In the face of a disrupted work-life, it can be easy to lose motivation. We’ve put together some of the best productivity tips around to give you that boost of inspiration you need to get things done.
1. Try a To-Don’t List
We all know the importance of ‘To Do” lists, but what about the ‘To-Don’t” list? An alternative productivity strategy proposed by Donald Roos, an author, typographer and creator of productivity tools for creative people, it’s the cornerstone of a simple, list-based project planning system that helps you prioritise the three tasks at any one time that will bring the most value when you finish. Lump everything aside from these 3 carefully selected tasks together on your to-don’t list to free up the clutter in your mind and give you renewed focus on what will truly make an impact.
2. Listen to Classical Music
According to research, classical music may actually help you improve focus and productivity. Researchers believe Baroque music specifically, which is played at around 60 beats per minute, can ease the brainwaves into the relaxed state commonly known as the “alpha state”, which helps supercharge your learning and productivity.
3. Take One Small Step Towards Your Goal
There are always going to be those days where you don’t feel like doing anything. For days like these, Rosie Guagliardo of InnerBrilliance Coaching suggests making a promise to yourself to take at least one small step towards your goal. This will most likely jumpstart your day and lead you to take more steps than you originally intended.
4. Stop Multitasking
You may have heard that multitasking is bad for you, but new research conducted at Stanford University suggests its effects may be worse than a simple decline in productivity. Being bombarded with information from multiple sources at once may, in fact, cause long term cognitive damage. Chronic multitaskers have a hard time filtering out irrelevant information not necessary to the task at hand, meaning they are thinking about too much at once. So, next time you have too many tasks to do, perhaps by doing less, you might actually accomplish more.
Related Articles
Work From Home Guide: 42 Productivity Tips, Tools & Hacks
