Ever wonder if there is a secret method to achieve more goals that only a few know?
Our well-being can be closely tied to what we are accomplishing. If we feel we are productive, our well-being increases.
Most of us, when we are overwhelmed with everything we have to do, simply decide to work harder or longer. This just leads to feeling more overwhelmed, stressed, and a decreased sense of well-being. Anyone can learn to be more productive and reap ALL the benefits and rewards that high-level productivity brings with it. Here’s a list of just a few benefits of increasing your productivity:
- You get more done in less time
- Everything you need to do and that you’re doing, feels like it comes together easily and with less effort
- Your confidence grows
- Your stress is reduced
- You have greater work life balance
- Your wellbeing increases
- Additional opportunities come your way
Knowing the benefits of productivity is the first step, but it’s also helpful to be aware of what can get in the way of your productivity.
Disorganization and poor time management can make it more difficult for you to achieve your goals.
They can act as a hindrance to your productivity and therefore your success! If you experience stress due to disorganization and poor time management, your creativity can suffer, you can miss deadlines, your performance, opportunities, work-life balance, even relationship can suffer. And with all of that, it’s no question that your well-being can suffers.
You can also think about disorganization in terms of wasted time. If you waste 1 hour of your day due to disorganization in a 48-hour work week, that’s 5 hours per week and 240 hours per year – that’s 6 weeks of wasted time just from disorganization!
With all of that being said, here are three simple ways to get more organized TODAY.
- Declutter
- Develop an organization system for the categories you just created, that allows you to find things easier and more quickly.
- Create a filing system for your digital files.
- Join 4WRD
You can also think about where you are wasting time. And then determine ways you can use your time more wisely.
- Make a schedule & stick to it
- Limit decisions
- Manage interruptions
- Delegate appropriately
- Ask for help
- Don’t micromanage
Let’s also take a look at procrastination. Experts are beginning to reframe procrastination and how we can use it to our advantage rather than as a hindrance.
Most people procrastinate for the following reasons.
- Tasks seem too big, daunting, and overwhelming
- We can’t deal with the pressure of tasks or projects and so we put them off
- Instead, we find other things to do instead of just getting started
- At the last minute, we finally buckle down and get the work done but with some additional stress or other negative emotions until…
- We find “relief” when the project or task we were avoiding is done.
HOWEVER… Procrastination can force us to prioritize and get more creative. We learn how to work more efficiently with tight deadlines, and find that our energy can increase while anxiety decreases.
On the other hand, it can be hard to feel or be productive if you feel like you’re juggling and you’re not a great juggler. Thus, to succeed, the first thing you need to do is learn how to juggle.
We ask the question:
“How do we learn to ‘procrastinate well’ and become more productive?”
Here are the secrets to proactive prioritization and time management:
- Acknowledge that we are procrastinating… proactively
- Recognize we must still practice self-discipline
- Set strategic priorities
- Embrace delegating – let qualified “others” help
- Take advantage of activation energy
- Use the productivity-boosting power of task chunking and time blocking
- Reward yourself for a job well done
As a bonus… here are a few extra tips that can help you achieve more goals, more often…
Task Chunking
You can try “task chunking” by breaking big projects into smaller, simpler to digest and manage, “chunks” that make it easier to get started.
Time Blocking
You can block your day into pre-scheduled blocks where certain tasks are performed and/or problems are addressed. Time blocking allows you to intentionally practice and get the benefits from proactive procrastination. It also helps prevent decision fatigue and relieves the pressure of deciding what to do when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
4WRD
4WRD is a web-based tool developed around cutting-edge, evidence-based science that practically guarantees personal and professional goal achievement success. Using 4WRD allows you to create action plans for your goals, which enables task chunking and prioritization. You can also keep yourself organized and accountable. The bottom line is that if you want to achieve more goals, 4WRD can help!
