Productivity & Time Management Archives

How to Design a Productive Day That Actually Works

How to Plan Your Day for Maximum Productivity

Imagine having this kind of morning: You wake up, abruptly and disoriented, to the sound of your alarm blaring at a volume that’s too loud for this time of day. You hit snooze immediately and then clamber out of bed at the last possible moment in order to get to your work or class right on time.

Your mind is racing, not fully awake or ready for the day. You may feel disheveled and behind even though your day has just begun. This now leads to a feeling of stress that follows you around from task to task throughout the day. Yikes!

I Stopped Waiting for the Perfect Plan (Then Everything Changed)

Google.

“Why is my life not improving?”

I researched countless productivity hacks. Books, articles, guides, apps, you name it. I tried them all. I bought planners: daily and weekly, large and small, decorative and plain. I even wrote in those – “why isn’t anything working?” Before long, I felt like a shadow shaking my fists at the unforgiving and uncaring clouds, cursing the world for holding me back.

You’re Not Lazy – It’s Overstimulation

We live in a fast paced world – it’s go, go, go all the time. Get up early and go to the gym, go get coffee, go make a healthy breakfast, go to work, go call that family member, go to that class on the weekend, go to the dinner party…And if you can’t keep up with the quickness in which we all seem to now live our lives, you (or someone you know) may be viewing you as lazy. But could it really just be that you’re overstimulated? With so much to keep up with, how could you not be overstimulated?

When you hear or feel that you’re being lazy, it can sting. This isn’t a desirable trait and it can mean that you lack any drive, motivation or passion for the things in your life. But if that perceived trait is really just a symptom of overstimulation, it changes everything.

Turn Your Life Around in 7 Steps

Have you ever felt stuck, lost or overwhelmed in life? If so, you’re not alone. Some research shows that up to 75% of people have felt that way at one time or another.

When best selling author and speaker, Timber Hawkeye, realized he needed to make a big change in his life, he did some serious thinking about what he needed to do. He had been living a traditional life in Corporate America, with plenty of success and material possessions, including designer clothes and a sports car. But inside, he just knew something wasn’t right.

Stop Letting People Walk All Over You

Start here: Browse the Self-Improvement Guides and pick the path that fits your situation.

“No.”

It’s a simple word. Powerful too. Yet it is often met with a less-than warm reception. There are many people who say “yes” to most things thrown their way, often in fear of saying “no.”

In reality, saying “no” isn’t anything other than being assertive. Not abrasive, confrontational, or anything in between. It’s an important but small part of assertive communication. Mastering it means to know your boundaries and communicate them in an effective, non-confrontational manner. If you don’t honour your boundaries, then you are giving someone else the opportunity to take advantage of you. By setting and enforcing what you’re comfortable with, whether that’s in your work, social, or personal life, you form your character and establish a social image (even if the social circle itself is small).

Minimalism for Overthinkers

Start here: Browse the Self-Improvement Guides and pick the path that fits your situation.

Imagine yourself sitting in a room filled with all kinds of things that cover all of the bookshelves, furniture, and floors. A small table in front of you is scattered with stacks of magazines and digital devices, like a laptop, phone, and ipad.

Now try another scenario, but this time imagine sitting in a room that is clear of clutter. The shelves contain personal items that are meaningful to you. The floor is clear and clean, and the small table in front of you has only a vase of flowers and a book that you’re currently reading.

Rewrite Your Identity, Rewrite Fate

Start here: Browse the Self-Improvement Guides and pick the path that fits your situation.

“You idiot”

“Why did I do that?!”

“How did I get here?”

The things we say to ourselves matter. Even if you have people around you describe who you are and compliment your traits, if you don’t believe them, none of it matters. After all, no one is going to steer your ship for you – the person you want to be is a product of the actions you take and the choices you make.

Think of it this way. A car needs your hands at the wheel. Without your input, it will veer out of control. Your identity, and subsequently your future, require your hands at the wheel. Otherwise, you may end up feeling like you’re stuck living a life that isn’t yours, straying down a path you never intended to take.

“Anti-Procrastination” – 8 Moves to Get Unstuck

Start here: If procrastination is the problem, begin with the Procrastination Guide (then come back to this post).

“You’ve got to wake up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” — George Horace Lorimer

Procrastination isn’t a character flaw. It’s a system problem. Build a better system, and delay stops winning.

Most people don’t lose to laziness. They lose to drift. They open a tab. They take a “quick” scroll. They tend to a dozen low-stakes fires and call it a day. The cost of this is compounding regret, stalled income and fragile confidence.

A Simple System to Escape Mediocrity

“First say to yourself what you would be and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus

You don’t escape mediocrity by accident.
You do it on purpose.

Most people drift. They consume. They wait for motivation.
But you will not.
You’ll choose a different path, one boring, deliberate day at a time.

Multitasking is Killing Your Brain

Most people would agree that we live in a busy world. Work, home, hobbies, friends, and family are just a few of the things that occupy our daily schedules. Adding in other activities like extra projects, going to school, or traveling complicate things even more. It can be a real challenge to fit it all in.

So what do we do to make sure we have time for everything? Well, sometimes multitasking seems like the best way to accomplish the most we can in the time we are given. Piling one task on top of another can seem like an efficient way to do more than one thing at a time, and get more done. But can we really do that?