6 Habits of Highly Productive People

Is there some secret that highly productive people seem to know more than others? Or is it a group of skills and strategies that they’ve turned into habits and built into their daily routine?

To answer that question, we first need to understand what ‘productivity’ means. Being productive doesn’t mean being busy and overworked, it’s just the opposite. It means they’re driven by purpose and they know how to work smarter, and not harder. For example instead of answering 100 emails and waste 2 hours, you can create an auto-responder to reduce the volume of your emails and save time.

Here are 6 tips which you can use to turn into habits and become more productive.

1. Create an early morning routine
Studies have proven that those who wake up early are 60% more productive. They’re more energetic, creative, and hands-on. Getting an early start on the day means you’re less likely to procrastinate. You get a chance to exercise, meditate, drink a great cup of coffee, plan your day and enjoy some precious ‘me’ time before heading off to work.

But it’s also smart to know when you work best. For some, the afternoon is when they’re at their most productive. Others are more energized during the few hours before lunchtime. As you can see, there’s no set rule – the point is to know what works for you.

2. Make lists and goals
Each day you get a new chance to learn and grow, and renew your goals. You face challenges and are able to see them from new angles and fresh perspectives. One way to do this is to write down your plans for the day, or, better yet, for the entire week. Writing down what you have to do during the week means you won’t easily forget deadlines. You also become more organized and detail-oriented.

You can plan your week on Sunday evening so that when Monday morning rolls around, you’re ready and prepared. Then with each task that gets done, cross it out. This way allows you to see your accomplishments and motivates you to get more done.

3. Get rid of distractions
Having the entire world at your fingertips day and night everywhere you go means you’re constantly being bombarded with news and information that create distractions and background noises that limit your ability to focus. One way to manage these distractions is to set a certain time to check emails and social media, rather than repeatedly during the day.

4. Use your time wisely
Successful people know that time is a valuable asset that can’t be wasted. If they’re commuting, they’re listening to podcasts or reading. Taking breaks is also crucial. Every hour or so, take a step back away from your work and go for a walk, or meditate for 5 minutes. This will help you come back with fresh eyes. It also allows your brain to unwind which decreases stress levels and restores your energy.

In this busy day and age, multitasking has become a normal part of our lives. We’re always busy juggling 4 or 5 things at once, thinking that this is the only way to get things done. The truth is, when you’re doing many things at once, it’ll only burn you out.

Instead, what you should be doing is focusing on one task at a time; give it all your attention, before moving on to the next. That’s how you become more productive, increase the quality of your work while reducing stress and anxiety.

5. Know your strengths and weaknesses
Facing your weaknesses is just as important as playing up to your strengths. Delegating is a vital example of this. Sometimes in a work environment, someone may be better at doing something more than you, as an alternative to being a control freak and trying to get everything done yourself, you can break up a task into mini-tasks and pass them out accordingly. That’s the sign of a smart team player.

Trusting your intuition is also a big factor in knowing whether something is worth your team. If not, don’t be shy about saying ‘no’. Taking well-calculated risks is also part of being successful. And when things may not turn out the way you’d hoped, take the opportunity to learn from it then keep on moving forward.

6. Balance between life and work
While it’s important to have a successful career, it’s just as important to have fun and do the things you love to do with family and friends. Pick up an old hobby or find a new one. You can join a book club to meet new people, or do something on your own. When you do enjoyable things that stimulate you, it encourages your brain to release ‘happy hormones’. Stress levels go down and you start seeing life from a fresh perspective and become more proactive.

A final note
Discipline and strategy are the 2 key components of productivity. Anyone can optimize the hours in a day to make the most of them. All you have to do is they decided to follow a set of rules which quickly turned into daily habits. These habits became the driving force behind their success, and gave them the opportunity to achieve more on both personal and professional levels.