7 tricks to boost your productivity

1. Set your priorities

There are the things that have to get done, the things that you want to get done, and the things that it would be nice to do. “Some things are optional; some things are non-negotiable,” says Kristie Demke, president of the national association Professional Organizers in Canada. Divide your to-do list into A, B and C priorities based on these criteria.

2. Assign realistic time frames

For every item on your list, map out how long it will take. Most people underestimate, so be realistic. To get a better sense of duration for certain tasks, start timing yourself as you do them. “Productivity isn’t about getting more things done in a day,” says Hellen Buttigieg, owner of We Organize U Coaching and Organizing Services. “It’s about doing the things that matter in the time that you have.”

2. Assign realistic time frames

For every item on your list, map out how long it will take. Most people underestimate, so be realistic. To get a better sense of duration for certain tasks, start timing yourself as you do them. “Productivity isn’t about getting more things done in a day,” says Hellen Buttigieg, owner of We Organize U Coaching and Organizing Services. “It’s about doing the things that matter in the time that you have.”

3. Schedule the time

“Just having a list is not efficient,” says Demke. “You have to block off the time to do each job.” Using a system that works for you, be it a paper agenda or smartphone, plot tasks in your calendar, starting with A-list priorities that have the most urgent deadlines. Reassess your calendar on a weekly basis, and if something unexpected comes up, “ask yourself if this unexpected thing is more important and urgent than what you already have scheduled,” says Buttigieg.

4. Do the hard things first

Buttigieg recommends scheduling your hardest task for when you’re most effective, say, 9:00 am if you’re a morning person. Says Demke: “Do that one thing right away and everything else will be easy.”

4. Do the hard things first

Buttigieg recommends scheduling your hardest task for when you’re most effective, say, 9:00 am if you’re a morning person. Says Demke: “Do that one thing right away and everything else will be easy.”

5. Break jobs into bite-size chunks

“When people are overwhelmed, they tend to procrastinate,” says Buttigieg. Divide larger tasks into half-hour steps and schedule each step as a separate item in your calendar. Taking breaks in between will help you stay focused.

6. Tackle procrastination head-on

No matter how organized you are with your time, you’re still likely to find yourself procrastinating. When this happens, Buttigieg suggests that you ask yourself why you’re putting things off. Is it too hard, or are you missing some key information or tools? Address the issue, for example, by delegating the task or tracking down the missing info.

7. Don’t do some things

Give yourself permission to delete those items you never seem to get around to from your list without ever doing them. “If it’s that far down on your list, maybe it doesn’t need to get done,” says Demke, who says that sometimes what she calls the Ostrich Technique can be a good indicator of your C priorities. If you’ve stuck your head in the sand and have ignored a task long enough, ask yourself if it’s really that important.

Related:
• 5 ways to stop feeling overwhelmed
• How to simplify your life
• 4 online toold to help you organize your life

7. Don’t do some things

Give yourself permission to delete those items you never seem to get around to from your list without ever doing them. “If it’s that far down on your list, maybe it doesn’t need to get done,” says Demke, who says that sometimes what she calls the Ostrich Technique can be a good indicator of your C priorities. If you’ve stuck your head in the sand and have ignored a task long enough, ask yourself if it’s really that important.

Related:
• 5 ways to stop feeling overwhelmed
• How to simplify your life
• 4 online toold to help you organize your life