5 Habits to Double Your Personal Productivity

To free your ‘real brain’ up to be its most creative, responsive and inspired, it needs to be free of ‘clutter’. Create a place where you can put all this clutter, in an organised fashion so that it can be easily found when required. I recommend an application call Evernote. Evernote can by synced between your smartphone, tablet and the web, so wherever you are you can add information. It can be categorised and tagged; to be searched easily in the future. You can also add web links, photos, and audio recordings to make it easy to get all the details! You will never have to remember where all your ideas are. Just act on them!

Strange Habit #2: Use a Timer to Do Your Best Work

For the times that you schedule to do your ‘creative work’ set blocks of ‘uninterrupted and un-plugged’ time to achieve specific outcomes and results. It has been scientifically proven that working in 60 – 90 minute bursts of intensity yield the best performance. Then use a countdown timer on your smartphone to heighten your awareness about the passage of each chunk of time. You will be amazed by what you can accomplish with this habit. It can literally transform the results you will produce.

Strange Habit #3: Create a “Not TO Do” List

Many people’s time and energy is consumed by ‘to do’ lists. In fact the majority of ‘to do’ lists are never ending. The closer you get to finishing them, the more tasks get added! Start by creating a list of activities that no longer serve you or your business. One by one look at ways to delegate, outsource, or stop doing all together. These could be as simple as: Stop reading the paper every morning. Stop solving other people’s problems for them (that’s what you employ people for). Stop checking email first thing in the morning. You will surprise yourself of the number of activities that are actually robbing you from being your best!

Strange Habit #4: 30-60 Minute Walks

Steve Jobs loved doing walking meetings. Nelson Mandela would walk for entire days. There’s just something magical about installing the daily habit of walking. It’ll give you time to think and ideate. You’ll kick-start your creativity and multiply your innovation. Productivity will soar and your moods will elevate as your endorphins get released. After studying many of the creative masters it’s definitely been a game-changer, especially at the end of a productive day.

Strange Habit #5: The Weekly Triple R

Once a week (a regular time slot works best) set aside an hour to review the past 7 days.

The Triple R stands for Review, Reflect and Respond. The Review step has you ask these questions:

• What Worked?

• What was missing, that if present would have made a difference?

• If I could have my last 7-days over again, what would I do differently?

You also review your annual 1-page plan, reconnect with your Top 5 Values, look at what has helped or hindered you in any progress that you had planned.

With the Reflection step, you ask, “How am I performing?” Look at all the areas of your life where you play a key role. This could be:

• Business Owner
• Leader
• Parent
• Life Partner
• Friend

Be honest with your commitment and input, and ask what can I do in the next 7-days to improve in these areas?

Finally, the Response step considers your commitments for the next 7 days. Schedule in all of your key result producing activities. This can be your workouts, client interaction times, family meals, planning session, etc. Also look at what new rituals/habits you will introduce to take your game to another level.

These habits to improve personal productivity are not that strange to some of the most successful people on the planet. It is just how they live.

For more information on increasing personal productivity, creating a positive mindset and improving time management strategies for your business, contact PROTRADE United today.