It doesn’t matter whether you’re American, rich, poor, blue, red, animal, or whatever.
If you want to learn how to organize your day to be more productive, then you need to know how to use your 24 hours efficiently to get things done.
Everyone gets the same amount of time. Every. Single. Day.
Tragically, some folks don’t believe that. They think productive people can magically alter and manipulate time.
But this ain’t the movies. No one has an infinity stone.
What separates highly productive people from procrastinators, is their amazing ability to utilize every second of their day to achieve their goals.
Now, if you want to get on their level, keep reading to learn a few simple things you can do to be more productive.
How to Organize Your Day to Be More Productive
There are many ways to increase your productivity. Here are 5 things you can easily add to your daily routine.
1. Plan your day to be productive
Most people wake up every day without a proper plan for what needs to be accomplished.
If your daily routine is similar, you’ve got no chance of becoming a productive person.
You’ll just go through the day doing a bunch of random tasks.
Tasks which seem like work but don’t actually lead to specific outcomes.
All they do is exhaust you. And pretty soon, you’ll end up trapped in the realm of monotony and procrastination.
If you want to get off the hamster wheel and be more productive, you need to create a plan with goals and milestones.
Having a plan will give your life meaning and direction.
Once you know what you’re trying to achieve, you can easily identify the action steps needed to do it.
You’ll then break down those steps into small manageable tasks and work through them on a quarterly basis (i.e. 90-day period).
Now instead of getting up and going through the day like a headless chicken, you’ll know exactly what it is you need to be working on.
If you do nothing else in this guide except create a plan, it will significantly increase your productivity. GUARANTEED!
Need help creating a plan? Here’s a simple goal-setting exercise you can do in 30 mins.
2. Simplify your to-do list
Raise your hand if you’ve got post-its and loose paper scattered everywhere, or your workspace looks like a Jackson Pollock painting.
This type of chaos prevents you from being productive.
It’s what makes you feel overwhelmed and think that there’s a million things you need to be doing every day.
Even writing stuff down is pointless because it just goes into a pile and you end up forgetting about it later.
Eventually, you’ll start missing deadlines, events, or worse… your kid’s soccer game.
Not good.
The solution to this is: scheduling and systematization.
For scheduling, you’ll need an app like Todoist or an A5 Filofax planner to get organized.
Start by filling out your days with 2-3 tasks from your goal-setting exercise. These will be your daily high priorities.
After that, add any important events like birthdays, trips, meetings, etc. You can also set reminders for them if you want.
Systematization is a way to declutter your mind and workspace.
Instead of keeping thoughts in your mind or on pieces of paper, it’s better to collect them all in one place.
This will make it easy for you to access that info when you need it and help you maintain a tidy workspace.
Once you’ve simplified your day, you’ll be able to get more done with fewer tasks.
3. Tackle important low priority tasks
You’re probably thinking, “what the heck is an important low priority task?”
Yea, it’s a bit of a paradox.
Basically, these are tasks you should be doing in addition to your higher priorities.
The difference is, they’re a bit less urgent.
For example: researching info for a project, learning a new skill, brainstorming, etc.
According to Cal Newport, those activities are considered “deep work.”
They’re meant to expand your cognitive abilities and improve your skills.
The only reason they’re low priority is because they don’t impact your immediate performance and results.
For instance, if you need to make a sale, you should be calling potential clients instead of brainstorming ideas.
So why do it if they’re not urgent anyway?
Because they still play an important role in helping you move the needle towards what you want to achieve.
To ensure you’re working on these lower priority tasks, you should block at least one hour of time each day.
If you’ve mapped out your goals with the goal-setting exercise, you’ll have an idea of what you should be working on during this time block.
It could be writing an article, doing mockups, coding, etc.
It may seem impossible to do…
But if you can block just one hour for deep work, you’ll be amazed at how much more productivity you can get out of your day.
4. Boost your energy at work (without sugary drinks or pills)
Thanks to catchy marketing campaigns, many Americans believe they need some kind of supplement to get through the day.
When they feel tired or groggy, their immediate reaction is to grab a coffee, energy drink, pill, etc.
Sure, having the occasional espresso may not harm you. But if you frequently consume these energy supplements, you’re gonna have a bad time.
Eventually, your body will start to break down from the inside out.
If you’re ok doing that and dealing with insane healthcare costs in the future, cool.
But if you want a better way to energize yourself and protect your body, here’s what you can do:
- Try to sleep at least 6-8 hours at night
- Drink lots of water during the day
- Eat as many healthy meals and snacks as possible
Now you’re probably wondering what the heck those three things have to do with organization.
The answer is… nothing.
They only affect your productivity.
The reason you constantly feel tired during the day (especially afternoon) is because you’re not taking care of yourself.
Without enough sleep, hydration, or healthy food, your body can’t produce the energy you need to be productive.
So if you want to naturally boost your performance levels and stop feeling lethargic, then try doing those three things.
What’ve you got to lose?
5. Take breaks at work
Somewhere between managerial pressure and hustle culture, the concept of constantly working long hours became the norm.
If you’re not grinding all the time then you’re considered lazy or a loser.
Well guess what… that’s a bunch of BS!
No sensible productive person spends their entire 24 hours working.
If they did, they’d get sick or die.
The reality is, you need to take breaks.
Your body wasn’t meant to be confined in a chair for 8-10 hours a day.
It requires some form of mobility for circulation and to keep your muscles and joints active.
Taking breaks also helps to clear your mind and reduce stress.
By the way, stress is no joke!
It causes all sorts of problems, many of which can be long-lasting or fatal. So don’t ignore it or take it lightly.
There are several things you can do to give yourself a break. Here’s a few:
- Go for a walk
- Stretch
- Meditate
Auto-reminders are a great way to ensure you’re taking breaks throughout the day.
Set a few on your phone, watch, or computer.
When it goes off, disconnect from any kind of work and do something else.
If you take breaks during the day, you’ll feel less stressed and overwhelmed.
But more importantly… your productivity will skyrocket to da moon!
Why is it important to be organized?
Being organized is important because it puts you in a better mindset and helps you do things with greater efficiency.
It’s not just about increasing your productivity either. When you’re organized, you feel confident and motivated to live your best life.
On the flip side, being disorganized has huge negative consequences.
Both your personal and professional life become fragmented. Everything’s all over the place. Your productivity and efficiency goes to zero.
Before you know it, you’re feeling stressed, frustrated, and depressed from all the clutter.
Imagine going into Walmart but instead of seeing items on shelves, they’re just piled up in the middle of the store.
How would you find what you need?
It’d take hours, maybe days.
Obviously you’re not Walmart. But the example shows the importance of organization.
Ultimately, organizing your life will create a system of balance and harmony that eliminates all the chaos and confusion.
Is being organized good for your health?
Yes. Being organized is good for both your mental and physical health.
When you’re organized, your mind is calm and clear.
You’re not worried about losing or misplacing stuff because everything’s usually in its rightful spot.
Nothing’s going to creep up on you unexpectedly. And your life isn’t one big mess.
This means you won’t have to deal with the anxiety and overwhelm of disorganization.
Both of which are problems that can lead to exhaustion and mental breakdowns.
As for your physical health, that has more to do with your immediate surroundings.
Hoarders are a great example…
Their homes tend to make landfills look like resorts. Some turn their cars into biohazards on wheels. And many of their workspaces resemble a daycare’s playpen.
Those environments are basically breeding grounds for insects, vermin, and other gross critters.
Basically, if your life is consumed by clutter and your area’s always dirty, you can potentially get sick.
Or maybe, you might trip over an unopened blender box and shatter your pinky toe.
Final Take
Learning how to organize your day to be more productive isn’t hard.
You’ve just discovered a few tips that can help you do it.
Now all you have to do is apply it to your daily routine.
Even if you try just one of these tips, it’s bound to have a positive effect on your productivity.
By the way, did you know that most people spend 50% of their day being unproductive?
That’s crazy!
Thankfully, you can help them by sharing this post.
So go ahead and click the buttons below to share it now.
