If we had more time, we would be more productive and life will be more fulfilling. However, this is not always the case. The mentality that stifles productivity is one of the biggest culprit.
What does that mean? What stifles productivity? Jaysen Demers identified seven scientific causes for low productivity. A couple of reasons that I find myself resonating with the article are not waking up early, being too concerned about time and not having enough rest. Do you feel the same way?
Life is short, we want to be able to make the best out of it. So, after doing a little research, along with conversations with some friends, here are 6 life hacks that are highly beneficial.
1) Know what your time is worth
Think about what your current life situation is. According to your life goals, you need to determine what you need to do to accomplish it and how much time you would like to work on it. But, be realistic. Do not give yourself a limited time to complete a far-fetched goal. We are striving to obtain happiness and not stress and depression. We need to have a list of things that we can check off in life. We do not need to keep life goals that are unattainable.
2) Create lists of things you need to do
Pick up your notepad or open the notepad app on your electronic device and create a list of things that you need to do. After listing down all your “to-do” items, prioritize them. The first 5 items on your list should be things that you need to get done urgently. You have to concentrate on completing the first 5 items. Do not look or think about the other items that are not on your priority list.
“Everything is priority, I have to complete everything.” Although that might be true to a certain extent, we need to make tough life decisions to decide on the most important tasks in our lives. We are only humans. We need to know our limits and work according to it.
3) Link what you are doing to your long term goals
Always ask yourself if you are the right thing that will bring you closer to your goals. Who is guilty of being constantly busy but not constantly productive? Well, I am. With the advent of the internet and social media, many of us find ourselves occupied with googling or “facebooking” things that are not related to what our priorities are. It is so easy to get distracted therefore we need to have a lot of self discipline to make sure that we are on the right track.
4) Handle your priorities first
Identify people who are heavy time suckers. You need to teach them to respect your priorities and schedule. If they text, call or constantly distract you with non-life emergencies, let them know that you are busy dealing with things that are urgent to-do items and that you will help them later when you’re done. Everybody is trying to do their own jobs well. Unless you are paid to help some other person to do their jobs well, you really need to think about yourself. If not, you might end up in a bad position for not completing your own tasks due to helping someone else. If you think that it is worth it, do it. If not, don’t.
5) Try to stay active
No matter how busy life gets, you need to allocate some time to exercise. It can be from the bare minimum of taking a 10 – 15mins walk to more intense physical activity like Yoga or running or lifting weights at the gym. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.
6) Keep a log of your week
Write down everything you do each day. Make sure to write the amount of time you spend on each activity as this will help you to analyze how you are really spending your time. With this, you can then adjust your schedule and priorities to maximize productivity.
With more time that we create for ourselves, we will lead a happier life as happiness lies within our hands. We are the only ones that can empower ourselves. What are some of your life hacks? Sharing is caring! Hope this article is helpful.
#TodayIChooseToBeHappy
Chloe 
Great Post.