Top 10 Tips for Being More Productive Throughout the Day

Looking for some simple strategies for increasing your output? Here are the top 10 tips for being more productive in the day.

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#1 – Use The 80/20 Rule

If you’ve ever taken a course in economics, you might be familiar with the famous Pareto principle. It basically says that 80% of the output comes from 20% of the input.

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This trend is everywhere, from one-fifth of workers creating fourth-fifths of the work to one-fifth of shareholders owning fourth-fifths of stocks.

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But it can also be true for your productivity. That notion of doing 8 hours of work? Have a 9 to 5? Let’s be real. Most of your work is done in 20% of your workday. Instead of fighting this, try to really push yourself for that 20% so you can relax during the other 80!

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#2 – Chew Bubblegum

Or–any kind of gum really. This may sound crazy, but there are actually plenty of government studies showing that productivity can be boosted if you chew gum.

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This is evident in a lot of ways, from the fact that chewing gum raises cortisol levels without affecting heart rate to the fact that it raises alertness and the ability to recall recently learned information.

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If you have trouble staying focused (or even awake), the active jaw stimulation of a piece of gum can be just what you need to get your head in the game.

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#3 – Split It Into Thirds

Our day-to-day lives are complicated. On an average day, how many things do you have to remember to do? A dozen different things? A hundred? The point is, it’s too many.

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Humans are great at compartmentalizing, so we recommend splitting your day into three big tasks. After all, trying to accomplish anything more is just going to leave you feeling tired and the results mediocre.

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A great way to do this is to write down three big things you want to make happen in the day, and put everything else secondary. You might not get as many things done, but what you will accomplish will be more fruitful.

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#4 – Start Now

Everyone seems to have a superstition about how and when they can start work. Some of us can only seem to start when the time ends in 0. Others are partial to starting at a particular time of day.

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But this cycle of waiting until it’s really the right moment just isn’t feasible. With the tasks we struggle to be productive about, some of them will never have a “right” moment. Some tasks just suck, and it’s better to get over them sooner rather than later.

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#5 – Get Rid of Distractions

Clearly, distractions don’t help. You already know that. But how much are you doing to actively avoid them?

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Instead of just telling yourself to get rid of your distractions, it would be in your best interest to be proactive about the situation. Figure out what exactly bothers you and then banish it from your productivity sessions.

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For almost all of us, the number one distraction is our screens. We get lost in their magical aura and putting them away becomes an impossibility.

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Luckily, Earn Your Screen Time offers technology to block the distractions on your devices, time your screen breaks, and help you set custom tasks for the amount of time you need. We really recommend you try our service!

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#6 – Capitalize On Your Commutes

If you take a commute that’s any more than 15 minutes and you can shorten it, do that now!

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For the rest of you, turn your commute into a new chance to be productive. If you’re driving, put a podcast on productivity, or the topic of whatever you need to learn about in life.

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Take public transportation? Even better. You might as well get your laptop out and create a whole office! Others (like people who walk or ride bikes) use their commutes to get exercise. The sky’s the limit.

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#7 – Identify Your Productivity Struggle

If you’re reading this article, it’s more than likely that productivity is something you’re struggling with extra hard recently.

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Whatever that struggle is, study it. Name it. Figure out what exactly it is, why it happens, and how to deal with it.

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The most common “productivity struggle” people have is having tasks for some project they aren’t actually motivated by. Whether it’s a career you aren’t into or a class you don’t want to take, get out of it.

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If your hardest struggle is absolutely necessary (like a tough exam for your dream career), focus on it. Do it first and get it out of the way. If it’s part of what you truly want to do, you’ll be able to achieve it.

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#8 – Make the Most of Your Breaks

If you haven’t seen our article on taking breaks, read it right now! In a nutshell: take breaks as regularly as you can for as long as you can. When you’re on a break, do something that really feels like a break and makes you more energized when you get back to work.

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Contrary to popular belief, breaks are the central part of any productive person’s workday. No one is fully efficient if they don’t let themselves rest!

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#9 – Routine, Routine, Routine!

Stop wasting brainpower on everyday things like what time you’ll wake up and go to bed or how you’ll start your day. Humans are creatures of habit, and we work much better when we cycle through each day with similar schedules.

Think about how much better you feel after you’ve gotten up at the same time every day, or how natural it is to do tasks and chores that are built into your daily routine. It almost doesn’t even feel like work at all!

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#10 – Don’t Cram Your Schedule

If you’ve been viewing our blog for a while, you know how many secrets to productivity actually involve working less hard and avoiding burnout. This last tip is no exception. If you truly want to get more done, you have to expect to get less done.

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By lowering your expectations for work, you will be less stressed about your schedule and more likely to produce efficient, high-quality results.