Many people find planning an arduous tasks and feel intimidated to even start. Others find it troublesome, not knowing that it is actually necessary to lead a less stressful life. Here, I want to show you how to be productive everyday through steps which are really simple to follow.
Understand Why Do You NEED to Be PRODUCTIVE.
Understanding the reason(s) you need to be productive is the first and most important step.
This is because this/these reason(s) will become your source(s) of motivation, driving you towards getting things done!
For instance, if your need to be productive is to achieve a certain goal – this goal becomes your motivation to be more productive.
If your life is currently in a mess due to accumulated work not done (something which I had personally experienced before), getting things done becomes your motivation to lead a more organised and less stressful life.
Being unproductive often leads to an impression of not being trustworthy.
For example, if you had promised someone to perform certain tasks but failed to fulfil your promise due to not being productive, people will view you as an untrustworthy person.
All of us certainly do not want this to happen. In this instance, wanting to be viewed as a more responsible individual will motivate us to start being productive.
If you are reading this post, I’m sure you already have a vague idea of why you want to be productive.
However, do pause for a moment to try to develop a clearer idea of why you need to be productive. The clearer your reason(s) is/are, the more determined you will be!
Decide Your PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS.
After you have a clear idea of why you want to be productive, you will need to do some preparation first.
Firstly, you need somewhere or a platform to jot down what you want to get done as well as when you need them to be done.
It is very important for you to choose the platform(s) which you are more comfortable with.
Some people are more comfortable with writing down on physical paper while some prefer to do it digitally on their mobile, Ipad or other devices.
Some even chose to use a combination of both for tasks related to different aspects of their lives as they feel it is more efficient this way. There is no fixed rule here!
Personally, I use both platforms – physical paper and my mobile to organise both my work and personal stuff.
I prefer writing down on a physical notebook when I do lesson planning (being an educator), and put all my work and personal schedule into my mobile for easy access.
I also prefer to put other tasks such as meditation, things to buy , etc on my mobile phone.
This is because I need to constantly refer to the list of tasks throughout the day.
Hence, it is more convenient to refer to my mobile which is always with me rather than needing to bring out an additional notebook with me all the time.
This is just my personal preference. Like I mentioned, everyone is different.
So do not follow the trend or what others are using. You should decide on something which is more comfortable and convenient for you, no one else.
What is important is we do not want to end up with something which we find it a hassle and/or difficult to use.
This is especially crucial since we are going to be using it daily.
We do not want to end up hating to use it so much that we eventually stop jotting down what needs to be done.
Setting your PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS.
After you have decided on your productivity tool(s), it is time to set them up!
If you have chosen to write on physical paper, do set aside a notebook or a memo pad for you to jot down your tasks.
Some people prefer to write on a planner or something more structured with different sections. In this way, they can classify tasks according to different categories such as work, personal, etc.
When I just started, I used a planner with a structured format but later realised that I am more comfortable jotting down my tasks on a blank page.
This provides me more flexibility as I am not restricted to the different sections.
Again, I cannot stress this enough – Choose a format which you are more comfortable with.
If you are planning on entering tasks digitally into your device(s), do select some potential apps which you might want to use.
Then spend some time experimenting with these apps and choose something which is user friendly to you. You should try the features of the app(s) till you are familiar with using it.
What we want to prevent here is, in the process of planning or entering your tasks, you get stuck while using the app.
This will cause a disruption when you are trying to be productive and you will need to retrace your steps to learn how to use the app.
Once you get stuck, your motivation will be affected and you might end up being stuck at this stage for a prolong period and never be able to achieve the productivity which you hoped for.
Plan Your NEXT DAY – Start Being Productive!
Now that you have all your productivity tools all set up and ready to be used, the next step is to brainstorm what needs to be done.
I like to begin by planning for tomorrow – a fresh start!
Start by having a clear idea of what are your appointments for tomorrow. These refers to appointments with fixed timing.
Jot these appointments into your physical notebook or app(s), depending on the platform 
which you have chosen.
After this, you should have a clearer picture of the timings which you will be free. Utilise these free timings to tackle tasks which needs to be done.
Start your list with tasks which are more urgent. Do try to stick to a reasonable amount of tasks which you can tackle within the timing which you will be free.
However, if you are not able to perform all the tasks in your list at the end of the day, do not be too stressed up.
This is because, even if you did not manage complete everything, you should have already completed those tasks which require more urgent attention.
PREPARE and ORGANISE the Required Stuff Needed to Perform The Tasks In Your List.
By now, you should already have a very clear picture of what needs to be done.
The next step is to gather a list of stuff which is needed to get all those tasks done and set these stuff aside to be used the next day when you are acting on those tasks.
For instance, in order to perform Task A, you will need to have a document with you.
Find this document and set it aside first. When you perform Task A the next day , you will have the document ready.
Or if you need to send a parcel, make sure you have the necessary things for it. These things can be postage stamps, box etc.
Get these stuff ready so that you have them on hand when you send the parcel the next day.
If you need to call someone tomorrow, make sure you have the necessary info such as the name of the person to contact and his or her contact number ready and within reach.
Personally, this is a very IMPORTANT to me in order for me to be productive.
I realised that when I have everything which I needed with me, I tend to be more motivated to continue performing tasks after tasks continuously.
On the contrary, my productivity decreases when I realised that I need to search for some stuff needed to perform my next task. It disrupts my momentum.
When this happens, I find myself taking a break first, start procrastinating and not coming back to tackle the remaining tasks.
Final Step – GET IT DONE And Get Over It.
By this stage, you should have everything ready.
You have a list of tasks which you need to handle. You also have all the necessary documents and stuff needed to perform these tasks, all within reach.
You are now left with only one step. Yes, time to get things done and start checking things off your list one by one.
After you had started checking each tasks off your list, you will instantaneously feel a sense of accomplishment and this is addictive!
Very soon, you will most likely be addicted to checking off your task and develop a habit out of it – meaning being more productive!
Plan for the Next Day DAILY!
“A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door.” – Confucius
Referring to the above saying, planning ahead is needed for your life to be more smooth-sailing.
Start by making plans for the next day a daily routine.
I like to plan for my next day every night. There are other people who like to plan their day in the morning before they start their day.
Whichever you prefer, just make sure to plan ahead!
Make the Necessary Adjustments As You Go.
Throughout this whole process, sometimes you might find something which does not really work out for you.
Don’t be disappointed! All you need to do is make some adjustments.
For instance, if you had chosen to plan digitally in your devices in the beginning, but realised that you still very much prefer to jot everything down in a physical notebook.
Just get a notebook and start jotting down your tasks in it!
Conclusion
Now, try to apply the above steps to plan for every single day in your life.
Start by having a good understanding of your need(s) to be productive, decide on your productivity tools and get them set up and ready.
You only need to do the above steps once and subsequently, all need to do is to focus on the rest of the steps – plan for your next day and getting the required stuff necessary to tackle the respective tasks ready!
Soon, you will be able to see the results. You will be able to get more things done in a day. Your life will be less chaotic and more organised.
If you have any questions about this post or suggestions to share with everyone, let me know in the comments below.
If you had tried the steps mentioned in this post, please also let us know in the comments if they worked for you. I would love to hear from you.
Let’s be productive together!