Oh yes! That’s how we feel when we accomplish our goals; even if it’s just some tiny little goal. Unfortunately, our accomplishments are getting delayed, thanks to “productivity blues”. But guess what- after sifting through people’s minds, chatting to some successful entrepreneurs, we have compiled NINE PRODUCTIVITY HACKS that will double your growth.
1. Jump-Start to the day: Jump-starting the day literally means jumping out of the bed and doing some form of exercise. It could be anything- 15 minutes of deep breathing, 15 minutes of jogging, 15 minutes of dancing to some “confidence-boosting” songs, 15 minutes of pure joy. When you begin your day on a high-note, the endorphins urge you to accomplish a lot more than you usually do. (Note: Of course, hangover days do not fall under this category. We will come up with “hacks for hangover separately. Lol!)
2. Social appearances for Social Media: It simply means, not checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter for every alert it may or may not throw at you. On average, we “waste” an hour a day reading or indulging in “wasteful posts”. So do yourself a favor and be present on Social Media, only socially. Or the saying goes- “20 minutes of social media a day, keeps the silly obligations away”.
3. Meaningful Meetings: Meetings are important, discussions are important but having “never-ending meetings” with no concrete output does no good to no one. Plan ahead your next meeting – set an agenda, set time-limit, set speakers and their respective topics. And end the meeting with “set objectives for each team member”. Oh and don’t forget to float your minutes of the meeting almost immediately. Good planning leads to fruitful results.
4. Multi-task Master- If we could be anything, we would be multitask masters. But this comes with a rule- don’t mix difficult and difficult. If you are doing something difficult, multi-task with something fun and easier. Example- Brisk-walking (with or without treadmill) while on a call/ conference call. This way you burn some and win some 😉
5. Easy-peasy, don’t do lazy– This one is for all those small tasks that take seconds or minutes to finish. So whenever you have something easy-peasy, get it out of the way fastest. The more items you tick-off, the less burdened you feel and more accomplished you get. For eg: book an appointment, return a call, quick-hello to a friend in need, etc.
6. Tick-tock, on the clock– Instead of making those long and dreading to-do lists, set time to everything. Whenever you attach a date or time to a goal, your focus is sharp and you work harder in accomplishing it. Keep this ticking time bomb on your desk so that next time you want to take a tea-break, you will know what to wrap up even in that break.
7. Rewarding rewards– who doesn’t love rewards? Small or big, a reward goes a long way in helping us grow. For every difficult thing you accomplish, give yourself a reward; even if it’s a mini-reward. Example: If I finish my project on deadline, I will give myself a “break”. Then go and book yourself a spa appointment. Or something smaller like- I’ll treat myself to a brownie if I attend that boring family wedding tonight 😉
8. Positivity Potion– If we drink this positivity potion everyday, we will be happier souls and productive ones at that. We all know we do our best when we are at our happiest. So, say your thank-yous and know there’s always light at the end of a tunnel. Positivity always boosts productivity, when done right.
9. Hug-it-out: This is for everyone and it works wonders! Well, many TV shows and movies (Movie e.g.: Pay it forward) stress on the importance of hugs (either literally or figuratively). This one “hug”/ good deed will boost your confidence and give you that little push when you need it the most. Next time you’re down in the dumps, tell your colleague (even better if s/he is a hottie!) to give you one “you can do it” hug and you will see the magic unfold.
Ending with a BONUS hack for all you productivity hacker – DO ANY THREE OF THE ABOVE AND YOU’RE SORTED! Now don’t blame anyone for reading this small post for 20 minutes! Speed up mate and don’t forget to “pay it forward” i.e. share it with others.