Becoming More Productive
I have been reading a lot lately on the topics of wasting time and making yourself more productive. You could say that I was looking for answers. I seem to have a hard time finishing anything or focusing on the task at hand. I repeatedly jump from one thing to another without completing any work.
And yes, I am guilty of wasting my time. That is a significant problem.
I make a list. Start working on the first item on the list and then I suddenly, I am on Facebook or playing a game. And then, do I go back to the first item on my list? No! I may end up remembering something I want to order from Amazon, and there I go again. And sometimes, I don't even order the item I was looking to order.
And, I as much as I hate to admit, my time is also getting wasted on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. No offense to those I am making friends with on Twitter and Instagram. But spending too much time on these sites is not very productive.
I have already wandered away from writing this post numerous times.
The Ways I waste my time throughout the day:
Social media-Twitter, Facebook, Instagram-time seems to fly by when you are endlessly jumping back and forth between all of them. Suddenly you realize you have just spent an hour of your time and with nothing to show for it. Accomplishment zero.
Amazon-Looking, shopping, and buying can take up a lot of time, and money. Amazon is a great place to shop. But if I made a list of items, I want to purchase and then just sat down and DID just that, that would be something I could count as a plus for the day. Check that off the list.
Checking my phone-And, I don't know why I have picked up that habit. And it is a terrible habit. It's a habit that I need to change real quick. I don't even know what it is, that I am looking for when I pick up the phone. Sad.
Eating, and it's usually unhealthy food. Eating junk food and playing games and surfing around the internet goes well with snacks. Two things that are not productive or healthy.
Playing games on the computer-Mindless entertainment, and nothing to show for it. It's never on my to-do list.
I waste time just thinking about the things I should be doing if I spent the time doing instead of thinking about it. I could accomplish a lot.
Making and then remaking my to-do lists-And I don't get nearly enough of the items on my lists crossed off. But, I sure enjoy making those lists. And, I keep on making them. It's time to be able to start crossing things off as I complete them.
Procrastinating-Why do today, what I can keep on ignoring until I have to get it done? That is the question. A better question would be why not just DO IT?
I need to make some significant changes in the way I do things.
I am going to have to dig deep and find some self-discipline. I firmly believe that self-discipline is the key to success at almost anything. Motivation and discipline are two ways of achieving your goals. That's a fact.
Seven things I think I need to do to become more disciplined.
1. Clear picture of what it is I want to accomplish. I am going to list my goals. I will limit my goals to just a couple of things. I can always add to it or make adjustments when I see some progress or even lack of progress.
2. Remove any temptations. Put my phone out of reach will be the first step. And learning to say no to myself when I get tempted to jump on over to Twitter or Instagram.
3. A clear outline of the steps I need to reach my goals. Once I have my goals set the next thing is to determine what steps it will require to get there.
4. The organization-the plan is to organize everything from my desk to my thoughts.
5. Create new habits-Work on making the necessary changes that will result in new daily routines that keep me headed in the right direction.
6. Time management-Make notes of when I seem to be most productive.
7. Patience is indeed required when working toward any goal. Important to note any progress made and keep my eye on the end goal.
The best place to start is making sure my desk area is organized and free of any unnecessary clutter.
It is much easier to concentrate when my desk is neat and tidy. Can't unclutter my thoughts when clutter is all around me.
Then I will write my to-do list with the top priorities first on the list.
List my goals-daily, weekly, and monthly. Then follow with the steps needed to achieve those goals. I will keep those goals in plain sight, so I don't forget where I want to end up.
I will go back to using my timer. My timer always seems to help me get things done around the house.
So, now, I plan to implement the timer to get some blogging chores accomplished.
Setting aside specific blocks of time each day is another thing I will be trying. I am feeling confident about this approach leading to some results — both in personal life and blogging goals.
I will be tracking everything so I can determine what is going to work best to create better and more efficient productivity.
Tomorrow will be day one of the journey toward productivity and making progress on my goals.
Fingers crossed for a notably more productive day tomorrow.
