Paul Meyer once said: “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused effort.”
He explained productivity in deep thoughts and at first glance, it is so hard to accomplish. How in the world can you combine excellence, intelligence and great focus? You might think one should be perfect to achieve it but you got it wrong….A great leap starts with small steps. I did some research on common habits of productive and successful people and here’s what I found that keeps them prolific.
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Don’t be afraid to do the first draft.
No matter how bad the first draft is, do it anyway because it will be hard to edit a blank page. Start before you feel ready rather than waiting to feel ready before you start because you will never accomplish anything if you wait for it. NOW is always the time to start, there should be no room for procrastination just because you want to achieve perfection.
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Value your time just like you value your money.
Treat your time just like your money. Avoid wasting it by setting a routine. Thinking about what to wear the next day, what to take for breakfast and which tasks to start first can waste your time, so prepare things ahead of time and stick to a routine.
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Healthy mind and body result in better productivity.
Eat healthy food, exercise every day, sleep more and manage stress so you can have a healthy mind and body. You can get more things done and will be able to think smartly if you feel good and relaxed.
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Set clear goals.
Set your goals and try to visualise the end product. It will be easier to plan and make a list of what to do when you  know clearly what you want to achieve.
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Stay focused on important things.
Staying focused is really hard because of distractions that limit your productivity like unwanted phone calls, alerts from inbox and social media accounts, and even the people around you. Limit your responses and take note of your time. Always keep in mind the things that really matter and are important so you can set your priorities.
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Organize things.
Keep things and files organised so you’ll know where to find what you’re looking for. It may be hard to keep your desk always clean and organised but at least designate a place where you keep things you usually use for work and keep your computer files labelled so it will be easier to find them.
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Learn how to multitask wisely.
Not everyone knows how to multitask but choosing activities that you can do at the same time which of course pairs with each other can contribute to your productivity. Take advantage of technologies and some hacks in life to get you working on 2 tasks at the same time, like use keyboard shortcuts when your other hand is busy answering the phone. Just think of anything that you can do at the same time but still yield good results.
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Take a break.
When you feel you’re getting unproductive, take a break. Try allocating breaks strategically, you’ll be surprised you’ll be more productive when you get back to your tasks again.
If you commit yourself to excellence in whatever you do, plan your life intelligently and stay focused on giving efforts towards being productive then you’ll be on the right track. It may be difficult at first but I hope these tips will be helpful and make them the small steps you take in achieving that great leap to better productivity.
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