Productivity is never an accident

Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.

Who doesn't love being productive? That feeling we get when we check something off of our list of To Do's. The satisfaction of being able to achieve and just getting things done helps to create peace of mind.

Here's some tips to help your productivity:

1. Write things down: Every task, every commitment should be written down. This frees your mind from the energy and 'attention-sucking' job of trying to remember everything. 
2. Get a head start: It's best to review your list the night before, and again first thing in the morning. This will make you better prepared and less likely to be caught off guard. 
3. Do your most dreaded task first: Whatever it is, it hangs over your head, distracting you with guilt because it keeps getting pushed to the next day and the next. It's time to end that cycle. Do it. 
4. Turn off distractions: Work to eliminate the distractions of constant interruptions. Turn off your phone alerts until you complete that task that needs your full attention. 
5. Take mental and physical breaks: No matter how busy you are, after a certain amount of time, the law of diminishing returns kicks in, and fatigue, physical and/or mental, starts to impair your effectiveness. Stand up, stretch, get a drink of water, take a walk. 
6. Batch process: Try to group similar tasks and schedule certain times during the day to knock them out at once. Answering emails? Returning phone calls? Entering expenses in a spreadsheet? Instead of interrupting your other tasks to do these things piecemeal, batch them. 
7. Eat healthy and Get Some Exercise: Healthy people are more productive. 
8. Delegate: What tasks could someone else do, that will free you up to focus on the things only you can do? 
9. Say no: How many commitments have you mad that don't really need to be kept at all? Remove tasks that don't actually matter.