How can I become more productive? This is the question which most of us ask ourselves every other day. We all wish to do more in the smallest amount of time. We all perform our daily tasks and at the end of the day, think that we could have accomplished more. Well, I used to think over these questions every day. Instead of wasting my time and resources, I researched and found the mechanism of minimalism. Even though, you want to do so much more, but are nowhere near your goal and most of the things on your list are still unchecked. The thing about productivity is that it is about doing less and gaining more. So, how can we achieve more? Firstly we need to understand the mechanism of minimalism.
We are programmed to believe in the the fact that the more we do, the better it is for us. Which is why we populate our schedule with lots of things, and try to be the best at everything. However, it doesn’t work that way. Why? Because we aren’t focused. Divided attention can never yield the desired results. This is where minimalism comes in. Let’s discuss what minimalism is actually about?
What is Minimalism?
Minimalism’s definition can vary from person to person. It totally depends on where you stand in your life and can be practiced in several different forms. The core definition of minimalism is understanding the fact that more is not always good. Minimalism helps you identify the unnecessary things so that you can cut them off. This way you’ll become more focused on the task at hand and come with up productive ideas to achieve it in due time.
Let’s discuss seven steps to increase your productivity through minimalism:
- Hit the day with enthusiasm:
Starting your day right is very important. It has a direct effect on your work. Plan your day in advance and stick to it. The idea is really simple, only focus on the things that are necessary and need your dire attention. This will help you achieve the goals that you have planned throughout the day.
- Spend a few moments to make a to-do list of your day
- Pick the top priority tasks
- Allocate a certain time to those priority tasks and get them done effectively
With all your day planned, you know exactly what tasks you need to get done. Evaluate your progress in the evening to see how effectively you applied minimalism. For example, if the Area Manager of Cox Communications needs to perform a check on the effectiveness of Cox internet packages in his area and report it back to his superiors. He would perform this task on a priority basis and would allocate a specific time to it in order to accomplish the goal effectively.
- Work with full concentration:
Quite often, we are distracted by our surroundings and other thoughts in our mind that prolong the time period of a task. Shut down the unnecessary thoughts and don’t pay heed to your surrounding while performing a particular task. A focused mind can get things done in less time period than you can ever imagine. Eliminate all the distractions from your surrounding and perform the task with a focused mind. Work like a hermit with all the thoughts focused towards one thing.
- Batch the tasks and automate them:
This is another way of minimalizing the number of tasks you need to do every day. Every job involves repetitive tasks and consumes a big amount of time which keeps you from achieving your actual goal. So, identify the repetitive tasks, batch them and automate them. With all the advancement of technologies, the tools allow you to batch and automate the monotonous tasks.
- Keep things simple and clear:
When we talk about minimalism, it goes without saying that things should be as simple and clear possible. The simplest way to keep things transparent and information readily available is through effective management. You can use a journal for this purpose. It will also allow you to hold on to the interesting ideas that stumble upon you on various occasions. In addition to this, you will have a permanent record of when and where you noted that interesting thought. Keep things simple and transparent, and never let ambiguity consume your precious time.
- Give your schedule a breathing space:
Do not make your schedule hectic, rather give yourself ample time to relax and plan your day. You must be wondering why every moment of the day shouldn’t be dedicated to achieving the goals. This is because you cannot work productively under pressure. Pursue your goals camly and check off the completed tasks from your list. Give your schedule some space to breathe and do not plan every second of your day. Give your mind some free time in order to maintain efficiency.
- Break your tasks down:
Now that you have narrowed down your tasks, all you have to do is stay focused. The best way to achieve your goals and get the job done is by breaking down the goals into milestones. Breaking up the tasks will enable your brain to comprehend and compose the thoughts required to complete the given assignment. Trust me, this technique will do wonders for you and will boost your productivity instantly.
- Stretch the time, not the work:
Have you ever been assigned a task to do in an impossible time frame? Yet you still manage to do it before deadline? Yeah! That is stretching time. This is the reason it didn’t take long to get the job done. When the deadline is close, you tend to work with great zeal and force. This helps get things done at a faster pace. Next time you feel that a project is unattainable in the provided time, try following the steps discussed below to improve your productivity:
- Challenge yourself with a short yet reasonable deadline on a regular basis
- Right when you are done with your work, plan something which relaxes you. It can be chatting with a friend, yoga or exercise
- Repeat until you get the job done in the set deadline by yourself.
Although minimalism is a very basic idea, it requires great work and observation. You need to be more careful with your time and activities. Remove the unnecessary things which are eating your time away and are not getting you anywhere. Concentrate on the goals that enable you to grow as an individual and as a professional.
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Author Bio:
Robert James is an MIS with a vast experience and research on personal and home security tech and gadgets. He also write on cox cable San Diego Packages. He is an MMA Fighter and Technology enthusiast with a will to act. Tech Writer and Researcher with a flare to review the latest security tech and gadgets