Share This Article
I can be one of the most productive people around and also one of the least, this is something I feel like most of us can relate to. I absolutely suck at being productive when I am tired (most days of the week) and I am able to get the focus and the drive after a good nights sleep or copious amounts of caffeine. Once I am in the swing of being productive I am at my best, but it is obvious when I am struggling as keeping focus seems like one of the most difficult tasks in the world. Today I thought I’d share with you the few tips I’ve learnt that actually work for me when I am lacking that motivation and drive to get up and do things. So hopefully you enjoy this post and let me know in the comments what gives you the motivation to be more productive!
Do things in ‘bursts’:
Decide how many minutes you can do something for which is manageable, for example, 10 minutes of cleaning at a time. You set a timer, do 10 minutes, then take a little break, e.g. have a quick check of your phone and then do another 10 until the task is done. You can obviously do this in longer or shorter bursts dependant on the task. I feel like it motivates me as it allows me the time to do what I need to do but I am also up against the clock to stay focussed and keep going.
Get more sleep:
For me, this is one of the hardest things to do. It’s not as simple as I can just fall asleep, most nights I can be awake for 5 hours after I’ve actually gone to ‘bed’ before I can fall asleep. I was recently sent some Benenox to review and I was a little sceptical about what the results would be. I know a lot of products on the market offer similar benefits and in the past, I haven’t found them that useful. On first taste, I wasn’t a huge fan of it as it doesn’t taste great (imo) but after a few days of taking it before bed, I started to notice the difference, I was waking up feeling more recharged than nights when I had similar amounts of sleep, but felt exhausted in the morning still. The product is £12.49 for a bottle of 135ml which is a little on the expensive side, but as I felt a significant improvement in my sleep, I would buy again for sure.
Make a to-do list (a reasonably sized one):
I am forever making huge lists of things I want to do, and then never actually following through on them. I get around 3/4 things done and then I feel low on energy and effort and give up and then feel guilty for not getting the rest done. Making a smaller list and crossing things off gives you the ultimate feeling of achievement.
Find when you’re most productive:
I am absolutely awful at being productive in the mornings, and I can’t keep concentration until a few hours after I’ve been awake. I always notice I am my most productive around 7pm, which is a good thing as Will is too, and it means we are both ready to get stuff done. I wish I could be more productive at ‘normal’ times. Once you have the time locked down, it’s always best to get going at that time, rather than force yourself in the day.
Get the tunes playing:
I am a music fan and I have so many playlists that consist of completely random things, but I know which ones I love to work with as they’re so much more upbeat and can feature anything from Shania Twain to Eminem. Oh, and you have to add a few tunes like Blue [Da Ba Dee] and Lovefool.
