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Can you think of someone that always seems to be productive?
We all know those people—the ones with the color-coded everything, the ones who never procrastinate, and the ones who just seem to have their stuff together.
Becoming a more productive person is not an impossible feat, and it can happen for you!
Becoming more productive will result in less stress and more happiness.
Here are ten habits of people who are always productive that you can adopt and implement into your life.
Habits of Productive People
1. Have a set morning routine
Morning routines are crucial, as they set the tone for your entire day.
Use your morning as a way to start your day on a positive, productive note.
First, wake up an hour earlier than usual. Use this time for yourself—pour yourself a cup of coffee, meditate, work out, and get yourself ready for the day.
Take your mornings slowly.
By waking up an hour earlier than you have to, you are already able to cross off some of those items on your to-do list. This allows you to start the day with the hope that it will continue to be productive.
2. Set deadlines for yourself
It’s pretty easy to come up with a mile-long to-do list.
If the tasks aren’t urgent, then how likely are you to actually complete them?
Think about this…have you ever said you were going to clean your house, and then realize you’ve been saying that for two weeks? However, if you had company coming over, I would bet that you would be sure to clean your house.
It’s the same way with your to-do list!
Set deadlines for yourself for each task to hold yourself accountable.
3. Take breaks
What? Taking breaks can make you more productive?! YES!
Taking breaks can sometimes be the ultimate secret to productivity.
You can adopt something like the Pomodoro method, where you do focus work for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break.
Save those breaks for things such as checking social media or responding to texts, doing the dishes, or anything else that is unrelated to the task at hand. If you have these scheduled breaks, you will be less likely to get distracted during your work time.
4. Set boundaries
Productivity is all about focus.
If you let your personal life and your work life intertwine too much, you will be unable to focus on one thing at a time.
Set boundaries for yourself!
Create set working hours for yourself, and have a set working location.
If you don’t set boundaries, it will be easier for other things to creep in, trying to claim your attention.
5. Take time for self-care
You can’t pour from an empty cup—it just simply is not possible.
If you are not taking care of yourself, you will not be able to focus on working on something else or helping someone else…not effectively, anyway.
Create a self-care routine, and honor it.
Your routine can look like face masks, meditation, journaling, getting a massage, and more, but just be sure that it is something that relaxes you and helps you to feel at peace.
Improving your self-care can help you live more in the moment, resulting in less procrastination and more productivity.
6. Have a clear focus
I think we are all guilty of having 30 tabs open at once, bouncing tab to tab, and then four hours later realizing we didn’t ACTUALLY get anything accomplished. Let’s end that now!!
When you sit down to work, have a set goal or goals for the day.
Three main goals per day is a good starting place. This will prevent you from starting and stopping tasks and bouncing around from tab to tab!
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7. Eliminate all distractions
Our cell phones are wonderful, but man can those things be distracting!
Turn your phone on silent, and place it in a drawer or another room if you have to.
You can check it during those breaks we discussed, but you should not have it near you while you are working. Make sure that your tv is off, and only play music if it helps you concentrate.
There are some awesome instrumental playlists out there that will help you keep your focus!
8. Prioritize sleep
Again…how does getting more sleep makes you more productive?
Doesn’t that take up more of your time? Yes—but you need it!
If you have ever pulled an all-nighter, you are probably familiar with the sluggish, half-alive feeling you have the following day. You should aim to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep a night.
Getting more sleep will help you wake up energized, refreshed, and prepared to tackle whatever the day throws your way.
9. Work on the most challenging tasks first
Have you ever procrastinated just because you are dreading doing something?
Does this happen to you like…every day? If so, I feel you, and you are human!!
Knocking the hardest thing off of your to-do list first is a freeing feeling.
Start with those difficult tasks and end on the easier tasks, once your caffeine buzz wears off. Since you have less energy at the end of the day, it is better to do those tasks that require less energy less.
Makes sense, right?
10. Reward yourself and celebrate when tasks are completed
Celebrate your wins – all of them!
You can celebrate by taking an extra break, eating a cookie, going for a walk, or doing anything else that will help you to look forward to crossing items off of your to-do list.
Physically crossing items off your to-do list is satisfying on its own, but you can make that feeling even better!
Final Thoughts
After reading this list, I hope you understand that unfortunately, you can’t just snap your fingers and become an extremely productive person.
Becoming more productive is a process that takes determination, time, and practice.
Start to implement these various habits into your life, and see what works best for you! You’ll be crossing off those items on your to-do list in no time.
Do you have any habits that help you to be productive?
Michelle Gagliani
Owner & Founder
Michelle is the Founder of The Balanced CEO and a Holistic Nutritionist + Health Coach. She was born and raised in St.Thomas, U.S.V.I., and is currently living in Austin, TX. When she’s not running this blog and online business, she is cozied up at home watching TV, taking long walks in nature, or trying out new healthy recipes.
Needed this. I’m finding it hard to be productive lately. My schedule is all messed up! Trying to get back on track.
Glad to hear it helped Natalie! Yes, with these times it is hard to stay on track. But, you got this!
I often forget that I need to take breaks as well and set aside time for self care. Thanks for these great tips and reminders!
My pleasure Alyssa! ❤️️
Excellent post!Taking care of yourself and having a morning routine are very important.
Yes so important! Thanks Ann!
I would love to have more organization in my life! With 3 kids everything seems so chaotic!
Oh wow I can only imagine Crystal! But, you got this! ????
I find when I take my breaks and visit FB I get pulled away but when I take breaks away from my computer I am much more productive. SM is my downfall.
Omg, it can be mine too Tricia! I found it helpful to log off completely off social media or set up limits and once the limit is up it blocks the app. That has helped me from wasting time scrolling on Instagram.
This is so helpful. I have normally been an extremely productive person and the last couple months, its been very busy but disjointed. I love to prioritize, make a plan and lists, be on schedule – but of late its gotten kind of messy. So I appreciate your outlining steps that I need to kick back into motion. Thanks!
It sure is crazy times ain’t it?! I am glad this helped! Thank you for reading it Beth!
Great tips! I find the morning advice to be particularly true.
Thanks Danielle!!
Very good advice we should all take note of.
Thank you Douglas!
Tip #1 is my favorite! Whenever I wake up at a set time and immediately start my day, I feel so much more productive!
Same here Mariah. Thanks for sharing!
Great advice! Feeling like you are being productive and finishing what you start really helps! Self-care and not beating myself up if I don’t get done what I was hoping t6.. it’s hard but I really try!
Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves. But, we have to remember to celebrate every little accomplishment and that we are trying our best. I am glad you are trying Holly. Keep it up! You are doing an amazing job! ❤️️
I like waking up early and starting a routine and making sure I get good sleep!
That’s awesome Lisa! It makes such a difference, doesn’t it?
I need to print this out!! I know some of these things and fail to incorporate them. This is great advice.
You gave me the idea to make a printable for you guys. Thanks for reading Debbie!
These are really helpful tips, especially right now. Thanks for the reminder!
Anytime :)! Thanks for reading Kirsten!
Excellent list! Besides eliminating distractions, I’ve got a lot of these on autopilot!
That’s awesome LeeAnne!!
I need to work on a few of these. I know that they’re my weakness and I struggle with them. The biggest one for me is to eliminate distractions. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to this one. I have so many things running through my head that it’s hard to me to stay focused. The other one that keeps tripping me up is to tackle the challenging things first. I tend to leave those until later, and then I spend the whole day with them looming over my head. Thanks for reminding me to try to work on these.
Hey Sara! I can be the same way. It is so hard to focus when you have so much in your head. You can do a braindump every morning to see the big picture of everything. Then, just work on one task at a time and don’t move on until that task is finished. With tackling the challenging things first, try to do them when you have the most energy that way you are pumped and can just get it done. Hopefully this helps you a little more. Just keep pushing! You got this girl! ❤️️
Love these ideas, thank you for sharing
Thank you for reading Lisa!!
I’m happy to see that a lot of my habits are good habits! Every once in awhile I deviate from these, honestly out of pure laziness, but I always get back on track!
🙂 That’s great that you always get back on track Eva!
These are great tips. Taking time away from the computer really helps. Sleep is also vital. I need to do a better job of getting more sleep.
Thanks Heather! I love sleeping it’s so beneficial. You can do it!
That whole “take breaks” thing is shockingly so helpful for me. I’ve been time blocking lately with built in breaks, and it’s amazing how much more productive I’ve been. Who knew??? 🙂
Lol I know right! Sometimes it is just the simplest of things that work.
A good morning routine has always been a struggle for me. I keep saying I’m going to adopt one, but then sleep gets the best of me. This is a great list of helpful ways to be productive. I struggle with many of them, unfortunately!
No worries Jen! Just start slowly and one thing at a time, so you don’t overwhelm yourself. 🙂 I Hope that helps.
This is really helpful right now. I’ve been so unproductive lately and I’m aware of it. I just can’t get things rolling. Your tips are sure to help!
Thank you Santana!! ????
Seems like I’m always trying to find ways to be more productive. These are all good tips! Some are a little harder to implement than others, though. 🙂
Thanks Tonya! And anything is possible 🙂
The breaks are important when I’m stuck in Zoom meetings all day! Between each call, I do a load of dishes or laundry, or if it’s in the afternoon, I’ll do some meal prep (chopping my onions or measuring out the spices for tonight’s dinner). It’s so hard for me to work from home, but the breaks make the housework easier to tackle.
Wow, sounds like you keep pretty productive Charlene. That’s great!
I love the. I consider myself very productive and I attempt to follow these principles. You also need to give yourself grace when things don’t go as planned,
I agree Sandi. Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves. We need to recognize sometimes that we are trying our best. Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂
These are excellent tips, thank you! When I worked outside the home, I was very productive both at work and at home. But working at home is a whole different beast and I cannot seem to figure it out! But, these tips look like they could really help, thanks!
Hey Katherine! Working at home can definitely take some getting use to. I am glad to hear that this may help. You got this.
I struggle with this. Setting a deadline for task is very helpful.
Glad you found it helpful Alice!!
I agree with all of these tips – my hardest one is setting boundaries – I have a hard time saying no most the time, always thinking I can squeeze one more thing in!
I was like that for a long time too, Tiffany. It is hard but as time goes by you would realize how much stress it has saved you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
These suggestions are so helpful! I practice most of them. I especially love rewarding myself for work done!
Glad to hear that Cindy! I do too! It is something to look forward to!
Gerat tips!
Thank you, Melissa!
I’ve been told by many that I am one of *these* people. And… I do most of these things, almost all of the time. Breaks is my secret to not going insane. Because really, no one can do it all. Not even me! ha ha
That’s not a bad thing Mindy! Yay for staying productive 🙂
I find making a list of what need to be done helps me tremendously. Then I can decide what task is the most important and which won’t be detrimental should I not get to it on the same day. It reduces my anxiety since I don’t feel so overwhelmed. I love your post, such great suggestions, such as self care. It’s something we forgot along the way and I’m glad it’s coming back to the forefront and we are realising we need to take care of ourselves.
I love how you map out your days Cindy and thank you for sharing and reading 😊
Great post! Setting boundaries and taking time for self-care are so important. You can’t do your best if you at aren’t your best. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Agreed! Thanks for reading Lexi!
Having a morning routine is crucial to being productive during the day and also time schedule everything! Great post
Definitely! Thank you!!
Great tips! I’m big on my daily to-do list and prioritizing what must get done vs what I would like to get done.
Yes! Same here. Thanks Melissa!
These are really great tips! I try to stick to a daily routine, but school and work have made it hard to keep up. My productivity levels have decreased because of it. I’ll have to keep a list of these tips on my desk to serve as a reminder lol
I know sometimes life does throw us curveballs. I do hope these tips help Katrina!
Very helpful post, needed this to stay upbeat and ahead, thanks!!
Deepti | http://perspectiveofdeepti.blogspot.com/
Thanks Deepti!