This post is all about these 7 best productivity hacks to be productive!

Tired of feeling like the day will never be enough? Like you need more hours in the day than you already have? The day is done, but is your to-do list completed?

Sadly we all have the same 24 hours in the day, and the possibility of having more hours a day is impossible.

So what is the solution then? How can I have a productive day? How can I end the day without feeling like I´m drowning in my to-do list?

The answer is quite simple actually, by increasing your productivity and learning to properly manage your time. Although we can all agree that is something easier said than done, right?

Well, don´t panic because today I am going to share with you the 7 best performing productivity hacks to finally start taking control of your time!

Hack number #1- Choose your top three prioritize of the day

After we wake up, we automatically start writing our to-do list including all the things we want to accomplish. Although not everyone does this and that is the biggest mistake of them all.

The problem with this practice is we go crazy and write all kinds of things on that list making it longer and longer till the point where we get overwhelmed just by looking at it.

We have the bad habit of chewing more than we can bite. But don´t worry because that has an easy fix.

The first hack to increase your productivity is to choose your top three priorities of the day.

So after you´ve written your enormous to-do list choose three tasks. The top three things that if you accomplished, would make the day a success. Just three.

By doing this you are not only simplifying your day (and life), but also minimizing the mental load that you carry throughout the day.

Has it ever happened to you that you have so many things to do in a day that you can´t even seem to focus on the task at hand? That is because the mental load that you carry is too heavy, making it impossible to focus on what you have in front of you and be as productive as possible.

Incorporating this practice into your life will also allow you to gain a sense of clarity and direction in your daily activities. 

And remember, don´t bite more than you can chew.

Best hacks for productivity. #2- Start the day winning and on the right foot.

Want to know the best advice that I´ve received about productivity? Start your day winning and on the right foot. And how can you do that?

 By beginning your day with your top priority. Out of the three tasks that you chose in the previous tip, set your biggest priority and attend to it first thing in the morning.

That way, when you finish it, you will already feel so accomplished and motivated to take on the rest of the day.

Hack number #3-  Discover when you are most productive

Moving down our list of productivity hacks we have discovering when you are most productive.

Believe it or not, we have times during the day when our productivity levels spike up. That is because of two main reasons.

The first is because we all have a circadian rhythm that controls our sleeping and waking cycles. Inside these circadian rhythms, we can find different types called chronotypes. 

These types of rhythms are the ones responsible for dictating when we naturally wake up and fall asleep. This ends up affecting when we feel most alert and productive.

The second reason is that we have genetic markers in our DNA that make us predisposed to feeling more alert at certain times of the day. 

The thing is that we all have different chronotypes and genetic markers. Meaning that, because of our genetics and sleeping patterns, there are people who feel more productive during different hours of the day. 

That is why the third productivity hack is to discover when you are most productive to plan your day around those hours.

You can learn this by playing around with your schedule. Try performing high-concentration activities at different times of the day as well as reflecting on your routine and your energy levels throughout the day.

Hack number #4- Learn to properly plan your day

There is a very effective technique with which you can plan your day in the most productive way possible. Are you ready to discover it?

To plan your day in the most productive way, you just need to know two things. The first is your productivity levels, which we talked about in the previous tip. And the second one is to know the different kinds of tasks.

There are different kinds of activities or tasks depending on the level of concentration they require, their importance, and how often we do them. There are mainly 3 types of tasks:

• Rock tasks. Rock tasks are the core activities of your job and the projects in which you participate. They are the tasks that really make you move toward your objectives and get tangible results.

• Complementary tasks. Complementary tasks are the kind of activities you have to do as part of your job, but they don´t give you tangible results or bring you closer to succeeding.

• Mechanical, repetitive, and minor tasks. As their name suggests they are the kind of tasks that you perform often, that don´t require a lot of focus or concentration.

Once you know the difference between these 3 types of tasks and have identified yours, you just have to plan your day around your productivity levels.

In other words, plan your rock tasks during your most productive hours of the day, and leave the mechanical and repetitive tasks for your least productive moments.

This way you are maximizing your time and energy in the best possible way, dedicating your most productive hours to your most important tasks of the day.

Best productivity hacks. #5- Sharpen your saw

It is as important to know how to plan your day as it is to know when to sharpen your saw. Meaning when to rest and recharge your batteries.

Imagine for a moment that you want to cut a log and you are using a saw. The problem is that before you start cutting the tree you didn’t stop to sharpen the saw. So without realizing it, you will spend more time than you could have to cut the tree because you didn’t invest a couple of minutes to make your task easier.

Do you see what I mean? Although it may seem an unimportant task, it is not the same to cut a log with a sharp saw as without one. 

The same thing happens with our daily tasks and at work. We rarely take the time to rest, to remember our goals, our passion, and the reason we started. We underestimate the importance of sharpening our saw and as a consequence, our focus diminishes.

If you are looking for a reset at the beginning of the month click here!

Work productivity hacks. #6- Learn the difference between an urgency and an unforeseen event.

Here goes a hard truth- don’t let yourself be confused by the satisfaction of having solved an urgency because as far as your project is concerned, you have not made any progress.

Putting out fires does not mean that you have had a productive. A lot of us get carried away by the satisfaction of putting out a fire, to the point where we don´t even differentiate any more urgencies from unforeseen events. We rush to take care of these emergencies and unforeseen events, forgetting about our tasks and our priorities.

So what is the difference between an urgency and an unforeseen event?

An emergency is something that requires your immediate attention, and you leave everything at the moment and attend to it 100%. An unforeseen event is something you can always postpone.

How to deal with an unforeseen event?

The best way to solve an unforeseen event is, as we said before, to postpone it and look for a moment to complete it without affecting the time we dedicate to our rock tasks. Another way to find time for these unforeseen events is by shortening other minor or mechanical tasks.

Hack number #7- Divide bigger tasks into smaller ones

Numerous times during the week, we find ourselves having to complete tasks so big, that we don’t even know where to start. To solve this problem divide this big task into smaller ones, including all the necessary steps you must take to accomplish them.

Once you have this long to-do list, literally schedule them into your calendar or planner. Not only because scheduling this task will make it easier for you to carry them out, but because to-do lists tend to stay on paper.

This tip is extremely useful and important not only because it forces you to take the time to plan but also because it makes it easier for you to accomplish your objectives. 

Another benefit is that when we set our minds to do something, we may feel overwhelmed or unmotivated because of how big accomplishing this task seems. However, by dividing your goal into smaller tasks your mind finds it easier to complete them, lowering the chances for you to sabotage yourself.

Quick bonus round of productivity hacks

Always write your to-do´s with a verb at the beginning.

Writing your tasks starting with a verb will help your mind enter a “terminator” state (starting is inevitable, but finishing is an option).

Write a deadline for all your activities. 

And speaking of finishing tasks, how many times have you left a project or activity until the last moment? If the answer is more than once, this hack is for you. Always, always, always set a deadline for your tasks.

This way you make sure you get those activities done without leaving them to the last minute.

If you still find it hard to be self-demanding with those deadlines, ask someone to help you. It is easier for us to be disciplined when we are accountable to someone other than ourselves.

Plan ahead

The most simple yet effective way to not feel overwhelmed and stressed by your to-do list is to plan ahead. And the best way to do this is by writing all your events, appointments, deadlines, tasks… in the same place. Make sure it is somewhere you can check it at least once a day. 

Remember to keep this calendar updated and use it to plan your weeks and months so that you don´t forget or leave any tasks behind.

Thank you so much for investing your time in reading this article. Now you have no excuse to go out there and eat the world without drowning in your to-do list.

Before we say goodbye, I have one more question for you. Which are your 3 biggest takes from the article?