The Five Steps Of Productivity

How to avoid procrastination and become as efficient as possible

With more and more activity in our crazy worlds, aren’t we all looking for ways to increase our productivity? So much of it comes down to being able to eliminate procrastination, but avoiding the procrastination monster is much easier said than done. Let’s focus here on some of the ways to stay on task and get more accomplished.

1. Get A Plan

To be truly productive, you must have a goal and an ultimate destination for your efforts. Without this, no amount of activity will add up to much in the way of results. So to become a more productive person, take some time to figure out where you are headed, and map out a plan to get there.

2. Break It Into Steps

Once you have a final objective (or objectives) identified, along with a plan for making it happen, break each plan down into small, achievable tasks that will move you closer to reaching your goals. Step by step, you’ll find that you’ve made remarkable progress through the completion of these bite-sized tasks.

3. Prioritize

Take a good look at your to do list and set some priorities for yourself. Look at what steps are most important in the achievement of your overall goals, as well as which intermittent steps must happen for the larger milestones to be reached. Prioritizing is an ongoing process, revisited at regular intervals to work with changing deadlines, additional information and (naturally) the progress made so far. With a constant view of the bigger picture, you’ll have a much better handle on realizing your goals.

4. Work It In Drills

Just like the to do list is better handled in little pieces, your work schedule might benefit from smaller portions. For example, if you’re looking at a huge project that you know will take hours and perhaps even days to finish, that in itself can be pretty overwhelming. I’ve seen several blogs suggest 15 minute drills for housekeeping, saying that a drill approach will focus your efforts, eliminate procrastination and get more accomplished in a shorter amount of time. This same philosophy can be adapted to just about anything, and when you see the progress made in a 15 minute drill you may find a renewed sense of energy and purpose in your efforts.

5. Touch It Once

For many of us, a huge productivity drain is the habit of starting many things and finishing none. This practice is deadly for both your productivity and your spirit, for it offers the combination of mental (and often physical) clutter with minimal results. Beating this takes practice, but it can be done. The trick is to only handle something once. If you pick up a piece of paper to deal with it, then don’t put it down until the task is handled and the paper either discarded, filed or shredded. This one tip alone will allow you to cross more things off of your list than you might have imagined earlier.

A final thought on this is to please be gentle with yourself in the process of changing your work habits to become more productive. Don’t beat yourself up over the past, or even for present slips. You’re human, they will happen. Remembering the big picture, know that every step you take to eliminate procrastination and increase productivity will benefit you for years of success to come.