It’s one thing to set goals and another to achieve them and remain productive while you are at it. I’ve come up with strategies that can help you stay productive:
1. Have a plan
Write down all the things you’re set to achieve, when you want to reach them, and how you want to achieve them. This will help you put what needs to be done into perspective and set your priorities right.
You can create a to-do list to help prioritise tasks in order of importance and urgency. It’s an effective way to prevent forgetfulness and keep you on your toes. With a to-do list, your attentiveness is guarded and channelled towards the tasks that need to be done.
Apart from a to-do list, having a plan might also mean creating SMART goals and breaking them down into smaller tasks for easy execution.
2. Multitask or completely avoid it
Some people can multitask effortlessly, and some cannot do it successfully. You need to identify which category you fall into and work with the information that you have -whether you can or can’t.
What if you face moments when multitasking is unavoidable? That’s a good question. You can compartmentalise your tasks, do them one at a time, and stay productive. Achieving your goals can be overwhelming, but grouping them can help you prioritise and make scheduling easy. Overall, it will help you stay on track and keep your focus in check.
3. The Pomodoro technique
If you’re someone who struggles to stay focused over a long stretch, this technique might come in handy for you, and help you stay productive.
How does this technique work? You work for 25 minutes without interruptions and you take a 5-minute break to keep ‘stress’ in check, you’ll then repeat the process till your goal is achieved. You can keep track of this by using a timer.
4. Prioritise your well-being
To achieve your goals and stay productive, you need to take care of yourself and this could mean avoiding multitasking, practising self-care, saying no to time-wasting tasks, and taking breaks regularly. You could also prioritise your well-being by scheduling rests, eating right and on time, doing activities that make you happy, and relaxed and also prevent burnout; just to mention a few.
5. Productivity tools
Another strategic way to stay productive is to use tools that are designed to help you achieve your goals while staying productive. These tools often help to keep you organised, focused and productive.
Above all, productivity is achievable regardless of how tedious things can get along the way. If you fail, try again because you can only keep trying.
