10 Things You Can Do To Become More Productive

When you're setting goals, don't just be realistic, be real with yourself. Think about how the completion of this goal will make you feel. Sometimes we set goals not for ourselves but for people who set unattainable standards on us. Going for these types of goals may leave you stressed and feeling like you put it more than you got out. Go with your gut and follow your true dreams!

Many people say that setting goals is the most important part of becoming productive, but what's more important than setting goals, is setting realistic goals. If your goals seem too far in reach, then subconsciously you will become less and less motivated to achieve them. What even better is if you set milestones within one goal. If you want to lose 20 pounds, aim for 5 pounds and once you achieve that, set your next milestone.

Make a habit of writing down tasks and goals in a list format. Use a pen and paper or the note app on your iPhone or computer. Writing things down basically takes the pressure off of your mind so you can focus on the task at hand instead of worrying about what you have to do.

It's been proven that by visualizing the result of a task will make you more motivated to complete the task. Before doing a task, take a moment to visualize how you will feel and what your world will look like once you've finished it.

Don't do it later, don't do it in a few minutes, do it now! It may take a few times to make this a habit, but once you do, you'll realize how much spare time you have. By completing tasks you don't want to do as soon as you think of them, you leave room to do the things you really want to do.

It's hard to get what you need to get done when you have an iPhone or computer near by. Make it a habit to turn off your device for a certain amount of time per day (maybe 2-3) while you complete your tasks. There are even apps out there that will shut down your internet between certain hours everyday.

This may seem obvious but yes, the earlier you wake up, the more time you'll have throughout the day to be productive. Waking up early allows you to start your day right and get the most boring things done like chores and making phone calls right away.

It's easy to get caught up in multiple things at once. Maybe your email dings, your phone buzzes, you just remembered you didn't finish a project, or you're hungry and need a snack. All these things take away from your task at hand. If you make it a habit to focus on one thing at a time, you're more likely to finish things therefore create more space for other things to be done!

Peak hours are 2-3 hours a day where you feel the most energized. Some people may be morning people, so their hours could be between 5am and 7pm, theres may be between 10pm and 12am. Once you know what times during the day you're at your best, you can schedule the hardest tasks for those hours. You'll feel energized knowing your'e getting things done and you won't feel totally exhausted afterwards.

When you're working on a team, it's much easier to feel valued and accountable for your work. But you don't need to be apart of a team to get those benefits. Find a buddy and tell each other your goals in as much detail as possible. Promise each other that you will check in on each other to see how your progress is doing. Knowing someone is "looking over your shoulder," makes you that much more motivated to achieve what you need to achieve.