5 Steps to Being More Productive

We all want to get everything on our to-do list complete, but how?

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Earlier this year, I wrote a post about organizing your life. Because I work a full time job that usually requires at least fifty (50) hours a week, and I maintain a blog, a YouTube channel and various social networks, I thought it was fitting to try to help and explain how to be more productive.

These beautiful stationery items are all from Rifle Paper Company, which has been my favorite stationery brand since I originally discovered it in 2014.

Phone Case
Notebook
Notepad

1. Learn to be a multi-tasker. It's just necessary to do several things at once. There is few moments in life where you will be able to focus on just one thing, whether it's at home or in the office. So many distractions happen at all hours, people call or IM, the rain starts to pour and you hear the thunder outside so you realize you have to shut your windows, the laundry is going but you also have the dryer rolling so you have to remember to take the clothes out before they fry. It goes on and on, so multi-tasking is a skill you will have to learn to posses. I recommend learning to do this with multiple activities that may not be dangerous (washing and drying clothes at the same time, while prepping dinner) rather than sending an email while driving your car. Sometimes multi-tasking is not the answer so please be smart about splitting attention.

2. Prep at night. I like to prep lunch goodies, and get the coffee ingredients out on the counter and ready for the next morning. This really helps me get into the swing of things the next day, especially when I'm still a bit groggy.

3. Keep your space clean. One of the best ways to get me overly stressed and feeling overwhelmed it to make a mess in the living area. I do my best to pick up right after I'm done doing something. This helps to avoid the stress of cleaning 924234 dishes the next day, or throwing 5 bags of trash out rather than one a day.

4. Have a routine. While you don't want life to become boring and incredibly monotonous, you do want to have certain routines in place to make the mornings smoother. Knowing where things are, and having a set process helps. I wake up, make coffee, gather some snacks, then go upstairs to shower, and get ready for the day. When I come back down, I finish making the lunches and get out the door. This routine works for me, but you will want to fine-tune yours to make sure it works for you and gets you out the door faster.

5. Make sure to take time away from others. While this may sound anti-social, I cannot express how important it is to leave your desk and go to the coffee shop across the street if you're really wanting to get things done. If you're always in the same environment, people know where to reach you and people can really get annoying. I recommend logging off IM (google chat, whatever instant messaging platform you utilize) and giving yourself a break from others so you can get your head in the game. Whether this is 30 minutes, 2 hours, a whole day, it's really up to you to determine. It makes a world of difference.

What are your tips for being more productive? Let us know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: Sometimes I am lucky enough to receive products as PR samples. This post was not sponsored, and I have no obligation to share this product range with you. As always all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

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