“Being productive” is a relative idea, I know. For example, having coffee with a friend is actually extremely productive…for my soul. However, this is not what I am referring to here.
You need to sit down and get to work. You need to be alone and not be distracted. What do you do? Here are things you should not do when you really need to get things done and be productive:
1) Do NOT Check Facebook. Turn off your social media notifications. That little buzz notification can kill your productivity and send you into a rabithole of distractions.
2) Do NOT Check Email. Remember, email is not your job. It is a tool. Most likely you can check it 1-3 times a day and do your job well. When you are trying to be productive, stay away from email.
3) Do NOT Keep Your Phone On. Turn it off or put it on Do Not Disturb (iPhone). I promise the world will not fall apart without you for a couple hours. A friend of mine in real estate leaves a greeting each day explaining that he checks messages twice a day (and he states those two times), and that he will return their voicemail at one of those times. He told me, “I don’t get paid by taking phone calls.” Brilliant.
4) Do NOT Watch TV. There is nothing wrong, in my opinion, with watching TV. It will not help you be productive though. So just do one at a time. This leads me to the next tip.
5) Do NOT Multitask. Multitasking is a myth. At best you are doing multiple things poorly. Instead you should try batching.
6) Do NOT Go to Work. Come on bosses, you know it’s true. Most work environments are not very productive. Give your employees a chance to work from home some so they can actually get things done. If you are not a boss, and you have the option, spend at least one day a week out of the office. This will become your most productive day from a task and administrative point of view.
Hope this list is helpful to you. There are important things in life that you need to get to. Being productive helps you get stuff done so you can make a difference.
What would you add to my list? Please share in the comments section.
