Table of Contents
10 Proven Tips To Get Things Done
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
Are you struggling to meet deadlines at work? Or maybe your work-life balance is completely out of whack or even non-existent? If your answer is yes, it means that you need a good system in place. And to help you with that, in today’s post I’m sharing with you 10 proven tips to get more organized with your life and make your productivity skyrocket. So if you thought that the only way to finish your never-ending to-do list is to work more and sleepless, I have a much better solution. I know that you are a very busy creature so let’s dive in.
Self-Reflection Questions:
- Are you constantly running out of time?
- Are you struggling to manage your to-do list?
- Are you failing to meet deadlines?
- Are you struggling to prioritize your tasks because everything is urgent?
- Do you feel overwhelmed by your workload?
- Are you struggling to find a work-life balance?
- Are you finding hard to let go of the things that don’t add value to your life?
- Do you wish you had time to relax?
- Are you eating your lunch in a hurry?
- Are you sleep-deprived?
If your answer is “yes” for at least one of these questions you’ve come to the right place. Because in this post I will share with you my absolutely favourite (and proven) ways to get seriously organized with your time, work and life!
Prepare Yourself For Learning:
- How to induce flow state very quickly
- How to achieve absolute focus
- How to prioritize your task
- How to use your time more effectively
- How to reduce distractions and eliminate time-wasters
- How to improve your daily workflow
- How to reach your full potential
- How to make your productivity skyrocket
- How to take advantage of the Eisenhower Matrix
- How To Use the Parkinson’s Law
- How to regain control of your time, work and life
1. Make Time For Organization
If you want to get seriously organized and make your productivity skyrocket you need to give yourself time to actually plan, organize and schedule things that you need and want to get done. It might seem like a simple tip, but it’s a crucial one. Because whether you’re preparing for a significant life change or you’re just planning you’re preparing for the workday, having a good plan will make everything much easier and definitely less stressful.
First of all, planning and scheduling will help you to organize your workday for optimum performance. Secondly, you will remove the temptation to procrastinate during the most productive hours of the day. And finally, you will be able to manage your time wisely and stay focused on what’s truly important. So as you can see, creating space for proper planning will help you to structure your day for increasing productivity. That’s why I highly recommend you to find time each week to organize your life.
Personally, I spend 1-2 hours each Sunday on my day off planning, scheduling and organizing my week for peak performance. I call it a focus ritual. It’s a habit of mine, that enables me to build a solid foundation to start the new week on a fresh and healthy note.
Plan Ahead Habit
- Review your past week
- Identify what went well and what went wrong
- Set your goals and intentions for the upcoming week
- Set up your weekly budget
- Create a prioritized to-do list
- Schedule things that you need to get done (I use Google Calendar and Classic Daily Planner)
- Schedule “me time” for yourself to create a healthy balance between your professional and personal life
- Avoid overplanning and overscheduling to feel empowered instead of overwhelmed
2. Learn To Build Momentum
Momentum is an incredible thing. It is this magic moment when you obtain absolute focus, increase your sense of clarity and maximize your productivity for better results. Momentum enables you to reach your full potential, take intentional action and achieve your life goals. It is exactly what you need to go after the life you want. By building momentum you get a unique tool, which has no competitors among other things, ways to achieve your goals. It is your innate ability to create the reality in which you want to live. Over the years through working on different projects I learned that one of the best and easiest ways to build momentum is to start before you’re ready. So, if you want to achieve this heavy sense of concentration, make your motivation flow effortlessly and 10x your results you need to stop thinking and start doing. Seriously, stop making everything much more complex than it ever needs to be and start producing real results. Put yourself in motion and become insanely motivation by your actions. Stop negotiating with yourself, instead, eliminate all external and internal distractions, put the right kind of music (I usually listen to mindfulness music for deep focus and concentration with binaural beats) and start working towards achieving your goals. Enter into that hypnotic state where creativity flows effortlessly and achieve what you thought was impossible.
“...success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue...as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.”
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3. Don't Rely Too Much On Your Memory
According to scientific research, our short-term memory can hold approximately seven separate items for less than half of minute. This means that at least two things. First, the human brain is not designed to remember things, and second, we should never rely on our memory. Just think about all these moments when you didn’t write something down because you were convinced that you would remember it all. And then you forgot, and you regretted not having dedicated literally a few seconds to record important information. Well, it has happened to me many times. But I’ve learned my lesson and now I write everything down to be sure I won’t forget anything. And I highly recommend you do the same. Keeping things out of your head will help you to organize your thoughts and capture what’s really important. Not to mention that written notes, goals, priorities and intentions will keep your motivation going. So as you can see, being committed to this seemingly trivial activity is crucial in creating organization habit. So keep your train of thought on track so that you can focus on what’s really matters and get things done.
4. Build Your Own Productivity System
There are many different apps, tools and methods out there that you can use to get organized and make your productivity skyrocket. However, it’s important to remember that just because some method is extremely popular and loved by many it does not mean that it will fit your expectations and personal preference. That’s why you should choose the ones that will work best for you. At least is what I always do. For instance, there is this new method to organize your thoughts, time and life called a bullet journal. Personally, I find this tool inspiring, fun and very creative but it just does not fit my personal preferences. For me, this journaling system is excessively cumbersome and time-consuming. However, it does not mean that it won’t work best for you. That’s why I highly recommend you to try different apps, tools and methods to get organized and boost your productivity levels and choose the ones that will make you feel empowered instead of overwhelmed. You want to work smarter not harder! Below you will find apps, tools and methods I personally use to get organized with my life. You can try them out and choose the ones that will help you balance your workload for maximum productivity.
Best Productivity Apps Of 2020
- Trello - project management app here
- Any.do - get seriously organized here
- Todoist - task management software here
- FocusList iOS / Android - productivity app that helps you get more DEEP work done
- Y Productive here
- TickTick: ToDo List Planner, Reminder & Calendar (Android / iOS)
- Hours - Time Tracking App Online here
- Toggl - Free Time Tracking Software here
- RescueTime: Fully Automated Time Tracking Software here
- Google Drive (My Absolutely Favourite!)
- Google Calendar
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5. Avoid the Urgency Trap with the "Eisenhower Matrix"
Are you constantly running put of time desperately trying to finish your never-ending to-do list? Do you feel completely overwhelmed by a tremendous amount of tasks to do? Well, the 34th president of the United States - Dwight D. Eisenhower has a solution for you and it’s called the Eisenhower Matrix. I am sure you’ve already heard about this time management strategy but have you ever tried it? If not, it’s time to give it a shot. But what is it all about? Well, the Eisenhower Matrix, also known as Urgent-Important Matrix is a simple decision-making tool that will help you prioritize tasks and manage time effectively. The Eisenhower Matrix consists of four quadrants;
- DO - urgent and important tasks that need to be done immediately (ex. finishing a client project, paying bills)
- DECIDE - important but not urgent tasks that aren’t your top priorities but you should schedule them to ensure that progress is being made (ex. strategic planning, personal development, new opportunities)
- DELEGATE - urgent but not important tasks that need to be done but they can be done by someone else (ex. responding to some emails, meal prep)
- DELETE - not urgent and not important tasks that don’t add value to your life (time-wasters, distractions, unnecessary decisions, non-critical choices)
And now the most interesting part of this tip. Below you will find free printable worksheets I prepared for you. Grab them, print them and start filling them out! It’s time to regain control of your work, time and life!
Grab Your "Eisenhower Box" Free Printables
“Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination.”
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6. Batch Similar Tasks Together
My next tip has a lot to do with entering the flow state and achieving absolute focus that is crucial if you want to manage time effectively and increase productivity and creativity. Yes, we’re talking here about batching similar tasks together. This simple act of grouping of similar tasks together such as responding to emails, making important phone calls or doing errands will not only save you a lot of time but also it will increase your efficiency immediately. I am sure you’ve already noticed that if you switch from one task to a completely different task you lose continuity, effectiveness and flow state. If happens because after having completed one task we need to be mentally prepared to be able to begin with a completely different one. According to a University of California Irvine study, “it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task.” That’s an awfully long time. So if you want to drastically increase your efficiency, boost your productivity levels and get more things done in less time you need to start batching similar tasks together.
“Attention is like the energy in that without it no work can be done, and in doing work is dissipated. We create ourselves by how we use this energy. Memories, thoughts and feelings are all shaped by how to use it. And it is an energy under control, to do with as we please; hence attention is our most important tool in the task of improving the quality of experience.”
7. Increase Willpower & Build Self-Discipline
Most highly motivated, productive and successful entrepreneurs start their day at 6 am or even earlier because it gives them this extra time to perform their powerful morning routine, revise their work schedule, prioritize their to-do list and drink their coffee in peace instead of doing all of these things in a hurry. They have their MITs already smashed before most of the people wake up. Everything is planned down to the smallest details. There is no coincidence or chaos in their actions. They obtain absolute focus with ease and poise because they have mastered the art of entering the flow state to perfection. Ultra - productive and highly effective people know that progress is made through focus. They don’t mix professional and personal life or check their email every 5 minutes. They know how to reduce distraction to zero and how to delegate well. They don’t multitask. They don’t make personal phone calls during work hours. And they know when it’s time for a powerful break. They know all of these things not because they’re geniuses but because they have build willpower and mastered self-discipline through the years. So if you want to be the ultra-productive and highly effective person you need to strengthen your self-discipline muscle, increase your willpower and learn how to unlock your brain power. Everyone is different and for every person entering the flow state will look looks slightly different but if you struggle with achieving a heavy sense of concentration and sense of clarity here are some powerful ways to induce a flow state very quickly:
- Create a powerful, productive and positive daily routine
- Create rituals around your flow state
- Use time-blocking techniques (The Pomodoro Technique is the best)
- Clear away distractions
- Eliminate time-wasters (no you cannot focus on your work with your phone in your hand!)
- Practice Mindfulness
- Try guided meditations (they are fun and extremely easy to follow)
8. Use Rest Breaks More Effectively
For most people fitting relaxation in their busy schedules is extremely challenging if not impossible. So instead of taking advantage of quick breaks, they just keep going trying to do to as much as they can until they collapse from exhaustion. That’s completely insane! If you want to increase your productivity levels and boost your life satisfaction you need to schedule breaks into your workday. Otherwise, you will be constantly overworked, unhappy and most probably you will also increase the chance of developing chronic diseases. Why risk so much? Scheduling breaks into your workday may be a hard thing to do especially if you are an ambitious overthinking perfectionist – kind of person. However, what you need to realize is that to live a productive, healthy and happy life you need to draw a clear line between work and relaxation. Trust me, a quick 10-minute break during your workday can relax your body, reboot your brain and refresh your focus. Not to mention that you can use this precious time to treat yourself with a delicious cup of coffee without burning your tongue. Wouldn’t it be nice to drink a cup of coffee or tea in peace? I am sure it would! So don’t be so hard on yourself and learn to effectively break up your time for maximum productivity.
Take Control Of Your Finances!
9. Take Care Of Your Financial Health
What many people don’t know is that their financial situation directly impacts their physical health and mental wellbeing. They think that they can live a healthy, happy and balanced life without taking good care of their finances. So instead of setting smart financial goals, creating an emergency fund and save for the future the mindlessly use multiple credit cards without even realizing how much money they actually spend. That’s completely insane! Whether we like it or not, money affects the most important things in life. They say that you cannot buy happiness and I completely agree with that. But the truth is, it’s impossible to be happy, healthy and stress-free is you cannot pay for your basic needs. Money is not a goal BUT it is definitely a powerful tool if you use it wisely. If you ask me, I do think that reaching financial stability and being debt-free is the most liberating feeling in the world. And no, you don’t need to earn tons of money to achieve that state. What you need instead is to take better care of your financial health. And to help you with that I am sharing with you my absolutely favourite financial apps, tools and tips! Here they are:
Best Financial Apps Off 2020
- Qapital here - Banking designed with your goals in mind
- Wally here - professional expense report app
- Mint here - saving and budgeting app
- Digit here - saving app
- Every Dollar here - budget tool and expense tracker
- Acorns here - saving and budgeting app
- You Need a Budget here - create a budget within your actual income
- Prism Bills&Money here - organizing and paying bills app
- Bill Watch here - managing, organizing and reminding bills payment app
- Albert here - saving, budgeting and paying a debt app
- Tycoon here - Freelancers app
- Personal Capital here - investment optimization app
- PocketGuard here - extra money spending app here - categorizes and organizes your expenses, monthly bills, and subscriptions
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Best Posts On Financial Health
10. Use Parkinson's Law To Your Advantage
According to Parkinson’s Law “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”. It means that if something must be done in a month, it will be done in a month and not a moment sooner. Let’s take another example: if you give yourself a day to complete a two-hour task it will take you a whole day to accomplish this task. Why? Well, because from the psychological point of view a particular task will increase in complexity so as to fill the entire time you have. Not to mention that if you have too much time to get the job done, there is a high probability that you will be either overcomplicating even the simplest thing or you will be procrastinating most of the time. That’s not a good use of your time, right? If you want to be seriously productive and highly efficient you need to learn to estimate accurately the time needed to complete a certain project. If you’re wondering what’s the easiest and most accurate way of estimating how long it takes to perform a task the answer is quite simple. You need to perform it several times until you find an average value. That’s exactly what you should do if you want to maximize efficiency and productivity. So instead of wasting your time and setting loose or no deadlines, use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage and make your productivity skyrocket!
Best Posts About Achieving Goals:
- Maximize Your Productivity: 6-Step Method To Get More Things Done In Less Time. HERE
- Perfect Morning Routine to Reduce Stress & Anxiety HERE
- The Ultimate Guide For Setting & Reaching Your Goals HERE
- 6 Self-Improvement Habits To Adopt in 2020 HERE
- Get into the Habit of Being Seriously Organized in 2020. HERE
- 8 Simple Steps to Set Yourself Up for a Successful 2020 HERE
- Powerful and smart ways to manage your time efficiently and effectively HERE
- 5 steps to success in achieving your goals HERE
- The ultimate way to overcome procrastination and become a highly productive person HERE
- The science of motivation HERE
- 10 powerful habits to boost your confidence HERE
Stay Positive
Be Mindful
and
Get Seriously Organized!
xo Kate
