8 productivity tips to set yourself up for success
Tags: Productivity, Daily Life, Study, Success, Tips

If you’re reading this, it means you’re getting serious about your time. Time is our most valuable resource and you’ve taken a step towards taking control and putting your time towards what really matters to you.

P roductivity is defined as the ability to produce a certain amount of results or outputs given your amount of resources or inputs.

Productivity is all about trial and error. No two people are exactly the same — we think differently, we work differently. Productivity comes down to figuring out what works for you.

For some inspiration, here’s 8 tips we’ve gathered from our community on to set yourself up for maximum productivity.

1. Create a peaceful environment

Like the saying says, a happy body is a happy mind.

Create the environment that is most suitable to you. This could mean lowering the temperature, opening up windows, or getting into your favorite sweats.

Additionally, over time, we’ve been primed to react to auditory cues — construction noise, office conversations, phone notifications, etc.

To maximize your chance of having an uninterrupted work session, try finding a quiet place to sit, put your phone on ‘do not disturb’, and close out all messaging applications.

Many have also found it helpful to play background music or white noise. Check out our favorites!

These actions will not only make you comfortable, but keep your mind focused on your task versus your environment.

2. Make a checklist of the things you need

Before you sit down for good, gather all the necessary equipment you might need. This will reduce any moving around time and keep everything you need conveniently close to you. Some things I find I always need are:

Computer charger

Headphones

A pen and my notebook

Blue light glasses

3. Fill up a glass of water

Similar to the first saying, a healthy body is a healthy mind.

Water is very important to your body. It brings hydration and nutrients to every one of your cells. So do your body a favor, and before you sit down, fill yourself a glass of water and drink it throughout your work session.

4. Emphasize your bigger picture

Many times, we get stuck on the day to day happenings and we forget about the bigger picture. This includes your vision board, if you have one, and your yearly goals. Ask yourself:

What are you working so hard for?

What gets you up every day?

Spending a few minutes before starting your session helps you emphasize your bigger picture and gives you a stronger and purer drive.

Start your day at Sidekick’s HQ — review your yearly goals and reinforce your vision.

Adding on, spend some time envisioning your goals coming true. The more you believe in something, the more motivated you are to work for them, the higher the chance of the goal being accomplished.

5. Set daily goals

Before starting your work day, set yourself a few daily goals. A good number to commit to is 3. Commit to accomplishing the 3 most important goals or tasks of your day.

6. Plan your day

Most importantly, plan or schedule your day.

“Plan your day before it gets planned for you.”

Be intentional about how you spend your time and what tasks you will accomplish today. Without doing this, your time might go to meetings, social distractions, or internet distractions. And before you know it, it’ll be the end of the day and you’ll ask yourself, “What did I even do today?”

Have your calendar and goals side by side so you can make sure you’re doing what you need to do.

7. Turn off your distractions

Just before you’re about to start work, turn off all your distractions. This includes putting away our precious phones, closing distracting tabs, and blocking the strongest of digital temptations.

Block your biggest digital distractions on Sidekick’s blocklist. Ensure you’ll complete your session without any unnecessary rabbit holes or newsfeed scrolls.

8. Start!

And finally, start! The hardest thing, but the most necessary thing about working is starting. Don’t worry, I’ve been there. Procrastination gets the best of us.

But, when you start and you eventually accomplish your tasks, you’ll finish your day feeling much happier, lighter, and more complete.