Productivity: How to get more done in less time

What can we help you with?

Change your mindset

Your self-talk can determine whether you get things done or not. Productive people have a positive and productive mindset. They focus on the things they can do and not on the things they cannot do. Use positive productivity affirmations to change your mindset. Such as I overcome challenges to accomplish my goals; I don't let distractions waste my time.

See how to write affirmations. You can create affirmation cards for your office or workspace. When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts such as "I cannot do this" make a conscious effort to focus on positive things and think of ways you can do something instead of entertaining the thought that you can't do it.

If you find quotes motivating then see our time management quotes.

Identify your priorities and focus on them

You can't do everything. It simply isn't possible. You need to identify your priorities and focus on them. You can be busy all day and work non-stop but that does not make you productive. In order to be productive you need to focus on the tasks that matter. These are the tasks that will bring you closer to your goals and to the things that are meaningful to you.

Your daily tasks should lead you to achieve your long-term goals. The things you focus on are the things that grow so you should be focusing on the things that you want in life. However, it is important that you know what these things are.

Set your short-term and long-term goals (see above), identify the things that will make these goals happen, and focus only on them. Once you have written your goals it is time to set your priorities. These are the projects on which you will focus.

The book "Essentialism" explains how this principle should be more than just a productivity or time management strategy; it should be a systematic discipline for discerning what is essential in our lives and eliminating the rest. The book describes the importance of being more intentional about where you spend your time and energy. By focusing on fewer things, we ensure that those things are done with higher quality and greater impact. 

The Eisenhower Matrix is a prioritization framework that helps individuals and organizations effectively manage their time and tasks. It categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance, guiding users on what to focus on, delegate, schedule, or eliminate.

Identify the things you are wasting time on

We all have things that distract or interrupt us. For some, it's social media for others the apps on our phones. Some people constantly check email and others spends hours chatting with colleagues during the day. Think about the things you waste time on and write them down. If you are not sure what they are, keep track during the next few days. See 20 time wasters with actionable tips on how to avoid each one.

Track your work days and monitor how you spend your time. How you allocate your time is crucial to your productivity.

Reflect each evening on what you did, if it helped, and what you should do the next day. Keep doing this until you find a system that works for you that you can keep using.

Take breaks

When you try to work for too long, you eventually become unproductive. You can only concentrate for a certain time and after that, you just waste time trying to be productive and getting nothing done. One of the reasons I love the Pomodoro technique is because it forces me to take breaks. My best ideas come to me during breaks and not during work sessions.

Alternate focused work sessions with frequent short breaks to promote focus and concentration and prevent mental fatigue.

Schedule free time for relaxation, reading, meditation, rest, etc.

Prevent procrastinating on tasks

Procrastinating is avoiding something that should be done. We often put things off, hoping that they somehow get done or go away without actually doing anything about them. But unfortunately, this doesn't happen. Usually, the things that you procrastinated for days or weeks cause you anxiety when you could actually get them done really quickly and
then forget about them.

Sometimes, the cause of procrastination is some kind of fear. It could be fear of rejection, failure, or even fear of success. Often, the cause is feeling overwhelmed.

Do you postpone things you don't want to do because you really don't feel like doing them? Here are some ways to help you get them done:

Eat a frog first thing in the morning

Do you have things that you are constantly putting off? The Eat That Frog method suggests you do these things first thing in the morning. If you find yourself constantly pushing certain tasks off, then try the Eat That Frog system. It will help you get those tasks that you really don’t want to do over with first thing in the morning. It will give you a feeling of relief and after you have "eaten a frog" in the morning your day will only get better.

Another way to do this is with temptation bundling.

Temptation bundling is a great strategy presented in the book Atomic Habits. The idea is to pair a pleasurable activity with one you don't enjoy as much but need to do. It is a great way to stop procrastinating. For example, if you have to prepare a report and can't seem to get it done, then tell yourself that when you complete it, you will take a lunch break.

See how to create your temptation bundle

Set time blocks to work without interruptions

Set blocks of uninterrupted time in your day to work. These blocks could be 25 minutes, half an hour, one hour, or 90 minutes long. Set these blocks when you are most productive. For most people, this is in the morning. If it is in the morning, then start as early as you can. See time blocking or time boxing.

One of the most popular methods is the Pomodoro technique which divides your work into small, manageable tasks of 20 to 45 minutes each. You then complete each task within this timeframe without any breaks or interruptions. See how to use the Pomodoro technique and print our free planner which helps you master this technique.

Self-Renewal

Stephen Covey discusses the importance of "sharpening the saw" in order to be more productive. The Sharpen the Saw technique is about preserving and enhancing your body and mind so that you can continue to be productive. It includes a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. When you renew yourself in each of these areas, you promote your personal growth which enables you to achieve your goals.

Many people are so focused on productivity that they don't get enough sleep, relax, exercise, or eat well. When they neglect to do these things, they actually become less productive. When people don't focus on self-renewal they become victims of burnout and land up being less productive in the long run.

If you want to be productive, you need to sleep enough, eat well, exercise, and recharge your batteries.

• You cannot be productive without getting enough sleep. If you find that you are not sleeping enough then use our free sleep tracker to track your sleep.
• If you are not eating well, then use our meal log to track your meals.
• If you don't exercise, then use our exercise tracker to motivate you to work out more and read our workout motivation tips.

Ask yourself WHY things are not getting done

Root cause analysis (RCA) can help you stop procrastination by identifying the underlying factors that contribute to your habit of procrastination and addressing the root causes of this habit. By performing RCA, you can gain a deeper understanding of why you procrastinate, which can help you develop a more effective plan to stop.

For example, RCA might reveal that you procrastinate due to a lack of motivation, poor time management skills, or fear of failure. With this information, you can take steps to address these underlying issues, such as setting clear and achievable goals, developing time management skills, or working on overcoming your fear of failure.

RCA can also help you identify any external factors that contribute to procrastination, such as a lack of accountability, a cluttered workspace, or distractions from technology. By addressing these factors, you can create a more productive environment that encourages you to stay focused and motivated.

It goes without saying that any good productivity system will scan all unfinished tasks and move them over to the next day, week, month, or year. The Bullet Journal Method calls this process migration. The migration process ensures that tasks are migrated until they are complete. Nothing falls through the cracks.

Many productivity systems encourage you to create lists but they don't show you how to use them until they are complete. Instead, you eventually forget about them and move on to your next list. The Bullet Journal system explains how to migrate incomplete tasks and how to examine them to understand why you are not getting them done. If you don't get a task done you are encouraged to ask yourself WHY not. Does it still matter? Is this task still vital or meaningful? What is holding you back? If a task is still vital or meaningful then migrate it. If not, cross it out. The goal of the system is to power your productivity with purpose.

For a detailed explanation of the migration process, see How to Bullet Journal.

Our free productivity planner also encourages you to migrate unfinished tasks instead of forgetting about them.

Don’t multitask

Focus only on your current task. Many people think that multitasking is efficient, but it isn't. When you focus on one thing at a time, you will be a lot more productive and efficient. Use the Pomodoro Technique to help you divide your time and be more focused.

Always have a piece of paper or a notebook nearby to write down any thought that comes to your mind while working so that you are not distracted. As thoughts arise during your work, write them down and deal with them later.

“Most of the time multitasking is an illusion. You think you are multitasking, but in reality you're actually wasting time switching from one task to another.” Bosco Tjan

In the book Goals! by Brian Tracy, the author explains that one of the most effective techniques for efficiency is single handling. Once you’ve decided to undertake a task, you give that task 100% of your attention until it’s completed. Don't allow yourself to be distracted and don't take a break until it's done. Many famous people have used this technique. Thomas Edison, once wrote that more than anything else, his success came from his ability to work on one thing and one thing only, without stopping. The author suggests if you get distracted, then say to yourself: back to work, back to work, back to work.

Focus on the tasks with the biggest impact

Focus on the actions with the biggest impact. The Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule (discovered by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto) states that 80% of the results of any achievement will come from 20% of the efforts. To become more productive, you need to identify the 20% of your work that will bring 80% of the results and focus on that section.

Take your energy and productive state into account

Everyone feels more alert during certain parts of the day and has lower energy levels at other times. This is a result of your “chronotype,” or personal circadian rhythm (WebMD).

As a result, people are more productive at certain times of the day. Determine when you are in your most productive state and schedule your more difficult tasks for this time. If you can concentrate more in the morning, then schedule tasks that require concentration in the morning. If you are a night owl, then schedule them at night. Don't try to change your body's rhythm. Instead, work with it.

There are times when you don't feel like being productive and you don't have the energy to do specific tasks. David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done suggests you have a specific list of tasks for days when you don't have much energy.

Don't store information in your head

There are many reasons why people procrastinate, but one of the most important is that their to-do list is too overwhelming and they have too much on their mind.

The Getting Things Done (GTD) method can help with this. It gets things off your mind which clears your mind and prevents overwhelm. This enables you to focus on the work that actually matters.

The GTD method will help you attain reliable, stress-free productivity. This will help you organize your work and life and focus more on your purpose in life. When you use this system, you will find yourself being more productive, reducing your stress levels, and taking control of your life. In order to get things done well you need an efficient method that you actually implement and that's where the GTD method comes in.

Set your goals

The goal of productivity is to focus on the things that matter and are important to you. Therefore, you need to know what is important to you in order to know what to focus on. If you don't know where you want to go then you will take longer to get there if you ever make it there. Imagine getting into the car to go for a long road trip and not knowing where you are heading and how to get there. The chances are you won't make it to your destination and if you do, then you will take a longer route than if you know where you are going from the start. This applies to productivity as well. If you haven't set goals for yourself, then you won't know what to do each day. You'll deal with the stuff that is urgent but not important.

Click on the button below to convert any goal into a SMART goal.

Create a SMART goal

Set a personal vision for each area of your life. Your Personal Mission Statement should evoke excitement. This is what will give you the motivation to get out of bed every morning and to do the tasks that would otherwise seem boring. Once you have set your personal vision for each area of your life, you will only do tasks that are in sync with these visions. Everything you do will now become related to the vision and not to the task. This will give you the motivation you need to get things done.

Plan ahead so that you focus on what matters

Plan your week and your day in advance. When you don't plan your time, you will not focus on the things that matter most to you. If you don't plan your day, then someone else will. As Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” When you take the time to plan your week, you will have a roadmap to take you from where you are to where you want to be.

According to Brian Tracy, the ability to distinguish between high- and low-value tasks is a major difference between successful people and unsuccessful people. Successful people spend their time doing high-value tasks that will help them reach their goals. On the other hand, unsuccessful people waste time working on low-value tasks that do not promote their development.

Plan your week before it starts and plan your day the evening before:

• Each week, plan your weekly goals and what you would like to achieve that week. Ideally, you should do this before the week starts.
• Each evening or night, plan the next day. Check your commitments for that day to see how much free time you will have. Determine the things you must get done the next day and the things you would like to do. Determine what your priorities will be and prioritize your daily tasks.

Say no more often

Once you have determined your goals, priorities, and vision for each of your roles in life (see above) don't waste time on things that do not promote those goals. Set boundaries and don't be afraid to enforce them.

Find your purpose and passion

When you find your passion you are more likely to be proactive since you will be doing things you enjoy. When you find your passion you will jump out of bed in the morning anxious to start your day and get things done. On the other hand, when you don't enjoy what you are doing you will not be motivated to get it done.

Watch your life balance

Be careful to lead a balanced life and make time for your life outside of work. It is important to prioritize non-work related activities and relationships.

It is tempting to put things on hold while you focus on productivity but that will lead to greater problems in the future.

Create a morning routine

One of the secrets of the most productive people is having a morning routine. This is the perfect time to plan your day, exercise, meditate, recite positive affirmations, journal, create morning pages, eat that frog or do whatever you include in your morning routine.

Always set a deadline for your tasks and goals

It is important to set a deadline for every task on your to-do list or every action item in your goal planner. Split projects or bigger tasks into single manageable tasks with a deadline for each.

What can we help you with?

Change your mindset

Your self-talk can determine whether you get things done or not. Productive people have a positive and productive mindset. They focus on the things they can do and not on the things they cannot do. Use positive productivity affirmations to change your mindset. Such as I overcome challenges to accomplish my goals; I don't let distractions waste my time.

See how to write affirmations. You can create affirmation cards for your office or workspace. When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts such as "I cannot do this" make a conscious effort to focus on positive things and think of ways you can do something instead of entertaining the thought that you can't do it.

If you find quotes motivating then see our time management quotes.

Identify your priorities and focus on them

You can't do everything. It simply isn't possible. You need to identify your priorities and focus on them. You can be busy all day and work non-stop but that does not make you productive. In order to be productive you need to focus on the tasks that matter. These are the tasks that will bring you closer to your goals and to the things that are meaningful to you.

Your daily tasks should lead you to achieve your long-term goals. The things you focus on are the things that grow so you should be focusing on the things that you want in life. However, it is important that you know what these things are.

Set your short-term and long-term goals (see above), identify the things that will make these goals happen, and focus only on them. Once you have written your goals it is time to set your priorities. These are the projects on which you will focus.

The book "Essentialism" explains how this principle should be more than just a productivity or time management strategy; it should be a systematic discipline for discerning what is essential in our lives and eliminating the rest. The book describes the importance of being more intentional about where you spend your time and energy. By focusing on fewer things, we ensure that those things are done with higher quality and greater impact. 

The Eisenhower Matrix is a prioritization framework that helps individuals and organizations effectively manage their time and tasks. It categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on their urgency and importance, guiding users on what to focus on, delegate, schedule, or eliminate.

Identify the things you are wasting time on

We all have things that distract or interrupt us. For some, it's social media for others the apps on our phones. Some people constantly check email and others spends hours chatting with colleagues during the day. Think about the things you waste time on and write them down. If you are not sure what they are, keep track during the next few days. See 20 time wasters with actionable tips on how to avoid each one.

Track your work days and monitor how you spend your time. How you allocate your time is crucial to your productivity.

Reflect each evening on what you did, if it helped, and what you should do the next day. Keep doing this until you find a system that works for you that you can keep using.

Take breaks

When you try to work for too long, you eventually become unproductive. You can only concentrate for a certain time and after that, you just waste time trying to be productive and getting nothing done. One of the reasons I love the Pomodoro technique is because it forces me to take breaks. My best ideas come to me during breaks and not during work sessions.

Alternate focused work sessions with frequent short breaks to promote focus and concentration and prevent mental fatigue.

Schedule free time for relaxation, reading, meditation, rest, etc.

Prevent procrastinating on tasks

Procrastinating is avoiding something that should be done. We often put things off, hoping that they somehow get done or go away without actually doing anything about them. But unfortunately, this doesn't happen. Usually, the things that you procrastinated for days or weeks cause you anxiety when you could actually get them done really quickly and
then forget about them.

Sometimes, the cause of procrastination is some kind of fear. It could be fear of rejection, failure, or even fear of success. Often, the cause is feeling overwhelmed.

Do you postpone things you don't want to do because you really don't feel like doing them? Here are some ways to help you get them done:

Eat a frog first thing in the morning

Do you have things that you are constantly putting off? The Eat That Frog method suggests you do these things first thing in the morning. If you find yourself constantly pushing certain tasks off, then try the Eat That Frog system. It will help you get those tasks that you really don’t want to do over with first thing in the morning. It will give you a feeling of relief and after you have "eaten a frog" in the morning your day will only get better.

Another way to do this is with temptation bundling.

Temptation bundling is a great strategy presented in the book Atomic Habits. The idea is to pair a pleasurable activity with one you don't enjoy as much but need to do. It is a great way to stop procrastinating. For example, if you have to prepare a report and can't seem to get it done, then tell yourself that when you complete it, you will take a lunch break.

See how to create your temptation bundle

Set time blocks to work without interruptions

Set blocks of uninterrupted time in your day to work. These blocks could be 25 minutes, half an hour, one hour, or 90 minutes long. Set these blocks when you are most productive. For most people, this is in the morning. If it is in the morning, then start as early as you can. See time blocking or time boxing.

One of the most popular methods is the Pomodoro technique which divides your work into small, manageable tasks of 20 to 45 minutes each. You then complete each task within this timeframe without any breaks or interruptions. See how to use the Pomodoro technique and print our free planner which helps you master this technique.

Self-Renewal

Stephen Covey discusses the importance of "sharpening the saw" in order to be more productive. The Sharpen the Saw technique is about preserving and enhancing your body and mind so that you can continue to be productive. It includes a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. When you renew yourself in each of these areas, you promote your personal growth which enables you to achieve your goals.

Many people are so focused on productivity that they don't get enough sleep, relax, exercise, or eat well. When they neglect to do these things, they actually become less productive. When people don't focus on self-renewal they become victims of burnout and land up being less productive in the long run.

If you want to be productive, you need to sleep enough, eat well, exercise, and recharge your batteries.

• You cannot be productive without getting enough sleep. If you find that you are not sleeping enough then use our free sleep tracker to track your sleep.
• If you are not eating well, then use our meal log to track your meals.
• If you don't exercise, then use our exercise tracker to motivate you to work out more and read our workout motivation tips.

Ask yourself WHY things are not getting done

Root cause analysis (RCA) can help you stop procrastination by identifying the underlying factors that contribute to your habit of procrastination and addressing the root causes of this habit. By performing RCA, you can gain a deeper understanding of why you procrastinate, which can help you develop a more effective plan to stop.

For example, RCA might reveal that you procrastinate due to a lack of motivation, poor time management skills, or fear of failure. With this information, you can take steps to address these underlying issues, such as setting clear and achievable goals, developing time management skills, or working on overcoming your fear of failure.

RCA can also help you identify any external factors that contribute to procrastination, such as a lack of accountability, a cluttered workspace, or distractions from technology. By addressing these factors, you can create a more productive environment that encourages you to stay focused and motivated.

It goes without saying that any good productivity system will scan all unfinished tasks and move them over to the next day, week, month, or year. The Bullet Journal Method calls this process migration. The migration process ensures that tasks are migrated until they are complete. Nothing falls through the cracks.

Many productivity systems encourage you to create lists but they don't show you how to use them until they are complete. Instead, you eventually forget about them and move on to your next list. The Bullet Journal system explains how to migrate incomplete tasks and how to examine them to understand why you are not getting them done. If you don't get a task done you are encouraged to ask yourself WHY not. Does it still matter? Is this task still vital or meaningful? What is holding you back? If a task is still vital or meaningful then migrate it. If not, cross it out. The goal of the system is to power your productivity with purpose.

For a detailed explanation of the migration process, see How to Bullet Journal.

Our free productivity planner also encourages you to migrate unfinished tasks instead of forgetting about them.

Don’t multitask

Focus only on your current task. Many people think that multitasking is efficient, but it isn't. When you focus on one thing at a time, you will be a lot more productive and efficient. Use the Pomodoro Technique to help you divide your time and be more focused.

Always have a piece of paper or a notebook nearby to write down any thought that comes to your mind while working so that you are not distracted. As thoughts arise during your work, write them down and deal with them later.

“Most of the time multitasking is an illusion. You think you are multitasking, but in reality you're actually wasting time switching from one task to another.” Bosco Tjan

In the book Goals! by Brian Tracy, the author explains that one of the most effective techniques for efficiency is single handling. Once you’ve decided to undertake a task, you give that task 100% of your attention until it’s completed. Don't allow yourself to be distracted and don't take a break until it's done. Many famous people have used this technique. Thomas Edison, once wrote that more than anything else, his success came from his ability to work on one thing and one thing only, without stopping. The author suggests if you get distracted, then say to yourself: back to work, back to work, back to work.

Focus on the tasks with the biggest impact

Focus on the actions with the biggest impact. The Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule (discovered by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto) states that 80% of the results of any achievement will come from 20% of the efforts. To become more productive, you need to identify the 20% of your work that will bring 80% of the results and focus on that section.

Take your energy and productive state into account

Everyone feels more alert during certain parts of the day and has lower energy levels at other times. This is a result of your “chronotype,” or personal circadian rhythm (WebMD).

As a result, people are more productive at certain times of the day. Determine when you are in your most productive state and schedule your more difficult tasks for this time. If you can concentrate more in the morning, then schedule tasks that require concentration in the morning. If you are a night owl, then schedule them at night. Don't try to change your body's rhythm. Instead, work with it.

There are times when you don't feel like being productive and you don't have the energy to do specific tasks. David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done suggests you have a specific list of tasks for days when you don't have much energy.

Don't store information in your head

There are many reasons why people procrastinate, but one of the most important is that their to-do list is too overwhelming and they have too much on their mind.

The Getting Things Done (GTD) method can help with this. It gets things off your mind which clears your mind and prevents overwhelm. This enables you to focus on the work that actually matters.

The GTD method will help you attain reliable, stress-free productivity. This will help you organize your work and life and focus more on your purpose in life. When you use this system, you will find yourself being more productive, reducing your stress levels, and taking control of your life. In order to get things done well you need an efficient method that you actually implement and that's where the GTD method comes in.

Set your goals

The goal of productivity is to focus on the things that matter and are important to you. Therefore, you need to know what is important to you in order to know what to focus on. If you don't know where you want to go then you will take longer to get there if you ever make it there. Imagine getting into the car to go for a long road trip and not knowing where you are heading and how to get there. The chances are you won't make it to your destination and if you do, then you will take a longer route than if you know where you are going from the start. This applies to productivity as well. If you haven't set goals for yourself, then you won't know what to do each day. You'll deal with the stuff that is urgent but not important.

Click on the button below to convert any goal into a SMART goal.

Create a SMART goal

Set a personal vision for each area of your life. Your Personal Mission Statement should evoke excitement. This is what will give you the motivation to get out of bed every morning and to do the tasks that would otherwise seem boring. Once you have set your personal vision for each area of your life, you will only do tasks that are in sync with these visions. Everything you do will now become related to the vision and not to the task. This will give you the motivation you need to get things done.

Plan ahead so that you focus on what matters

Plan your week and your day in advance. When you don't plan your time, you will not focus on the things that matter most to you. If you don't plan your day, then someone else will. As Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” When you take the time to plan your week, you will have a roadmap to take you from where you are to where you want to be.

According to Brian Tracy, the ability to distinguish between high- and low-value tasks is a major difference between successful people and unsuccessful people. Successful people spend their time doing high-value tasks that will help them reach their goals. On the other hand, unsuccessful people waste time working on low-value tasks that do not promote their development.

Plan your week before it starts and plan your day the evening before:

• Each week, plan your weekly goals and what you would like to achieve that week. Ideally, you should do this before the week starts.
• Each evening or night, plan the next day. Check your commitments for that day to see how much free time you will have. Determine the things you must get done the next day and the things you would like to do. Determine what your priorities will be and prioritize your daily tasks.

Say no more often

Once you have determined your goals, priorities, and vision for each of your roles in life (see above) don't waste time on things that do not promote those goals. Set boundaries and don't be afraid to enforce them.

Find your purpose and passion

When you find your passion you are more likely to be proactive since you will be doing things you enjoy. When you find your passion you will jump out of bed in the morning anxious to start your day and get things done. On the other hand, when you don't enjoy what you are doing you will not be motivated to get it done.

Watch your life balance

Be careful to lead a balanced life and make time for your life outside of work. It is important to prioritize non-work related activities and relationships.

It is tempting to put things on hold while you focus on productivity but that will lead to greater problems in the future.

Create a morning routine

One of the secrets of the most productive people is having a morning routine. This is the perfect time to plan your day, exercise, meditate, recite positive affirmations, journal, create morning pages, eat that frog or do whatever you include in your morning routine.

Always set a deadline for your tasks and goals

It is important to set a deadline for every task on your to-do list or every action item in your goal planner. Split projects or bigger tasks into single manageable tasks with a deadline for each.