Ways to Become More Productive in the New Year
What are some of the best ways to become productive in the new year?
As we enter a new year, why not try to become more productive during the day? Everyone could benefit from the extra time gained from being productive and we’ve put together a list of ways to help with being more productive.
One of the best ways to become more productive is to stay off electronics. Having your phone next to you while you do your work can be distracting and addictive. When notifications pop up, it can be tempting to want to click on them and when you do click on them, all of a sudden, you’ve wasted a whole hour and lost track of time when you really went on your phone just to do one thing. Turning on Do Not Disturb or putting your phone away, maybe even in a different room, can be beneficial because it keeps you focused. Going on any electronics wastes a lot of your time that you could be using to get your work done. Electronics also have many negative effects such as interfering with your sleep schedule, causing eye strain, and damage to your nerves.
The next best thing you can do is create a schedule and stick to it. Write down the things you need to do in your day with the time frame for each. This will help keep you in check with what you have to do, motivate you, and help you go faster. When creating your schedule, make sure to include breaks! Nobody is productive 24/7. If you overwork yourself, you will have a burnout and days of no productivity. Take a walk or have a snack in your breaks. This will motivate you to get back to work. This isn’t procrastination, it’s taking care of your body!
Another thing you can do to boost productivity is time yourself. Use a timer on your phone or iPad to help you get your work done in a certain amount of time. This will again help you go faster and motivate you to keep going. One of the best ways to time yourself is to use the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique stresses the importance of breaks while still maintaining focus. To implement this technique, find a task that needs to be done and break it into 25min/5min sections. That’s 25 minutes of uninterrupted work on the task, followed by a five minute break. Repeat this as many times to ensure all your work is completed! If you plan to do this more than 4 times, make sure you take a longer 15-30 minute break after the fourth Pomodoro.
Most importantly is sleep. Waking up early and going to sleep early is one of the best things you can do to boost your productivity. You can’t get any work done fast without sleep. If you’re tired, your mind won’t be able to think or process things well. Sleeping early will help you be able to wake up earlier and get your work done at an earlier time. Getting a good night’s sleep will help reduce stress, improve your memory, give you more energy and sharper thinking skills, help you feel happier, and all in all make you much more productive!
Don’t procrastinate! Get it done so you don’t have to later. You’ll be more relaxed doing the stuff you love in your free time knowing that the hard stuff is already done!
April is in her sophomore year of High School. She plans on contributing to Life & Arts and Advice.
Aimee is a Freshman at Sweet Home High School. She plans on writing for the Advice Section.