There are many tricks and tips to being productive, but ultimately what people are looking for is that perfect day of work when they’re immensely proud of what they’ve produced. Here is an outline you can follow that might help you achieve the most productive day of your life.
1. Make A To-Do List The Day Before
It’s bad strategy to wait until the day of to make plans. Be sure to make a realistic but ambitious to-do list, either with a great task management app like Wunderlist, Evernote, or 2Do or just with plain old pen and paper. That way you’ll be ready the next day to sink your teeth into your work.
2. Fill Your To-Do List With Things You Genuinely Want To Do
The trick to being hyper-productive is to do things that truly interest you. If it’s the most productive day of your life, you probably won’t be doing dishes or picking up dry cleaning, you’ll be dedicating yourself to a passion project. That project should be something that you’ve always wanted to do but never got around to truly committing to. That could be writing a novel, recording a record, or a host of other things. By focusing on your passion you will have all the more motivation to have the most productive day ever.
3. Get A Good Night’s Sleep
The best way to prepare yourself for a productive day is to recharge your batteries to 100 percent. Get at least 8 hours of sleep and don’t use phone or computer screens that will ruin your sleep cycle for a couple hours before bed. I recommend reading a book (a physical one, not an e-book) that really inspires you. A great option is a biography of one of your biggest idols, planting the idea that you can be as accomplished as him.
4. Wake Up Naturally
If possible, it’s best to avoid the screech of an old-fashioned alarm clock or even the soothing sound of a pleasant ringtone when you wake up. If you got that good night’s sleep I talked about, it should be completely doable to wake up on your own, well-rested and ready to go.
5. Do Your Morning Rituals
Just because this is going to be an extraordinary day doesn’t mean you should avoid your ordinary activities. Go through the daily rituals, whether that be a cup of coffee with the newspaper or a morning run.
6. Do the Next Thing on the List
Now it’s time to get to work. Getting started is well-documented as one of the hardest parts of productivity, so begin with a task that you really look forward to doing. You’ll start off your day on a high note, which will give you the energy to push through at least a few more things on your to-do list.
7. Keep Checking Off To-Dos
This is when you get most of your work done. With the energy boost you got from that fun first task, get busy on the more grueling stuff. As you’re doing that, keep reminding yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing: so that you can accomplish something truly meaningful today. That knowledge should be a constant driver to push through the fatigue.
8. Do Your Favorite Thing
Save your absolute favorite task for the end of the day. That way, as you’re pushing through the middle of your workday, you can always remember what you have waiting for you as a reward at the end of the road. Plus, you deserve to treat yourself after you’ve had such an insanely productive day!
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