The following is an article “Learn to be Productive”
by Marc Primo.
Procrastination is by far the biggest goal killer most of us have to deal with. For one reason or another we all sin of bad habits which end up getting in the way of our plans.
“Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before.” ~ Franz Kafka
Learning to be productive is usually a skill we overlook when it comes to our self-development. We seem to equate being busy with being productive when the truth is keeping busy in the wrong way is just procrastination.
First Things First.
Admit it. Take a good look at the last few months of your daily routine and in a nonbiased manner judge your productivity. It should be evident if you take the time to remember what you wanted to achieve in the month and what you ended up delivering. If by off chance you are one of the few that got things done the by all means congratulations. If not then keep reading.
Lists
Some of the most straightforward habits can make a world of difference. Start making a list of goals for the day in order of importance. Keep it handy and check them off once accomplished. The last ones can be rolled over to the next day. Being able to see what you got to the day before is a great way to stay on top of your goals.
Apps and gadgets are not the answer.
By all means, use tool app or software you like. They are all very well designed and fulfill the functions they promise to. Just understand, the actions and routines you put in place will, in turn, become habits. Habits are what you need to focus on.
Negotiate with yourself
If you find yourself avoiding a task, figure out why. Is it the cost? Is it the effort? There is always a reason behind procrastination. The good news is there is an answer. Negotiate your way through it. If the task takes too long or involves a lot of effort, you can split it into several steps. Set yourself up with rewards upon completing each step. If this sounds a bit like dog training, it kind of is. Many studies show that humans are very susceptible to rewards based systems and using this knowledge can be instrumental in choosing the type of person you want to be. Just keep rewarding the right characteristics and eventually, you will learn to enjoy what you previously wanted to avoid.
You don't need to do it alone.
Some task should be outsourced. It is not always beneficial to be over productive or overcontrolling; if you squeeze every second of your day out of yourself, mistakes will inevitably appear. Delegating to the right person can be a lifesaver. It opens space for personal health or more work towards long-term goals. Either way, it's worth analyzing which goals can be outsourced.
Follow these tips and find out what works for you.
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