7 PRODUCTIVITY HACKS: Getting So Much Done in a Little Time

Do you often feel like 24 hours isn’t enough for you?

I do. Every single day!

There’s so much to be done but time is always a villain.

What then can one do since no one can have more than 24 hours in a day?

Time is the only (limited) resource common to everyone on the planet. You can make more money but you can’t make more time.

So, the best thing to do is to learn how to manage this limited resource.

Everyone has the same number of hours. The difference is in how they spend it.

This is what separates productive people from the lot.

If you have so much to do but you feel the hours aren’t enough for you, here are tips to help you get so much done in a little time and be more productive:

1. Write down your tasks

The habit of writing down tasks to be achieved can never go obsolete.

Writing down your tasks not only serves as a reminder, but it also serves as a form of negative reinforcement to motivate you.

The old proverb, “The faintest pen is sharper than the strongest memory” holds true here.
You’re likely to forget the tasks if you have them in your head only, so writing them down in your notepad, sticky note or on your phone serves as a reminder.

Negative reinforcement involves increasing the occurrence of a desirable behaviour in order to eliminate a negative stimulus.

I don’t know about you, but seeing a written unmet goal unsettles me, and makes me want to carry out the task.

2. Focus on a task at a time

Sometimes, multitasking is a time-waster.

It’s ironical because multitasking is supposed to help us get so much done in a little time.

But sometimes, it makes our tasks clumsy and leaves us unproductive.

Focusing on one task per time enhances concentration and helps to get the job done in a little time.

I discovered that I spend more time when I try to do so much at a time. I’m learning to focus on a task per time.

3. Eliminate distractions

Too many distractions slow us down because they inhibit concentration.

And one of the greatest distractions in the world today is PHONES.

Too many notifications and frequent checking of social media can slow you down on a task.

If you want to get so much done in a short time, eliminate distractions and focus on getting a task done.

4. Recharge by resting

Even though you have so much to do within a limited time, and resting is the last thing on your mind, still, you need to take time to rest or sleep.

Resting helps you to conserve energy and refreshes you enough to focus on your tasks.

5. Be orderly

Have you observed that somehow you tend to have more time when your things and space are in order?

Like, there is a home for all your stuff and you know where exactly where to get whatever it is that you need.

That’s the power of order. It saves you the time you’d have spent searching for an item when you really need it.

I’m not an exactly orderly person myself, but realizing the power of order in being productive got me making efforts at being organized.

To be honest, I’m loving the result.

6. Have a routine that works
I don’t like being put in a box, but I understand that having a routine is crucial to leading a productive life.

Highly productive people have a routine that they live by.

Without a routine, your life will be haphazard and you can’t get the best from life this way.

Have a routine you can live by and be flexible and creative with it.

7. Reward yourself

Whenever you achieve your written goals, reward yourself.

Who doesn’t love a pat on the back for a job well done?

You could reward yourself by taking a day off, watching a movie, going to the cinema, having a pyjama day, going on a date, whatever makes you feel good.

In summary, you can do so much within a short time by:

Writing down your tasks

Focusing on one task per time

Eliminating distractions

Resting

Leading an orderly lifestyle

Having a routine that works

Rewarding yourself.

I hope you found these tips helpful.