We’ve all seen those exceptionally high achievers at work and in life. These are the people who seem to be able to effortlessly juke and jive pitfalls and distractions. The ones that breeze unchallenged into the “productivity zone” and get things accomplished with the greatest of ease. “If I only had a fraction of that power,” we tell ourselves. Well, why just wish for the ability to be a high achiever when we can claim it through effort? Through practice, and adjusting our habits to more closely match those of the best, the skills to flow through work will start to become second nature. Here are a few key tricks you should consider adopting.
Treat Your Time Like An Investment
Time is valuable currency, so learn to respect it as such. Instead of spending your time frivolously, manage it carefully using applications like Clockspot, and put the most effort into the activities that will have the greatest returns. Pad your schedule with time for breaks and the eventual distractions, and you’ll be able to handle them with much greater ease.
Ditch The Alerts And Say “No” To Email
Those phone alerts, Facebook messages, and constant emails are sucking away at your ability to function constantly. Every time you get pulled out of the zone by one, it takes that much longer to get back in. Turn off the phone alerts, stay off of time-draining social media sites, and commit to checking your email only twice a day.
Make Your Goals Exciting, Even If They Aren’t
What gets you motivated? Sometimes, it might not be what you need to get done at the moment, but if you frame it in a way that is more exciting, you’ll put more effort into it. For instance, you’re not just doing an online fundraising campaign; you’re developing part of a multi-stream income source to bankroll sustained business operations. It might sound strange at first, but the way you frame something to yourself makes all the difference in the world regarding how you approach it.
Optimize Your Body
Productivity isn’t solely an element of the mind; it is directly affected by your physical state. If you’re tired, hungry, or haven’t stimulated yourself through activity, you’re more likely to become bored and distracted. Make sure you get plenty of sleep, eat a balanced diet, and stick to a regular exercise routine to stay in peak condition.
Stop Chasing Perfection
It doesn’t exist, plain and simple. If there’s an inner-perfectionist that’s always niggling away at the back of mind, tell him (or her) to shut up. You waste more time trying to get something near 100% completion that you do getting it to about 85% done, which is often more than good enough to keep things moving.
Start Pulling The Trigger
We don’t mean literally, of course, but figuratively. Procrastination and hesitation can cause huge slowdowns in your workflow. The cure? Just do it. Do whatever you have to stop incessantly mulling over every possible scenario or outcome and just take action. What’s that? Did you make a mistake? It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last. Embrace your shortcomings, fix your errors, and keep working towards your goals with increased vigor.
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