Tips For Pumping Up Your Productivity
I love The Daily Muse – they always feature amazing career and productivity advice. Recently, the site posted an infographic featuring the “6 Best Things You Can Do Every Morning and Night.”
I Ioved this graphic (first and foremost because it’s a list!) but I couldn’t help but wonder if we can improve a few of their tips…”List Producer style.”
Night
1. Make a “night before” list – I’m a big supporter of any list that gets you organized but I have to say, this list is a little too specific. As an alternative, I’d say keep a small notebook next to your bed for any last minute reminders or thoughts that keep you up at night.
2. Set your clothes out for tomorrow – YES! I’ve been known to even pre-pack my bag with items I need. Another great trick is to keep a decorative dish with things you can’t forget by the front door – stash your keys, wallet and sunglasses there so you won’t miss them in the morning. Sticky notes work too. Just make sure to put them in a place you will be forced to look at them.
3. Forgive yourself – okay, this is a cute sentiment but I think what they’re really getting at here is the importance of taking time to reflect on your day before you fall asleep. Personally, I like to journal at night.
Morning
1. Do something for yourself – The Muse advises to do something to center yourself in the morning. I’m a morning person and I love using my morning time for yoga and reading the paper. A little time to relax in the morning is the best way to start off on the right foot for a productive day.
2. Have a routine – Routines are great ways to simplify your mornings but are unfortunately not that easy to get down to a science. Instead, try making a list by writing down everything you do in order on Monday morning. Make adjustments to your list as the week goes on so by Friday you should have a solid routine.
3. Start with something big… Or small – Depending on who you ask, experts say starting with the biggest or smallest tasks on your list will make you more likely to get through your to do list. I say, do whatever you least want to do on the list – getting the most daunting task out of the way will allow you to remain productive and give you a big sense of accomplishment. That combination will make you want to check off even more to-dos!
I pick out five outfits on Sunday Afternoon with my calendar in hand. I don’t always stick to the original order for the week but it gives me five outfits on Monday that I don’t have to put together. People laugh, until they try it. It keeps me from wearing the same things, same shoes etc. sometimes I ever put the accessories with it so I really don’t have to stop and think too hard
Really useful tips Paula!
You mention that you are not such a fan of the night before list idea but I found it pretty interesting. Many of us think about the day ahead of us before we hit the bed so this technique can prove to be very useful. Maybe not so much in terms of planning, but in terms of externalizing your thoughts in a piece of paper so you can actually let go of them and fall asleep faster instead of staying awake planning tomorrow.
Hi Kosio — so glad you liked this one. I go back and forth on the night before list. I definitely do it at work before I leave for the day but for my personal stuff I tend to make my list first thing in the morning. I guess it’s just the way I compartmentalize. The beauty of productivity is that there’s no wrong way to do it! Whatever works for you is exactly what you should be doing! Thanks for reading. Best,
Paula