Have A Plan – 10 Tips for Boosting Productivity

I’m leaving myself ten reminders about how to plan my day and, therefore, boost my productivity. Feel free to listen in…

Plan Management 101

1. Have a plan. When I don’t start with a plan or at least a list, I’m more likely to stay unfocused. Me without focus is like an automobile without a steering wheel.
2. Planning (see number one) does not mean I have to set a bunch of goals. It simply means that I have a starting point for what I want to accomplish in the short term. The key is to begin.
3. Have a timer ready.
   • Why? Because I will trigger it whenever I allow myself to get distracted. I don’t want to shut down my distractions. Just limit them and then reassess. Most of these distractions will be self-imposed. But they can also be something like our sweet dog needing a walk.
   • I’ll also use it if I need to walk away from my project for a bit or take a nap.
4. If I get discouraged, imagine what it will be like to complete the thing I’m working on. How will I feel when it’s done? Is it okay with me if I never finish it?
5. Take advantage of momentum. If I finish something and I’m still “on a roll”, add at least one small thing to my plan.
6. Be prepared to say “no”. It seems like whenever I’m doing well at getting stuff done, people start asking me to do something else. When that happens, I prepare myself to answer “no”. First, I look at my current list. Then, I decide how I want to respond. And then I give my answer.
7. No matter what happens today, tomorrow is a new day. No need to beat myself up for stuff I didn’t get done. And today’s plan is “done” no matter what. I build a new plan for tomorrow. If it has items from my previous list, that’s just a coincidence. Shape the plan for each day. This is a good time to “Get on it. Get off it. Get over it.”
8. Practice good self-care. When I get too focused, I’ll forget to eat meals or I’ll stay up too late. A well-cared-for self is someone who is ready to check things off the list.
9. Reassess my plan if I get too distracted (see number 3) or don’t even get started (see number 2).
10. Have a celebration when I complete something from my plan. This doesn’t mean that I have to invite all my friends. It just means that I get to do a dance and sing a song to celebrate me.

Productivity Boost 202

These are just a few things that help me. What helps you to manage your time and accomplish the things you set out to do?