Five Effortless Productivity Hacks I Use to Accomplish More

I think everybody wants to be build productivity. This would allow us to get more work done, achieve goals faster, and make better use of our time. It makes sense to continuously work toward building skills, but it takes effort to stay on track.

It takes a prolonged effort to sustain most skills. Then, it takes more effort to develop those skills and take them to the next level. Many people learn this from a young age in their extracurricular activities or, if you’re like me, by playing The Sims. Yet they become impatient as adults and fail to commit to becoming more productive.

Fortunately, there are some super easy ways to increase your productivity. These habits require no preexisting skills, nor do they require hours of preparation. Anybody can hack their productivity in a few moments and allow themselves to accomplish more. The long-term results come from staying committed. Making the decision to be more productive is easy; maintaining this decision is the real challenge.

The 2-Minute Rule

Often, I dread the small things. I will set my mail aside or ignore my e-mails because I don’t want to deal with them right now. Throughout the day, these small chores can have a negative impact on my well-being. I know I need to deal with my mail later on, so I can never fully relax until I cross it off my list.

Unless I am in the middle of an important commitment, I’ve tried implementing a “two-minute rule”. I will immediately do anything that can be done in under two minutes so I don’t accumulate a collection of tiny responsibilities throughout the day. This helps me stay focused because I know there aren’t looming tasks to be done. More importantly, I feel comfortable disconnecting from work because I don’t have additional maintenance to complete.

Go Off the Grid

The moment I get frustrated while working, I tend to look for distractions. My eyes may stray toward Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram, but I know these websites aren’t going to help me get work done. Instead, they’ll prolong the process of doing work and fill my mind with useless gibberish. To make matters worse, I’ve gotten to the point where I can close my eyes and navigate onto social media on cruise control.

So, I’ve become best friends with Do Not Disturb mode. I don’t need notifications interrupting me while I’m trying to get work done. I’ve also resorted to using a second browser on my computer. I will do my work in Chrome, but allow all of my social media to be done in Safari. That way I can stay logged into my social media accounts when I have free time, but prevent myself from automatically getting lost in a Reddit binge while working on a project.

Use Names

If you need to work with other people, it can be hard to navigate conversations and get through them quickly. People often lose interest, become disengaged, and give you push back. However, there are some ways to make conversations move more smoothly and become more engaging. All you need to do is call other people by their names.

Using names can quickly build rapport with others and keep their attention. If you need to reel people into a conversation, say their name. It will also start an interpersonal relationship and show a level of respect. Over time, this makes working with others easier, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Just remember to listen to feedback. If someone uses a preferred name or you mispronounce a name, correct yourself in future conversations.

Start the Day Harder

A lot of people tell you to “make lists” and “get organized.” Certainly, this is valid advice, but it’s not exactly news. If you want to get the most out of your lists, use them to plan your day. It can be tempting to knock off the low-hanging fruit, but then you spend the whole day dreading your more challenging responsibilities.

As much as possible, I will do my most challenging tasks at the start of my day. Once I’ve checked the first item off my list, the second one only gets easier. By the end of the day, I am left with the easiest tasks and a great feeling of accomplishment. This certainly encourages me to get more done, and there are many days when I complete all of my responsibilities sooner than anticipated.

Walk Away

In theory, this is the simplest thing to do. In practice, it is the hardest. Whenever I get stuck on a problem, I tend to stare at it and spin my wheels. I seldom accomplish anything without someone helping me, but I can be a bit stubborn. I want to solve this problem so I can put my mind at rest.

Then, there are times when I have forced myself to walk away. If I am actively completing a project and progressing toward completion, then I don’t feel the need to take a break. I reserve this for times when I’m stuck, can’t find the solution, and have tried a few things without success. Many times I have returned to the problem in 24 hours with an open mind, and I can view it with more clarity. In these cases, I am more likely to find a different solution and approach the problem from a new angle. Even if I can’t find the answer to my problem, two thirty-minute sessions feel much less exhausting than an hour straight without solutions.

Build Productivity With Ease

Oftentimes, productivity is built through a series of tiny steps. Starting this process will only take a few moments, and often the results are immediate. The longer you stick with these changes, the greater your results become. Yet many people don’t want to take the steps to see improvement.

The real reward comes with consistency. This is how we build habits and make our efforts stick. Once we’ve acquired a new habit, we can try to improve ourselves further.

In all actuality, it’s quite simple to live life with more productivity. It does take some effort, but it also allows us to accomplish more with our time. When I feel overwhelmed I usually try to make a small change. This effort is enough to get the ball rolling, and it gives me the momentum to keep pushing forward.