Are you struggling to keep up with your never-ending productivity to-do list? Do you often feel like you’re juggling multiple tasks but never seem to get anything done? In this blog post, I’ll share my personal approach to productivity that has helped me establish a long-lasting system to boost my efficiency and get more done in less time. By implementing these tips and tricks, you can streamline your workflow, prioritize your tasks, and maximize your productivity like never before. So, take a few minutes to read through this post and discover how you can transform your productivity and achieve your goals
Manage Your Task
Asana Project Management
Create a list of 3 tasks you need to finish each day. Don’t do more than 3 tasks a day; it helps you remain focused and work on top of your project. What matters most, or what interests you the most, is what you should be working on.
I’ve realized that if I’m working on something that doesn’t interest me, I won’t get much accomplished. It causes me to get tired and bored most of the time. That’s why I avoid putting myself in situations where I’d have to perform such tasks. Long-term dissatisfaction with one’s work should prompt serious consideration of a career shift.
If you need help prioritizing which tasks to complete first, a task list or project management software may be beneficial.
Why? That’s because using such tools allows you to scribble down everything you need to accomplish, prioritize it by giving deadlines, and plan your days around essential chores.
However, choosing the right app for you might be difficult with so many alternatives available. Don’t worry. I’ve compiled a list of the top to-do list or project management software accessible with a free plan based on my personal experience.
Feel free to use one tool according to your needs. After writing down your thoughts and tasks, you can relax and concentrate on the current work. Every time you perform a job and mark it off your list, you’ll feel encouraged to continue pushing as you see yourself one step closer to reaching your goals.
Time Blocking
Time is a limited resource. It is frequently considered the most precious asset by successful individuals. You’ll only be possible to attain your goals if you dedicate your time to activities that will significantly enhance your life.
How, therefore, can you evaluate whether or not you really have time for everything you’ve put down on paper? Also, what steps can you take to ensure that your to-do list fairly represents the available time? You should make better use of your calendars.
Time blocks are an excellent strategy for keeping track of your obligations and prioritizing your commitments. Time blocking your tasks on a calendar can offer you a more accurate picture of what you can accomplish on a given day.
There are several rules I follow to maximize my productivity in a short period of time:
Use my time wisely
The first thing I do to make the most of a short period of time is to block off that time on my calendar and devote it to a particular task. Putting this time aside on my calendar has a multiplicative effect.
I feel like I have a better handle on things. In order to fulfill my desire to accomplish more things, I schedule time each day to focus on specific tasks.
Divide the work into smaller tasks
By breaking a job down into smaller chunks, I can complete it more quickly and move it from the “In Progress” to the “Done” column of my to-do list. Even something as simple as this seems like an achievement, replete with a surge of dopamine.
When I finish a job, despite how many more I have to do or how trivial the one I just finished was, I get a genuine sense of satisfaction. Suddenly, it seems like an hour’s worth of labor has a much more significant effect. I don’t need to argue with the voice in my brain that tells me there’s no use in getting started. My goals for advancement are starting to seem more within reach.
Warm up to get into the state of flow more quickly
As a Graphic Designer, warm-up is an integral part of my design process. I usually divide my time by warming up before working on a project. We’re human, and that’s OK. Doing warm-ups allows me a little time to get ready for deep work.
If you begin using time blocks, you’ll have a more concrete response to the question, “do I have enough time for this?” and a much easier time declining requests when you know you don’t have the time.
Organize Your Digital File
Have you ever had problems locating a specific document? You attempted a search, but it was unsuccessful since the filename wasn’t related to the work at hand. Folder clutter and illogical naming conventions may be a real pain, so if you find yourself in this situation, this is the right time to change your file organization system. Not tomorrow or the next couple of weeks. A good file organization management system will change your life forever.
There are some ways I used to manage my files:
Divide the project by the ‘Status,’ e.g., concept, revise, and final.
They allow me to work intentionally and more effectively. I would stress myself if my client project got messed up. Another example, I usually write a blog post using Notion & Google Docs. I love the simplicity.
As you can see in that picture, I always categorize my files based on their ‘Status’ and ‘Blog Categorize,’ in which the post is ready to publish. Because writing a blog post is more complex than writing and then posting it. It takes a lot of work from the writing side to the SEO strategy.
In this approach, I am naming my file or docs based on parent files and using underscores to separate the segments of the file name. For example, 1_Post 4_Notion Set-Up + Free Template – Maximize Your Productivity. Below you’ll see how I named my file so that you can use this approach to help you be more productive.
Keeping things in order
Working with clients is essential to my job as a designer, but dealing with constant requests for changes to the designs I’ve already created can be exhausting. Keeping things in order simplifies my life. Even if I have a lot of rework, I know where to start, what to focus on, what requires the most attention, etc. And one more secret, clients will love me!
Personal & Works File
I have many photos, film, graphics, documents, college stuff, and many more on my computers. And it makes me easily distracted by my own stuff. How do I organize these types of things?
I love to tell people how I organize my whole life. I am using a cloud-based system for my file organization system. Just in case someday I lose my computer. At least I have all the stuff I need to stay sane and continue my life.
My file organization system is divided by my personal interest, document, and works. There are many more files inside what I call ‘Parent Files.’
Take Your Notes
Your mind is not for storing ideas; instead, it is for generating them. You will be able to boost both your ability to concentrate and your level of productivity if you pay much more attention to how you take notes.
You need to write down all of this information so that you can think about other things. The less you think about it, the more you’ll get done. That’s because if you have too much in your head, you must spend most of your time and energy keeping up with it. And this will stop you from becoming productive and reaching your goals in the long run.
The key to achieving success is to stick with the process of getting ideas. You should always write down your thoughts and tasks as soon as they come to mind. Write down everything on your mind right now, but don’t decide yet whether it needs your attention.
Here are some quick recommendations to help you get started with your Note Taking System:
Write down your thoughts
Begin by concentrating on one aspect of your life
Use just one tool
So, you’re interested in learning more about improving your focus but need help knowing where to start?
If you’re a regular reader of my blog or email newsletter, you might already know that I am using Notion for all aspects of my life (I am not trying to brag to you), but there is the so-called ‘Second Brain’ system inside my Notion page.
I always use them; they’re just incredible and fulfill my needs. If you are interested in using a system that worked for me, feel free to purchase the notion templates. There are not aesthetically pleasing templates, but they’re handy. Have a look!
Inbox Zero Approach
The inbox zero approach is a strategy for managing email that tries to ensure that your email inbox is always clear of new messages that have not yet been opened.
The strategy focuses on an efficient filing and organization system to liberate workers’ minds from overflowing inboxes. This, in turn, improves their concentration on things that genuinely matter, such as jobs with added value.
In order to reach the holy grail of inbox zero, you must constantly adhere to the following guidelines:
Be sure to check your inbox at least twice a day. Always ensure that your inbox is empty at the end of each of your two daily email sessions.
When checking email, always react immediately to anything that can be handled in two minutes or less. If you do this now, you’ll be able to save yourself a lot of time in the future and clear your head space, not to mention your inbox.
When dealing with email, use the “delete, delegate, reply, delay, do” strategy.
Delete
As soon as you open your inbox, skim through it and delete everything that can be removed immediately. As a result, you’ll free up some room in your inbox and reduce the anxiety caused by an excessive accumulation of unread messages.
Delegate
Check some of the emails immediately, and if any of them need help from someone else or are the sole responsibility of someone else, move them to the bottom of the list. Not only will you have more room in your inbox and be able to think about more important things, but you will also know that the message goes to the right person.
Respond
You’ll be able to quickly find the emails that need a reply when you’re going through them. But responding can mean something other than writing a long answer right away or spending a lot of time researching to answer a question. Instead, it means you read the message and say how long you think it will take you to do the task.
Defer
If you don’t have to answer an email immediately and it will take you more than two minutes, put it off until you have more time. The greatest thing to do now is to give yourself a deadline and add this email as a task to your schedule so you don’t forget about it.
Do
Do it right away if you have time or important things that need to be done right away. Before you go, there are some tips for approaching this Inbox Zero Approach:
Don’t remove everything; archive it if required
Maintain just three active email folders: Pending, Review, and Vault.
Just To Recap…
There are so many ways to boost your focus and productivity. But people aren’t the same. It might work for me, but not for you. Just tested it out and let good happen!
I hope that this post helped. If you have any questions in mind or other cool resources, please leave them in the comments. If you just want to talk, feel free to reach out.
For more tips and inspiration, I would like you to keep coming back and check out another cool resource I made for you.
Like what I share? Please send this to someone you know who might have so much potential in what they’re doing.