want to feel freer?
• Are you planning to make more money?

2. Focus on your strengths

If we pay more attention to our special talents, we become happier and more productive. At the same time, our energy, self-confidence and creativity grow.

Take a piece of paper and write down everything you do well. Think back to when you felt confident and achieved results that you were satisfied with. Ignore weaknesses - focus only on your best qualities and the strengths of the team, if you are not working alone.

Remember that each person has their own strengths. They are complemented by the abilities of others, and together they can produce incredibly powerful results. You need to strive for this symbiosis of efficiency in your work.

3. Delegate tasks

According to the Pareto principle, 80% of the result is achieved through only 20% of the actions. However, we are often so busy with routine that we can’t take on the most important things, which make up this 20%. And they are precisely what determines our productivity.

Highlight your most important tasks - both personal and professional. Refuse to do the rest.

If you have a lot of things that you don't do very well or don't even want to do, entrust them to someone else. This will be much more effective. If you can't finish a project, don't drive yourself to exhaustion by trying to do everything yourself - just ask for help.

Instead of wasting time and energy, determine who will be useful to you in what situation. Delegate or outsource three big tasks every three months. This way you can free up time and increase your productivity.

4. Organize your work

Create your vision for a productive day

You can choose your strategy: just react to tasks as they come, or plan your day inside and out. But consistently crossing out items on a to-do list isn't about efficiency. You must have a clear intention to spend the day productively and set yourself up for it ahead of time.

So instead of doing what "needs", stop and decide what you really want. Your actions should be focused.

Set three tasks for the day

Many people keep a diary or make a to-do list on a regular basis. However, most people still face the following problem. A to-do list is simply a list of tasks that people plan to do or think need to be done. At the same time, it is not clear which of them should be worked on in the first place and why.

To improve productivity, you must prioritize clearly. Choose and do only three key things a day, and take the most important time first.

Work on one task at a time

No matter what anyone says, it is impossible to effectively work on several things at once. Shifting from one activity to another takes energy and decreases productivity. And what you never finish can be stressful and lead to feelings of guilt.

Therefore, out of the three main tasks for the day, focus on only one in turn.

Sprint

Work for short periods of time to stay productive and stay focused.

Estimate how long it will take to complete the task. For example, if it takes 4 hours, you can use the 60–60–30 method. You work for an hour, then rest for a couple of minutes. Then another hour, and then take a long 30-minute break. And repeat until you completely cope with the task.

Don't forget about breaks

For the above scheme to work, you cannot neglect rest.

Use dedicated apps or just set a timer. A regular watch is better than a phone: so nothing will distract you.

During breaks, go out for walks, have healthy snacks, or do something that will keep you energized. If you feel that you are completely exhausted and cannot collect, try to take a nap.

You will soon notice that your concentration and productivity start to increase, and you yourself become more active.

5. Manage your energy

It is important to maintain and develop your physical and mental strength. Then you will be focused on your work every day and will be able to do it efficiently.

Get enough sleep

The better you sleep, the more productive you work. If you have a lack of sleep and can't get yourself out of bed in the morning, try introducing evening rituals into your schedule. Look for the ones that suit you personally.

Rest often

Strategic Coach founder Dan Sullivan believes there are two ways to look at the world: through the prism of time and effort, or through the prism of results.

To get the most out of the gas at the lowest cost, Sullivan suggests having regular “off days”. This is 24 hours during which you don't have to do anything work-related. During this break, you will have a good rest and recharge. And then you can use all your energy and creativity to achieve the best results.

Instead of thinking of your weekend as a reward, treat it as a prerequisite for success.

Dan Sullivan

Have a Power Hour every morning

Dedicate yourself an hour and a half to meditate, exercise, read, eat healthy breakfast, make a thank you list, and plan which three important tasks you will be doing today.

These morning rituals motivate and set you up for a productive day. Mix up a few different tasks until you find a combination that works for you.

Say no more often

Forget about just working longer and harder. Stop saying "yes" to those people, deeds and things that waste your energy and are not useful.

Instead, devote your time and energy to the tasks that produce the greatest results and make you happier.

The difference between successful and highly successful people is that the latter say no to almost everyone.

Warren Buffett entrepreneur, investor

Stop striving for excellence

Many people are constantly just preparing for action. They are waiting for the right moment to start - only then can they do something perfect.

A sense of perfectionism speaks in us. But the problem is that this desired moment may never come.

Just go and start working, trying your best, and you’ll be satisfied in the end.

6. Measure and analyze

The key to a successful productivity plan is measurable progress.

Vague and shared goals don't make us feel good about the work done. When we visually see our progress or achieve specific goals, we feel much happier and more confident.

Tracking your own progress also ensures that you don't measure your performance against the achievements of others. After all, "comparison is a thief of joy," as Theodore Roosevelt said.

Set specific goals

Write down five personal and professional changes that you want to achieve over the next three months. Choose what is most important to you and what can make a big difference in your life.

Formulate goals so that progress can be tracked. Do this every month or even a week.

Evaluate the effectiveness

Your productivity strategy will inevitably affect your work tasks. Therefore, before starting a new project, establish personal criteria for its success. Then analyze the finished work to see if it meets these criteria.

Write down what has improved because you are more productive. Note what more work needs to be done.

7. Simplify

The key to increasing your productivity is simplicity. And it is better if it is simplicity as much as possible.

All of us are surrounded by so many complexities that it becomes difficult to keep everything under control and focus on the most important. This applies to both personal and professional life.

An uncontrollable schedule, a littered mailbox, a huge to-do list, a mess of thoughts, a lack of time, a bunch of deadlines - whatever. This causes fatigue and a sense of a vicious circle. As a result, you will experience constant fatigue and stress.

So try to keep your life as simple as possible. Free yourself from unproductive, energy-stealing activities. This will allow you to focus on what will bring you the greatest results, joy and satisfaction.

These seven rules are basic, but it is not necessary to immediately try to follow them all. Try one or two first and see how it affects your performance. The main thing is to start.