How To Get Ish Done

Productivity is one of my most valued qualities. The feeling of accomplishment after an incredibly productive day is the best in the world to me, especially when I get to show others and be proud of what I've accomplished. However, it's not always the easiest quality to have. I struggle with productivity every day, but I've learned a few tricks along the way...

1. Have a bomb productivity playlist.

A lot of outside noises distract me, and being a college student living in a rowdy residence hall, there are often a lot of outside noises. When my roommate decides to blare the television, when the neighbors drank a little too much that night, and when the football players down the hall get a little too into their video games, I plug in headphones. For tasks that require a lot of thought, white noise or nature sounds may be good to listen to. For simpler tasks, some classical or acoustic music may motivate you to be more productive. I use Spotify's collection of Focus playlists nearly every day. There's bound to be one that you enjoy and can really be in your zone with. I'm actually currently listening to Productive Morning, one of my favorites. If you're not much of a music person, or perhaps this one task requires utter silence, I would invest in some good ear plugs to eliminate noise distraction.

2. Just turn off the phone.

After noise, my second most common distraction is my phone. On average, a person checks their phone almost fifty times every day. That's a lot of lost productivity. If your phone seems to be a consistent distraction, turn it off. Consider doing this not only while working alone, but also during meetings, class lectures, and hanging out with friends. It's professional, respectful, and will make you more aware of your surroundings and relationships with others.

3. Wake up earlier.

Wake up an hour or two before you normally do to crank out one productive thing that morning. That feeling of accomplishing that task, even if it's small, will keep you motivated to do more throughout the day. A body in motion stays in motion. It's also a great feeling to accomplish one major task early on in the day so that you feel the day has not been wasted even if you do nothing else for the rest of it. It's a weight off the shoulders, and you're less likely to worry about wasting time later in the day.

4. Stop checking the fridge.

A common theme with me is to go get a snack whenever I'm bored. Or simply walk through the kitchen, open the fridge, check the cupboard, and walk away. I also make to-do lists to avoid actually doing them. Sometimes you have to just get that one snack, make that one list, and actually do it. I really don't have any advice for this one, as it's still something I struggle with, but you really just have to start. Start. Stop reading articles on how to start. Just start.

5. Take it one step at a time.

Despite the last point, making lists isn't always bad. However, there's a fine line between productive lists and procrastinating lists. A productive list, though, can be helpful to break down what needs to be done. Tasks look less daunting and abstract when they're written down and planned out ahead of time. Crossing off that little box can give you a little physical achievement to look forward to and a way to physically see how productive your day really was.

I hope this article inspires you to do whatever you need to get done. Meet the moment with everything you've got and do the damn thing.

Much Love,

Amanda ♥