5 Productivity Tips For When You Need to Get Stuff Done

There’s a popular productivity quote that’s been making the Internet rounds for years now: “You have the same number of hours in a day as Beyoncé.” It’s the idea that one of the most successful women in the world is restricted by the same laws of time and nature that all of us are. Do you consider this idea to be motivating or ridiculous? Are you one of the people saying, “Well sure, but if I had millions of dollars like her I could hire a personal trainer or have a staff to help me with everything,” or feeling downright angry about it?

Consider this: everyone gets the same 1,440 minutes every single workday. The circumstances and level of assistance can change from person to person but we all start with the same amount of time. The difference between people who are successful in achieving their goals vs. those who are not, is how you spend those 1,440 minutes.

In a nutshell, that’s the basic definition of productivity. There are several productivity tips that can help you with time management and getting things done. Here’s one of the most effective tips for productivity, why it works and how to avoid procrastination and get things accomplished.

The Only Productivity Tip You’ll Ever Need

Ernest Hemingway famously said that when he woke up each morning, he began writing immediately. He described the daily routine by saying, “When I am working on a book or a story, I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write.” Hemingway’s routine is similar to hundreds of other prolific authors, artists, scientists, etc. who worked on big projects and goals. So, what is it about this routine that is effective?

Do the important tasks first each day.

It seems simple but only the most productive people really focus on this as a way to boost productivity. Hemingway produced a remarkable volume of incredible and inspiring work during his career because he ignored the to-do list and didn’t have things to distract him like phone calls or social media. If you can wake up and do the most important thing first each day, you’ll make consistent (and surprising!) progress.

Why This Productivity Tip Actually Works

People mistakenly assume that in order to be productive you just need to get more things done. But it’s about getting important things done consistently. Think: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. If you focus on maintaining a steady, average speed on a few things you’ll have sustained energy levels to get more done than if you went full speed ahead on everything. The reason this strategy is one of the best productivity tips is because you’ll always get something important done each day.

Here’s why it works best to do this at the beginning of your day right after you’ve had your first cup of coffee. First, willpower tends to be higher earlier in the day. That means your hard work and effort goes into completing your most important task.

Second, as you get into the rest of your day, it’s likely you’ll have unexpected small tasks that creep into your schedule and throw off how you had planned to spend your day. By the end of the day you could reflect back on how you spent your time and realize the most important things didn’t get done.

And third, unfinished projects can create unresolved tension and stress. When you start a project, your mind wants to finish it because there’s a boost of energy levels when you complete a task. You’re also more likely to finish a task after starting it, and spend less time overall, which is why you should focus on the important tasks first. People think that multitasking is being productive, but studies show you’re actually less productive than if you were to focus on one thing at a time.

The reason people don’t focus on this productivity tool is because they spend so much time responding to someone else’s agenda. In school, we complete assignments and tests. At work, we open our email inbox and abide by due dates for projects. And at home, we complete chores and tasks that our partners or kids ask us to do. This creates a scenario where we learn to take action as a reaction of someone else’s expectations. The important tasks in our lives, that truly require our attention above all others, are the ones that move our hopes, dreams, goals, ideas and businesses forward. All other tasks may seem “urgent” but are rarely that “important.”

5 Additional Productivity Tips to Help You Crush Your Goals

Let’s assume that you’re already focused on accomplishing the most important tasks first thing. How else can you make sure that you’re working smarter and not harder? These 6 additional productivity tips should help.