four sure-fire ways to stay productive.

need to get things done... but they ain't getting done?!⁠ yep, that happens to all of us.⁠ there are distractions around us at all times. whether it’s your phone. the screaming kids. the email from your boss that keeps staring at you and demanding a reply. we certainly are not short on distractions. but here’s the thing : maintaining productivity isn’t actually all that hard when you know how to dial in. here are four sure-fire ways to stay productive so you too can make sure you tick everything off your to-do list on time.⁠

anything that can be done in less than five minutes should be done immediately.

the most simple and quick tasks need to be completed immediately. an email that just requires a “got it. will do.” should be sent the minute it’s recognized. a quick return phone call confirming your dentist appointment should be done right away. a slack reply to your co-worked that you received the documents should be executed without pause. often we think, “i’ll get to that later,” because it’s so easy and small. but before you know it you’ve got ten easy and small tasks that are built up and they all seem to carry more weight than how you first experienced them. if it’s easy and small and takes under five minutes, do it immediately.

get up and move.

moving improves your mood and fights off lethargy and those afternoon nap cravings. you don’t need a twenty-minute walk to stimulate your body. you don’t need to pull out a yoga mat and start the find relaxing music for your speaker system. you just need a quick shock to the system that gets you out of your normal positive. try a wall sit for one minute, ten burpees, or twenty jumping jacks. get that hedrtrate quickly elevated and let those feel-good chemicals activate a fresh start and a focused brain.

chunk your time.

separating your tasks into categories leaves you less scatter-brained and more at ease. when you switch from task to task in short periods of time you can get over-whelmed and the totality of the work can seem a lot larger. try chunking your tasks to create a better flow. reply and compose emails for thirty minutes. set aside two hours for everything that needs to be done in your google docs. and leave an hour for phone calls. you’ll find that grouping tasks together will keep you more productive and efficient.

make yourself unavailable.

this one typically gets the most resistant from others but it’s probably the most important. feel free to turn your phone on ‘do not disturb’ or turn off your notifications during specific times at work (or any other time for that matter). there was a time when we weren’t always so available and we managed to be just as productive - in fact, more so. resist your fear of missing out, shut down the device, and turn the mail ping off on your computer. you have a right to protect your work time. implement that right and you’ll find that productivity will soar.