9 Ways to Be MORE Productive in Your Day
Listen, I am not a fan of productivity for productivity’s sake, but when we get our priorities in order, and knock out the things that we need to do, we create more margin. And margin is where the magic happens in our lives - it’s what gives us space to spend time with our families and doing the things that we love. Everybody’s gotta eat, we’ve got to have clean clothes to wear, we need to do schoolwork - all valuable things. So here are 9 ways to get better at getting those things done so we can create space for the fun and serendipity of life!
Write it Down
You may think that you can, but most of us actually cannot keep all the things in our brains - stuff is gonna fall through the cracks! Get into the habit of opening your notes app, using post-its, a whiteboard, or just a notebook - and write down what you need to accomplish! Checking things off the list is motivating, and you’re less likely to forget something when it’s written down!
Rhythms & Routines
I’m not great at sticking to an hour by hour schedule, but routines are my jam. Developing a routine (first we do this, then we do that) helps to set the rhythm for our day. It’s not about the time, it’s about the order. That way, if something comes up unexpectedly, your whole day isn’t thrown off, you just carry on with the routine after the interruption!
Get Organized
You don’t have to be a minimalist to declutter and organize your stuff. We have so many decisions to make in a day, the more things we can put on autopilot, the better! When you streamline your home, you won’t be wasting energy and time on those tiny little decision (or searching for things that you need)!
Involve Your Kids
Our kids are so much more capable than we give them credit for! Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning - get those kids involved! Not only are these important life skills, but learning a bit of teamwork, self-sacrifice, and delayed gratification is a good thing! And many hands make light work! This actually creates MORE time for them to have those fun childhood experiences, and time with YOU!
Move Your Body
Yes, exercise is good and keeps your strong and healthy, but that’s not really what I’m talking about here! An object in motion stays in motion, right? Just get up and do ONE thing - the satisfaction you’ll feel from that accomplishment will give you the motivation and self-trust to keep going!
Just Say NO
If you’re a chronic people-pleaser, this one might be pretty difficult - but there is so much power in no. Especially if you are in the early stages of making changes to your routines and learning how to best use your time, you may need to say no, even to good things, so that you can best develop your new skills and rhythms. And remember that every yes to something else is a no to your family. And that can be good and necessary, but you need to be the guardian of your time.
Set a Bedtime
FOR YOURSELF! The importance of sleep cannot be overstated, and allll the science will back me up on this one. Take the time to train your body to sleep and wake at relatively the same time every day - your brain needs this consistency to function at it’s best! And if you’re sleeping well, you will have so much more energy to accomplish your priorities.
Plan Ahead
While we can’t plan for all of life’s surprises, it will behoove you to look ahead at your day, your week, your month - and try to maximize your time. Combine trips, get that gift when you’re out instead of waiting til the last minute, and most of all, knowing what’s coming up will help prevent you from over-scheduling yourself!
Perfectionism
You’ve got to let that go. There are very few areas in life where perfection is absolutely necessary - it’s okay for some things to be good enough. Only you can decide what things in your life you’re wasting time on by trying to achieve perfection - but be honest with yourself. Chillax just a little, and you’ll find it far easier to create that margin that your life needs.