How many times have you found yourself saying “Who cares about what other people think”? Whether you’re trying to keep up with Tik-Tok trends, YouTube challenges, sharing pictures of your travels on Instagram, or trying to outdo everyone else’s “achievements”, “other” people have an impact on you in some way, shape, or form.
In this day and age, being afforded the opportunity to connect to people across the world opens doors, paves the way for even more opportunities, and grants you a front row seat into the lifestyles of everyone from day to day people, superstars & millionaires, across the world. This can be a good thing because it can be a great source of motivation. Yet on the other hand, like anything else in life, it also has its downsides because before you know it you’ll find yourself comparing yourself to everyone else and falling short every single time. If any of this sounds like you then you’re in the right place because I’m here to let you know that you’re not failing. You’re not any less capable than the next person. In fact your real problem has nothing to do with whether or not someone else is achieving more than you.
Your real problem is less about what everyone else is doing, and more about what you aren’t doing. Your real problem is that you’re moving, but you’re not accelerating. You’re not going anywhere because you’re not being deliberate. You’re surrounded with the skills and the tools that you need to accelerate yet you’ve got your vehicle in Park which means that no matter how hard you press on the gas, and no matter how much effort or pressure that you apply, you’re not going to get anywhere because you haven’t shifted gears yet.
“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.” – Alfred A. Montapert
Movement can be tricky because whether you’re running in place, running in circles, or running across town, you’re still running. The difference between all 3 lies in how productive you are. The internet is appealing because everyone appears to be making progress but in all actuality a lot of people are either running in place or running in circles. Although they appear to be moving, they’re just exerting a whole bunch of energy, appearing busy, appearing to do better than you but they’re not really going anywhere.
Productivity may be the only thing standing in between where you currently are in life and where you aspire to be. Although the word productivity is more commonly used in the workplace, increasing how productive you are on a regular basis can prove to be beneficial to all aspects of your life.
If you’re not sure where to start its okay.
Here are 6 (free*) things that you can start doing today to increase your productivity:
- Prioritize
Map out your time based on what is most important. Ask yourself what can you afford to do at a later time or date versus what needs to be completed immediately. This will help you to develop a better sense of time, develop deadlines, and keep you focused throughout each day.
- Schedule Breaks
When it comes to productivity, time is of the essence, and so are boundaries. It is important for you to be deliberate with your time which includes taking breaks. It’s easy to lose track of time or stretch yourself past your limit once you get going which is why you should factor in breaks when you plan your day.
- Set Small Goals
Large projects feel less overwhelming when you break them down into smaller goals, steps or tasks. Smaller steps result in deadlines that feel more achievable which will in turn reduce your risk of procrastinating or giving up on your project altogether.
- Time Blocking Method
Time blocking is a form of time management that divides your entire day into small blocks of times. Dividing your work day into specific time frames that will be used to focus o one task or assignment at a time will help you to establish a routine, remain on track, and establish boundaries throughout your day. Try limiting your time blocks to a maximum of 90 minutes (preferably) to 2 hours to benefit the most from this method of time management.
- Limit Distractions
The most entertaining distractions don’t appear to be distractions at all, and those are the biggest killers of your productivity. Distractions are productivity’s worst nightmare because they sidetrack you for longer periods of time than expected. Five minutes turns into an hour, and that hour leads to being one entire day behind. If you want to be more deliberate with your time then you’re going to have to start saying no to alot of your distractions. You’re going to have to establish boundaries with your time.
- Reduce multitasking
Multitasking can be inevitable at times but it shouldn’t consume most of your day. Sure there will be times when you answer a quick phone call while you’re working on something but try not to make a habit out of it that results in you spending hours on the phone while you work. This leaves room for a lot of errors, causes you to work at a much slower pace, and creates a trail of incomplete assignments. Try focusing on one task at a time and you’ll be surprised at how much more you can accomplish in one day.
One final thought to keep in mind is that Rome wasn’t built in a day. If it feels too intimidating to you to implement all 6 of these steps all at once then try to master one or two of them at a time before taking on a few more.
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