In my 20s, I saw productivity only as a list of daily tasks for my work. In my 40s, I realize that productivity consists of two parts: work and rest.
Unfortunately, I came to this conclusion after many days of burnout and stress.
Luckily, I realized my mistakes, and now I have two plans – a work plan and a rest plan.
5 simple tools of productivity
These 5 steps really work for me:
- Strategy
- Plan
- System
- Techniques
- Analyze and analytics
Strategy. Why do you do that?
Need productivity? What for?
What need are you fulfilling with this work or activity?
Make it clear to yourself.
If you’re a student, you can study faster becaus you have a concrete goal.
In case you want to try a new job, skill, or habit, you should learn slowly to find out if this profession is right for you.
In a situation with business or blogging, the best productivity is to find clients or an audience quickly.
Stop and realize what productivity you need for this period of life. It gives you time to think clearly and make decisions.
Plan your productivity with realistic expectations
Start by setting certain metrics to see progress.
Don’t be critical of yourself over numbers you can’t control, like views or subscribers.
Have a plan, keep working, be inspired, and focus on your goal.
When you’re new in something, don’t expect high results from yourself at the beginning. It leads to burnout and disappointment.
Praise yourself for any achievements.
Even small contributions add up over time.
Small actions repeated consistently often produce better results than occasional bursts of intense effort. Make these small steps new habits.
Plan your rest as well as your work.
It may be a short workout, exercise, or walk during the day. Arrange a short trip or slow travel after a longer working period.
Planning a rest is as important as planning work for really better productivity.
The system allows you to move forward and not wait for motivation
It’s necessary to have a system of actions for better productivity.
You have the same 24 hours in a day, but you do not have the same level of energy every day.
Keeping motivation constant is really difficult in practice. Especially at the start, when you can’t see the results you expected to get.
The system where you work according to plan and track progress keeps moving constantly in any situation.
That kind of stability doesn’t happen by accident or by motivation.
Consider your personal rhythm to build a productive habits system and create a schedule for more efficiency.
Techniques for better productivity
Nowadays, we have a huge range of productive tips to manage workflow.
I consider it’s only your choice what is better for you to organize work and make it easier for you.
If you like different apps, task managers, calendars, or timers, enjoy using these tools.
I prefer a pen and a piece of paper to organize my work for a month and write down my steps and tasks to do. These are my productive habits.
I use a notebook and Notion to write and keep my ideas.
Tools and techniques support productive behavior – they don’t create it.
Analyze and analytics
Measure progress by outcomes, not by how busy you feel.
Using some approaches or methods to get desired results may be uneffective to you.
It’s ok. The same decision may be acceptable for one person but doesn’t fit you.
Do it in your way, in your temp, rhythm, and with your resources.
Try and taste different tools and habits to be more productive.
Change your work plan as many times as required to achieve goals within a concrete timeline.
You should change your plan for a rest as well. Get enough sleep and schedule regular breaks.
Need more time for recharging to focus on a new idea or project? Plan it!
Your brain needs rest to perfom well.
Productivity is about making intentional choices.
The algorithm of productivity
- Strategy – Why do you do that?
- Plan – Arrange actions with acceptable results and set timelines.
- System – System of habits to do small steps daily.
- Techniques – Tools to manage tasks and ideas.
- Analyze – Pay attention to what works for your progress and what doesn’t.
- Plan – After analyzing of what doesn’t work, you should make changes to the previous plan.
Final Thoughts
I was looking for the best productivity advice from successful people. I’ve read a lot of books with motivating stories.
My conclusion from such research: sImple things make great results.
Being busy creates the illusion of progress.
Being productive creates real progress.
Choose a simple system of actions and habits you repeat consistently for better productivity.
And keep in mind what kind of progress you need for this period of life.
P.S. Sleeping enough is a key way to keep productivity for Ukrainians nowadays because of russia’s war against Ukraine! Air alarms and attacks are still our reality.
Stand with Ukraine!
Enjoyed reading about the 5 tools of productivity? Pin this article now, and read it again later:
