We all want to be more productive–finishing work and clocking out early to do stuff that’s actually fun? That’s what it’s all about, baybee.
But many productivity strategies, like time blocking, require a good bit of effort to implement, and sometimes that’s just not the mood.
Here are seven of the SIMPLEST productivity hacks that you can implement immediately to completely change your work process for the better. Let’s get into it!
1. The Two-Minute Rule
The two-minute rule is straightforward: If you notice something that needs to be done, and it can be done within two minutes (e.g., send a quick text, start the dishwasher, clear lunch dishes off your desk), you do it immediately!
This gives you a small boost from the accomplishment and prevents task accumulation. It also prevents you from getting hung up on perfectionism–you just do it immediately instead of hemming and hawing about the best way to do it.
2. Commit to 80%
Showing up imperfectly but consistently is better than showing up sporadically at your best. If you have a daunting task, commit to doing an 80% job at it. This relieves pressure and makes motivation much more accessible.
You can either have the image of a perfect outcome that never comes to fruition, or you can get it done and have it be good enough. Plus, in many cases, you can perfect it later! Just commit to 80%.
For example, if you’re trying to stick to a new workout routine, and you know you’re a bit tired today so you probably won’t hit the reps you want to, it might seem better to skip today. If you truly want to build the habit and make progress, it’s way more effective to show up at 80%–or even less–to keep yourself in the motion of it, and to get a little bit done. Even 10% is better than 0%.
You can show up imperfectly–the point is to show up.
3. Do Less
Do you need/want to do everything you’re doing? I’m about to be a major hypocrite here, but take a look at your schedule and regular tasks and see if anything can be removed or minimized.
Right now, my day is spread over 4-6 jobs. I wear a lot of hats, and I just keep adding them to my lil head! I’m about to do a deep evaluation of my workload myself. I’m probably due for a lot of journaling to figure out what I actually enjoy and feel passionate about. Right now, I just think I love them all, and cutting anything out feels impossible.
Anyway, don’t be like me, xoxo.
No one’s wearing as many hats as this legend. via Dokun Ayano
4. EOD Review
A daily review is a great part of an end-of-day routine, but you can also do it independently of an established routine.
At the end of your day, look back and ask yourself what went well, what didn’t, ideas to fix those problems in the future–you might make a To Done list or a daily log to record your thoughts and actions from the day.
Here are a few prompts if you’d like to create a template to make things easier:
- What did I accomplish today?
- What did I learn?
- What problems did I encounter?
- What solutions could I use in the future to prevent those problems?
- What’s my vibe, 1-10?
A routine review at the end of your day is a simple, easy, and quick (unless you want to take more time with it!), and it can help you stay focused, calm, and intentional with your life and work.
5. Morning Routine
Similarly, a morning routine can be simple to implement and have a MAJOR impact on your day and productivity.
If you don’t have one established at all yet, start small! For example, just taking a quick walk soon after waking up can get you some sun on your face (great for your circadian rhythm), a little bit of movement, some blood flow and oxygen intake, and a positive start to your day.
That’s a major improvement to your entire day with just fifteen minutes dedicated to a simple, enjoyable task.
6. Declutter
Get rid of the noise. Decluttering your house, office, or even just your desk can provide a feeling of newness, energy, and hope. Get yourself some hope, bros!
Decluttering can be a quick part of your daily routine–a sweep of your desk at the end of the workday, spending five minutes in each room daily, an hour of clearing out a designated area each weekend, whatever!
Having less junk around gives you a clearer mind and increases productivity, for just a tiny new habit integration.
7. Notepad Companion
During deep work sessions, thoughts may interrupt you. Don’t follow those thoughts away from your current task, but also don’t let them slip away! Keeping a notepad beside you–or a digital shortcut–to jot down those thoughts can help you refocus on your work without interruptions.
Similarly, if you find yourself worrying about something while you’re trying to concentrate, writing it down can let your brain let that thought go, because you know you’ll come back to it later.
A bonus tip for putting inconvenient thoughts aside while you’re busy is a therapy grounding trick. Here’s how it works:
- Choose some sort of imaginary container with a lid. It can be a cardboard box, a jewelry holder, an antique trunk–whatever appeals to you. Personally, my imaginary container is a terrarium.
- Choose an object to represent your thoughts. Mine are insects–not necessarily recommending the terrarium route for everyone. I just love bugs. Yours could be marbles, rings, articles of clothing, cats, etc.
- Close your eyes and sit quietly with the thought or feeling that is plaguing you for a moment, then imagine pulling the thought from your head (it can help to literally move your hand to your head, as if you’re actually pulling it out), and drop that object into the imaginary container.
- Imagine the object settling in and you closing the container lid. For me, I am setting down some kind of bug and watching it burrow into the dirt, happy and comfy, then I close the terrarium. This is an incredibly effective visualization technique for setting aside thoughts and feelings you can’t properly address at the moment.
Another reason the terrarium works for me is because I LOVE bugs, so when I imagine my negative feeling as a little beetle, I immediately feel sympathy for it. It’s not an enemy–it’s just a little guy that’s here right now, and he’s napping in the dirt until I have the space and time to address him.
The idea is you’re “packing up” that worry to deal with another time. It works SO well, so give it a try before you call me insane. And if it doesn’t work for you, it’s because you lack whimsy, so you’re the problem and I can’t help you.
Those are my seven simplest productivity hacks! If you’re up for a slightly bigger challenge, check out this list of the 10 best productivity tips.
