Five Things that You Can Do to Get More Productive Right Now

You ever have one of those days where you seem to get so much stuff done, that you wonder where you would be if every day was like that? Taking care of business is all about momentum; getting started is the hardest part. Once you are rolling, you can seemingly accomplish 1000 tasks in one day.

Here are five things that I do in order to build momentum and get things done. Try them out yourself, I can almost guarantee that they will work for you. They work for me, and have worked for others in my life.

1) Carry a task list with you whenever you go, and keep adding to it. Some people have PDA's; some people type out their tasks in the computer. For me, I just use a simple pen and paper. When I wake up in the morning, I write down two tasks that I want to take care of. These aren't big tasks like "Clean out the garage" or "Find a new job." They are small micro-tasks, such as "Take out the recycling from the garage" or "Send my application to the restaurant down the street." I don't sit down and write out thirty things that I want to accomplish throughout the day; I just write two things to start the day. I don't set a goal on how many things that I want to accomplish; I just write two goals. As I complete goals, I will write another two goals, and so on. When I complete a goal, I simply tick it off the list. By the end of the day, I have usually accomplished 30-40 different micro-tasks, and had an extremely useful day.

At the end of the day, I don't throw out my task list; I add it to the previous day's task list with a stapler. When I look back on previous days, I find it inspires me to be as productive as possible in the current day. I think to myself "Hey, I accomplished 27 things yesterday. Maybe I can do thirty today!" I carry around my current task list and previous task lists wherever I go.

2) Exercise. Whether you are spending two hours at the gym or fifteen minutes walking down the street to go to the mailbox, just get out there and get your body moving. You will find that this exercise will stabilize your mind, relieve stress and make you extremely focused. I always come up with my best ideas when I am exercising. And of course, you get the added benefit of becoming healthier in the process. Add exercise to your task list on a daily basis. You don't have to run a marathon every day; just get out there and exercise.

3) Dress for success. You can't expect to just roll out of bed, throw on some old clothes, step outside and have a productive day. You are going to feel lethargic and tired all day. When you wake up, have a shower, and put on some clothes that make you feel good about yourself. Being productive is all about getting into a solid, healthy routine.

4) Wake up at the same time everyday, no matter what. Your body will be operating at its peak level if you wake up everyday at the same time. If you normally get up at 6 am, and suddenly wake up at 11 am one day, your body will be confused and you will not have a productive day. Even if you are out an hour or two later than normal on any particular night, try and get up at the same time on the night day. You won't like it at the beginning, but your body will thank you in the long-run.

5) Create a journal. I prefer online journals or blogs, because then other people will read your journal, and will often offer encouragement. There is nothing more motivating than knowing that other people are reading your blog, and possibly being motivated by you! Plus, you get the added benefit of seeing positive progression over time.

Try these five things out, and I guarantee that you will see a positive benefit. They worked for me, and they will work for you. You just need discipline, but after a while, this stuff will become second nature.

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