How To be a More Productive Person
Being productive is a trait us millennials sometimes struggle with. We are constantly juggling school, work, organizations, and internships, and that’s only to name a few. I know that I myself just shut down once there’s too much on my plate. It is important to be productive to get anywhere in life.
That’s why I took the time to compile a list of the top ten habits of highly productive people:
1. They are Planners
Purchase a planner, sit down, and write. This is a super important task that may seem minor, but it helps you out a bunch in the long run. Productive people carry planners, write in them, and actually use them. Planning your things like your time, tasks, and goals will allow you to achieve success and become a productive person.
2. They Prioritize
Sometimes it can be difficult to juggle things in your life, especially when you have a lot on your plate. This is where prioritizing comes in. By figuring out what tasks, projects, activities are most important, you’ll be able to manage your time more efficiently and get things done more swiftly. Productive people know when to say “no” to something in order to focus on something else that’s more important.
3. They Focus
Speaking of focus, productive people know how to stay focused. Staying focused is a key trait to pick up if you want to get anything done. Look at it this way, have a 12-page research paper due tomorrow? You’re not going to finish it if you have Twitter in your website tab notifying you whenever you get a new tweet in your feed. Do yourself a favor and eliminate any outside distractions when it comes to your goals.
4. They are Organized
If you can’t find anything, then you can’t be productive. Productive people are organized. You don’t have to go Pinterest crazy and follow every little trick, but you should find and implement a system that works for you. This will give you a visual of what you need to get done, as well as make it more accessible.
5. They Have Goals
Productive people know what they want and how they are going to reach it. By setting goals for yourself, you will be able to reach the bigger picture. Try sitting down and making a list. Start at the top with your big goal and branch-off smaller goals that will help you reach your big one. Keep branching off the goals until you have it all mapped out.
6. They’re Eager to Learn
Julia Child once said, “You’ll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” There is no such thing as knowing everything, and productive people know this. Keep that in mind throughout life and you will go far. Always be willing to learn. Ask questions, research, find a mentor. The more you learn the more well-rounded you will be. No one likes a know-it-all.
7. They Don’t Multitask
This is a habit closely related to focusing and prioritizing. Productive people know better than to put a bunch of different tasks in front of them and play catch up. It is not possible to be superhuman and all you’re going to do is stress yourself out. By taking a task one step at a time you are more likely to get more stuff done because you are 100% focused on each task.
8. They Know When to Take a Break
It is ok to snuggle up with your cat and watch Netflix all day (I have done this on multiple occasions.) It is called taking a mental health day and sometimes you need it. Productive people know when to call it quits for a day or two and regain their sanity. You aren’t going to ace that final if you’re studying while your brain is silly putty. Go to the gym, take a zumba class, go for a walk. Whatever you do just try and relax, and remind yourself that everything is going to be okay.
9. They Communicate
Communication is essential in everything; relationships, friendships, jobs, internships, school. You can’t get anywhere in life without communicating. Productive people know this and use it to their advantage. Going to miss class because you overslept? Communicate! Reach out to your professor and explain! They’ll respect the common courtesy. And who knows, maybe they will give you a pass on that late penalty for your paper.
10. They Know What They Can Handle
I mentioned it before, and I’ll say it again. Productive people know when to say “no.” We are all human, and by being human it means we are imperfect. That means it is humanly impossible to juggle twenty things on your plate at once, no matter how many times you say “I think I can, I think I can.” By saying “no” to things, you will be able to give your all into more important parts of your life.
It isn’t impossible to become productive. Just follow these ten habits and you are sure to succeed. That’s all these are anyway, habits, and habits are adaptable.
Resources: Psych Central, Forbes
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Interested in learning more about productivity? Be sure to read Time Management Made Easy.
