10 important principles of productivity

Everyone deals with productivity problem. Nobody is immune. Here are 10 things that I do regularly to avoid procrastination and increase my productivity.

1. Know what is important –  The most efficient way to get a task done is to delete it.  If it is not important, DELETE from your to do list.
2. Set daily goals - Without a clear goal on what to do, you’ll end up succumbing to distractions. Set clear and specific goals that you want to achieve each day. Set a time for each goal. It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet the time. At least you’ll work at a faster pace than without a specific time to work towards.
3. Tackle the giant first - To defeat procrastination, tackle the hardest task first thing in the morning. This way, it will set the pace for a very productive day.
4. Most productive time period - Identify your most productive time in the day. We are all different. Some people work best in the morning, some at night. After identifying it, schedule your most important and hardest tasks for those times. Work on less important tasks during the rest of the day.
5. Batching - Batch similar tasks such as checking emails, calling people, or other administrative tasks into a single chunk, and clear it in once session.
6. Axis of silence - Take your laptop, iPad, or whatever materials that you need, and go to a place without internet, without distractions, such as a park, library, or your backyard.
7. 16 days - Identify a new habit that you’ll like to have. Do it for the next 16 days. Our body takes 16 days to be accustomed to a new habit and lifestyle. After that, you’ll find that it’s easier to maintain that habit.
8. Pareto - Use the 80-20 rule. 20% of your hard work will complete 80% of the task. Focus your energy on that critical 20%.
9. Don’t multi-task - Once you identify a goal, bulldoze your way through. Eliminate distractions, and make sure you complete 100% before you move on to the next task. Focus is the key.
10. Take breaks - You have to take time to rest to recharge your batteries. Otherwise, you will begin to feel the effects of burn out and it will probably be self-defeating. Work hard and rest hard.