hey everyone and welcome to top think today we're going to learn about 20 ways to improve
productivity now let's begin number one time markers on january 1st people around the world
make resolutions for the new year it's a time to set and achieve goals that you've
been procrastinating but why do people wait so long to actualize their goals
new year's eve is a time marker an imaginary boundary that divides one year from the next when
you transition into a new year you envision the changes you want to make and that vision motivates
you to set new goals you might say it's a new year and a new me but new year's eve isn't the
only time to create resolutions there are hundreds of markers throughout the year like the first day
of the month or the hour of the day you can use each of these markers to motivate change so don't
wait choose the next marker in your life set a brand new resolution and achieve a lifelong goal
number two overcome the impossible what is your greatest hurdle for any unproductive person their
greatest hurdle is the illusion of impossibility when facing a large obstacle that obstacle may
feel impossible to overcome you're scared you're intimidated and you don't know what to do first
so where do you go from here imagine you're staring at a real physical object like a
massive brick wall you're stuck on one side but something you want is stuck on the other
how do you climb over such an extraordinary obstacle well you can't tackle the obstacle
all at once that approach will get you nowhere instead you have to build a set of stairs and
you have to climb those stairs one step at a time and when you start small and slowly climb
your way to the top you can overcome any obstacle no matter how impossible it seems
number three electronic freedom how many hours a day do you spend staring at a screen
technology makes your life easier but it does waste tremendous amounts of your time
to improve your productivity set aside time every day to work think and dream without staring at a
screen put your phone in your desk drawer shut down your computer and live technology free
this helpful trick will lessen the number of distractions in your life when you're trying
to get work done a phone call or a text message can ruin your concentration now this trick also
empowers you to do something unique when you put your devices away you think you solve problems
and you find inspiration all on your own that freedom for any productive person is invaluable
number four relaxing your brain the most productive people don't always work long hours
many people think time and productivity have a one-to-one ratio but your time isn't always
well spent even if you are working your brain fatigues over time if you work too long the
quality speed and ingenuity of your work suffers so give your brain the chance to rest and recover
take frequent breaks and step away from your screen once your brain is
rested and recharged you can make the most of your time number five productive downtime
you're feeling tired and foggy so you decide to take a break from your work that's a step
in the right direction but what do you do with your downtime you sit at your desk you open
your computer and you browse the internet are you really giving your brain the downtime it deserves
many people don't reap the rewards of their downtime because they use their brakes
inefficiently to make the most of your breaks step outside of your work environment a change
in scenery gives your brain a breath of fresh air and the fog in your head will clear the cogs in
your brain will start to turn and by the end of your break you'll feel motivated to keep working
number six set lifetime goals set goals of all shapes and sizes set daily goals monthly goals
and yearly goals but above all create for yourself a handful of lifetime goals when you're feeling
lazy or unproductive think about your lifetime goals think about what you want 5 10 or 20 years
from now your answers may change over the years but even the roughest goals can give your life
a sense of direction number seven assess the value some tasks are immensely valuable you
pour your heart and soul into these jobs and you get invaluable experience in return but not all
jobs are worth doing before you do any job ask yourself why do i want to do this job if it's
valuable to you it's always worth doing but if it's not save yourself some energy and brain power
number eight action-oriented goals many people set abstract unclear goals
you might say i want to be a novelist but do you know what it takes to achieve that goal
to stimulate your productivity don't think in terms of lofty unclear dreams think in terms of
action-oriented steps instead of saying i want to be a novelist you might say i want to write
100 pages make every goal and active statement that pushes you closer to your lifelong ambition
number nine mind your rhythm your brain has a natural rhythm it sleeps
and wakes up at certain times just as it works and rests at certain times
capitalize on your personal rhythm work hard when your brain is functioning at its best and if
you're an early bird do your work first thing in the morning if you're a night owl do challenging
tasks later in the evening just think about your highs and lows and then use them to your advantage
number 10 reframe your stress stress isn't always negative a little pressure can push you toward
greater heights but with the wrong mindset even the smallest bit of stress can weigh you down
so if you're feeling stressed take a minute to reframe the stress in your life if it's
not a burden driving you into the ground then it's a motivator pushing you forward number 11
batching tasks how do you motivate yourself to tackle a long to do list you can streamline your
to-do list by chunking tasks together into small groups so instead of jumping from one subject to
the next you can knock out a handful of similar tasks all at once number 12 strategic automation
while technology can weigh you down your devices offer incredibly helpful tools to improve your
productivity spend a little time polishing your workflow condense your daily responsibilities into
one well-organized application automate menial tasks so that you can focus on the big picture
with the right setup your technology works for you and not against you number 13
onto the page here's a simple trick that can revolutionize your productivity whenever you
receive a new task don't try to memorize it write it down every time something new falls on your
plate incorporate that task into a running list add it to your schedule mark it on a calendar or
write about it in your journal the goal here is to get those tasks out of your head and onto the page
the longer they swirl around in your thoughts the more stressed you're going to feel
number 14 neurological alertness when is your brain the most productive while your
natural rhythm influences your productivity your brain is the most productive two and a
half to four hours after you wake up to take advantage of this delay many productive people
create longer morning rituals which leave them inspired and motivated by the time your brain
is awake and alert you'll be mentally prepared to tackle your day number 15 the return block
phone calls text messages and emails sabotage your productivity when you're on a roll a ding
on your phone brings your work to a crashing halt to avoid this unnecessary distraction save all
calls emails and messages for one block of time at the end of the day until then put your phone
away and close your email you don't need those small interruptions siphoning your attention
number 16 the power of collaboration you can't be the best at everything you have strengths
but you also have weaknesses luckily there are other people in the world whose strengths and
weaknesses complement your own don't be afraid to collaborate and ask other people for help
let them make the most of their strengths while you focus on your own
number 17 speed reading how fast can you read productive people spend countless hours of
their lives reading but if you're a slow reader you're not making good use of your time to absorb
information faster learn to speed read it may take a few weeks of practice but even a small increase
in your pace can improve your comprehension and productivity number 18 if then phrases what do
you do when you feel unmotivated rewards are an easy way to stimulate motivation try framing your
day as an if then phrase for example you might say if i work for two hours then i can enjoy the
afternoon with my friends these phrases increase your productivity by framing things that you enjoy
as rewards for your work you get more done because you always have something to look forward to
number 19 powerful self-talk self-talk is a powerful tool that you can use anytime you're
feeling lazy or unmotivated whether you talk to yourself in the car or in the bathroom mirror
get yourself excited to be productive reinforce your strengths and remind
yourself what you're working toward you are a confident and capable person but sometimes you
have to remind yourself just how great you can be number 20 safety routines
many productive people live and die by their routines they use routines full of healthy habits
to focus their attention and control their mindset for example a productive person might read a few
pages of a book at the same time each morning this pattern helps them gather inspiration when
it's time for work they're always productive because they took the time to get inspired
create routines in every aspect of your life from your career to your lifestyle whenever you're
feeling lazy you can fall back on those routines to find inspiration when you need it hey thank you
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