Being more productive is one goal that many people aspire to attain. This is especially true in a new year when we all get a clean slate to start afresh. It is also a time when we all make New Year resolutions and are determined to follow them.
The truth of the matter, however, is that few New Year resolutions go past the month of February. By then the excitement is long gone for most people and life slowly gets back to normal.
For those of us who work from home, we have to be extra careful that we remain productive because nobody is hovering over our heads checking what we are doing. If we lack discipline in our work, it will soon be reflected in our earnings.
This year, I choose to be more productive, and I believe that you, my reader, desire the same, and that is why you are here reading this blog article. There are several things that we can do to make this a reality, and I will go over a few of these.
Practical productivity hacks that do not cost you anything
Wake up earlier
Imagine what just one hour a day can do to your productivity. That is seven more hours in a week, 28 more hours in a month and 365 more hours in a year. What can you do with that many extra hours?
I know what some of you are thinking, and I get it. I’m not a morning person myself, but I know I can do a lot more in a year with 365 more hours.
To make up for it, why not sleep one hour earlier than normal? I find that I spend most of my evening hours are in a slow mood doing nothing tangible. Most times I find myself either chatting, watching TV or just idling around. By sleeping one hour earlier to enable you to wake up one hour earlier, for most people it will not be sacrificing too much.
Much as I don’t enjoy waking up very early in the morning; the truth of the matter is that I get a lot more accomplished early in the morning when I’m still fresh, and I know this is true for many people.
If one hour seems too much of a sacrifice, then why not start with 30 minutes and then build it up slowly?
Remove distractions
Many times we fail to be more productive because of distractions. If you think about the amount of time people waste on email, phone, social media, and other such activities, it will amaze you at how much time gets wasted every day. If you want to be more productive, you must deliberately remove distractions from your working day.
You cannot be spending the first one hour of your working day on Facebook catching up with friends and posting pictures of your latest escapades and expect to be more productive.
One way of deliberately removing distractions from your schedule is turning off all push notifications, especially on the device you are working from. It is so tempting to check that new photo that your best friend has just uploaded on Facebook or Instagram. What of those breaking news items that we keep getting from our favorite news channels. All these are distractions that prevent us from being more productive.
I learned a principle that greatly increased my productivity from the legendary Robin Sharma. He calls it the 90/90/1 rule. This rule states that for the next 90 days, spend the first 90 minutes on your one most important opportunity.
If you follow this rule, it means that you cannot afford to spend your first one and a half hours every day on distractions. You will instead spend this time on your most important goals of the day, which brings me to the next productivity hack.
Make a list of the three most important goals to accomplish
It is commonly stated that if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. You cannot become more productive if you have no idea of what you need to accomplish.
Most productivity gurus swear by ensuring that you have listed your most important goals to accomplish for the following day just before you sleep.
I have personally found the practice of writing down my three most important things to accomplish in a day helps me to be more productive. Prioritizing my tasks and starting with the highest in my order of priority or the most difficult is also very helpful. This helps me to work on the most important and most difficult tasks when I’m still fresh and alert.
Take constant breaks
After working on a task for 90 minutes, your mind is likely to get exhausted, especially if it is a difficult task.
Taking small breaks throughout the day as you work is refreshing to the mind and body. If you are working on the computer, for example, you need to stand up and move away from for about 15 minutes.
Take a bathroom break, do some stretches, take a cup of coffee or any other activity that differs completely from the task at hand. You can even check and reply to a few emails or make several phone calls while at it. After 15 to 30 minutes, you then continue working for another 90 minutes.
This removes monotony and boredom and energizes you to embark on your goals once more.
Have consistent routines
Many people who work from home are guilty of working when they feel like working having no routine.
Routines provide us with discipline and focus. When you set a time for waking up, taking a shower, eating breakfast and starting to work, you are setting yourself up for success.
Those of us who work from home pride ourselves on being able to work from anywhere wearing anything including pajamas. Much as I’m not advocating for dressing up as if you are going to a corporate boardroom, I believe you should also dress up for your home office.
Set aside some comfortable home office wear that you can wear rather than working in your PJs. This way, you change your mindset from being in bed to being in the office.
Other members of your family should also know that you have consistent office hours and that you should not be disturbed during office hours. Without this kind of consistency, it is difficult to be productive in a home environment.
Remove clutter from your home office
Working in a cluttered home office can greatly reduce your productivity. Aside from having a designated working station in the home, you should also ensure that this space is free from clutter.
A well-organized space is not only inviting, but it also promotes your capacity to think more clearly and produce more. Decluttering also removes many of the distractions that prevent you from working.
Apart from the basic, comfortable furniture and equipment that you need to work, your workspace should be free of much else. Even your favorite book or magazine can be a source of distraction when strategically placed on your working table. Whatever you do not need to work should be removed.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle
To be more productive, you need to stay healthy. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle when working from home can be a challenge for some people. I have, however, realized that being deliberate and consistent is critical.
To start off, ensure that you eat a healthy diet consistently. Schedule your time in a way that you can prepare healthy and balanced meals. You can even set aside one day a week and prepare all the meals you need for that week and freeze them.
Many home workers also tend to ignore exercise. Exercise does not have to be boring or necessarily done in a gym. A simple walk in the neighborhood for 30 minutes to an hour several days a week is enough. If you cannot leave the house, say, for example; you have small kids, there are still many exercises that you can do from home.
Skipping rope is one of my favorite exercises that I do from home. You can also stretch, run on the spot, go up the stairs several times a day, and lift some weights that can be found right in your house. All these are simple ways to exercise that don’t cost you any money.
One other simple way of keeping healthy that most people ignore is staying hydrated. Our bodies need water for bodily functions to work well. Dehydration can make you lose focus on your work.
A common saying is that water is life. 70% of our brains compose of water and our brain needs water to function properly. According to Psychology Today, when we are dehydrated, our brains lose the ability to focus and perform daily tasks optimally. You should, therefore, ensure that you stay hydrated if you want to be more productive. I have a huge bottle that I fill with water every morning, and I keep sipping on it throughout the day.
Wrapping up
If you desire to be more productive this year, well, your desire is valid and doable. With the simple steps outlined above, this can be the year where you double or even triple your productivity.
The activities that I have outlined do not require any money to do. All that is required of you is discipline and consistency in doing them. The results will be evident, and you won’t want to go back to a life of mediocrity.
Have a great new year and enjoy more productivity in all your endeavors this year.