Getting Things Done Fast: 9 Ways to be More Productive in Less Time

"I want to do a lot of things, but I don't get enough time."

Sounds familiar?

Most of us love to be more productive, but we are so scattered in our daily tasks and our “undefined” goals that we fail to do so. So, this blog is devoted to the techniques and methods on how to get things done in a more productive way.

Being productive is not about getting more done, instead, it's about working smarter and getting the important things done. And this blog will show you  exactly how.

Let's first see the steps to get things done:

STEPS BY STEP TUTORIAL:

1. Find your purpose for being productive

You might create a routine that can make you more productive.

Say, a morning routine where you have time to exercise, have a healthy breakfast, and have time to plan your day ahead, but after a certain time, you’ll realize this routine doesn’t give you personal satisfaction.

This is because, you didn’t think about the purpose for being more productive.

And that is what the first step is:

You want to be more productive, but what is your purpose? 

Do you want to find more time to spend it with your family, or you want to start a side business?

Whatever it might be, find that one purpose and then, create a routine (The next steps will help you create an efficient routine).

Now, if it becomes hard to find -

Here's a tip:

Think about this - If you are given 2 extra hours in a day, what would you do with the additional time?

2. Manage TIME and ATTENTION efficiently

Both these parameters go hand in hand.

If you have all the time in the world, but your mind is wandering and unfocused, then the time is wasted.

Whereas, the opposite stands true as well: if you are concentrating on one thing, but you don't have a well-managed schedule, it's a waste as well.

Hence, managing these parameters well is most important.

3. One task at a time

Forget multitasking and do one task at a time. This will keep you focused completely on one thing and make it more efficient. 

4. Use the Rule of 3

Start your every week by identifying 3 things to accomplish in that week. Then, start your every day by identifying 3 goals you should accomplish by the time you go to sleep.

By looking ahead at what you want to accomplish, both day by day and week by week, you're already figuring out how best to structure your time and attention on what's important.

Time for a tip:

While setting goals, check your calendar.

This will ensure that you are not choosing goals that are unrealistic as you might have dedicated your time to another task.

Being productive means being smart about your schedule, so don't set yourself up for failure by setting unattainable goals.

Now, that you have your purpose, a well-managed schedule, weekly and daily, and you are providing your full attention to one task at a time, there are some obstacles in your way -

• distractions, and

• procrastination.

Let's tackle these.

GET RID OF THE OBSTACLES:

5. Phone distraction

Best Way: go to a quiet place & keep your phone on airplane mode.

But if you can't: keep notifications off for the apps that disturbs the most - facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat, whatsapp, and the list goes on.

Also, our personal mail boxes are such a mess with unwanted subscriptions, that every half an hour notifies and eats up another 15 minutes of our precious time.

Tip?

Put email notifications off, and keep any 2 specific time slots per day booked for checking mails only - say, one in the morning and another at night.

You can also use this technique for other unimportant social apps too.

6. Avoid procrastination

Procrastination will be more likely to be for the task, if there are any of these attributes:

• boring

• frustrating 

• difficult

• subconscious fear

• unstructured or ambiguous

• lack of personal meaning

• lack of intrinsic rewards

The more these attributes in a task, the more likely it is that you'll procrastinate.

Tip:

Make such tasks more appealing and attractive.

Say, you are procrastinating for dropping off the book you got from library and buy groceries for home.

But this seems boring to you and sitting on couch watching Netflix seems easy and interesting.

You could make it interesting by buying an ice cream after doing these jobs, or by eating out in a restaurant you wanted since a long time, or just by meeting your sweet friend after finishing these tasks.

Such rewards will keep you motivated for doing the tasks and also to finish them up quickly as you are looking forward to something interesting :)

Now that we are on track - A great schedule without any distractions.

Let's work on making your schedule more effective by using these bonus tips:

EFFECTIVE BONUS TIPS:

7. Set specific time for task completion

Give yourself a certain amount of time to finish a task. And, that time should be realistic, (you'll see why).

If you set 2 hours' time, for a 1 hour task, you'll exert less energy and attention during that time.

But if you give it just 1 hour, you'll remain focused and energetic during the whole time.

Again, if you set less time for a 1 hour task, you'll just set yourself to see failure, and then eventually you'll give up to this idea.

Hence, it has to be realistic. 

Also, working more than a certain amount of time in a week leads to inefficiency.

Studies have shown that working 35-40 hours a week is an ideal schedule for optimal energy and concentration, and anything past this amount will start to negatively affect your productivity.

8. Use Brain Dumping

What is Brain Dumping?

Brain dumping is a process of freeing up your brain's space to let the brain do things that it is actually built for: solving problems and coming up with new ideas.

At the beginning of every week and each day, write down tasks so that you don't need to waste energy trying to keep track of what needs to be done.

These tasks do not need to be grocery lists, and appointments only; you can write down everything from your goals, fears, unfinished books you wanna read and any new idea you do not want to forget.

9. Use OHIO principle for low-priority tasks

Say, you got a mail invitation to a conference. You quickly browse through the email and then set it aside.

Three days later, you remember the mail, but don't remember the sender's name. As a result, you scroll back down for countless minutes to find the same. From there, you have got to read it again, wasting yet more time!

Now, this was an easy task, and could be handled straight away. 

Time to Apply our Tip:

Use OHIO principle: "Only Handle It Once".

Whenever you come across a simple, less time taking and low-priority task, handle it right then & there, saving a lot of your time and effort.

Another tip:

Remember, not everything needs to be done flawlessly.

Reserve this privilege for your top-level work, since this is what will count, and you'll be judged for.

Handle unimportant tasks quickly and then move onto the more important tasks.

To summarize, being productive isn't only about getting more things done - it's about working smarter by finding your true purpose, using efficient ways and make the most of your time by the above told techniques.

VidzMak wishes you productive days ahead!! Stay Happy :)

Found these useful? There are more such ways you can read.

Below are the books that contain More Smarter Ways to be Productive.

Get your hands on them NOW:

References:

• The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention and Energy by Chris Bailey (Book) - Buy

• Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours - by Robert C. Pozen (Book) - Buy