10 Habits for Maximum Productivity

Most people who want to be successful in their lives know that there is a single word to describe how
they expect their lives to be: Productive. You must have heard this word everywhere: in motivational
sessions, in lectures, in therapy, and almost in every room where you would expect successful people.
But what exactly does Productivity mean, and how can you maximize your productivity to reach the
zenith of your life? Productivity generally means prioritizing important and useful work over those which
would add minimal or no benefit to your life. When you are productive, you work hard towards the
goals you want to achieve, and make sure that you attain them in the shortest possible time period, with
maximum efficiency and output. Everyone expects maximum productivity, but very few are able to
explain the roundabouts of how to achieve maximum productivity. But worry not! In this video, we are
going to tell you 10 habits that can surely help you increase, and finally maximize your productivity, and
help you gallop like a horse towards your life goals.

So, without further delay, let’s get started.

1. Eliminate all distractions: First and foremost, you should start with removing all those
distractions that you do not want to interrupt while working or studying or doing anything that
associates with your future stability and performance. Your phone keeps ringing when at work?
Shut it down and keep it in a different room. Your friends continuously pester you to go out with
them? Tell them politely that you would be busy for the day and won’t be able to join them.
Point of the matter: make it clear that you would be willing to work hard on yourself rather than
focus on people or instances which would not help your goals. Text messaging, social media, and
emails can quickly become a huge draining factor when you are in your deciding decades, and
the more you keep yourself distant from these things, the more you would be able to focus on
what you should be focusing on. The motive is not to cut down social relationships, but to focus
on your life goals and priorities. Sure, you could catch up with friends or browse Instagram or
check your emails every now and then, but make sure they don’t jeopardize your schedule.

2. Reduce multitasking: This might be a bit of surprising advice, but multitasking might be a reason
why you might not be able to attain the maximum possible productivity. According to a study,
only 2.5% of people are able to multitask effectively. This doesn’t mean that we suspect you of
not being able to do it, but here is what multitasking actually does:

According to research, when our brain is continually switching gears to bounce back and forth
between activities – especially when those activities are complicated and need our active
attention - we become less effective and more prone to making mistakes.
This may not be as obvious or powerful when we are performing simple and ordinary chores,
such as walking while listening to music or folding clothes while watching TV. However, when
the stakes are higher and the activities are more difficult, attempting to multitask can have a
detrimental impact.
Thus, multitasking would not be as effective as you think it is.
3. Make things organized: When you enter the battlefield, you would want the best preparations
in order to win the battle. Similarly, when you try to compete against laziness and
unproductivity, you would need tools to make things more organized. Create a schedule, start
using an app which can monitor your productivity, and follow them rigorously. You should tackle
your workload with the best gears, and these small things can make big differences. You would
feel guilty if the schedule goes haywire unnecessarily, and that is how you would know you
made a mistake. Thus, making your stuff more organized will surely help attain your desired
stage of productivity.

4. Don’t be disoriented by failures: When you try to achieve something that is beyond your level
of comfort, it is normal to face constant failures. You will notice that the most productive people
are not afraid of making mistakes. If you have a good plan of action, and things still seem to fail,
look out for the points where you are making the mistakes, and find solutions to those mistakes.
Most people keep pondering over these failures, while those with a rock-solid foundation and
concrete focus, will concentrate on how to go beyond these mistakes. They focus on what they
can learn from these mistakes, and what things can they do to make it better.

5. Try completing your important tasks in the morning: While not everyone would agree with
being a morning person, studies suggest that your creativity and willpower are at their
maximum early in the morning. At early hours, when everyone else is sleeping, you’re awake,
and that makes you feel reenergized and rejuvenated. Also, once you’re done with completing
the big tasks early, you would feel that a lot has been achieved in the fastest way. Start your day
with a healthy breakfast, moderate workout, and a bit of reading will help you get the best head
start. A good morning routine sets the tone for the rest of the day and helps give you the
momentum to get things done.

6. Eat the Frog: As said by the famous writer Mark Twain himself, 'Eat a live frog, first thing in the
morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.' This habit does not mean
literally eating a live frog but signifies the importance of prioritizing. When you eat a live frog
first thing in the morning, it means that you complete the hardest task early in the morning.
Highly productive people ‘eat the frog’ first thing in the morning, and this sets their agenda for
the rest of their day. It also sets you up to win. This is because following the method means
you’ll be making progress on something meaningful on a daily basis.

7. Learn to say ‘No!”: This is one of the most suggested productivity strategies and one of the
greatest time-related activities that you should engage in. Because saying yes to things that do
not add to your overall goals will result in a waste of time and resources.

True productivity individuals aren't afraid to say 'no.' They recognise the importance of their
own time and regard it as a valuable resource. This does not need you to be harsh or dismissive;
simply explain your circumstance, give another route of assistance, or empower the individual
with the necessary information so they can do it themselves.

To reach your objectives, you must plan your time wisely.

 8. Take regular breaks: Whenever you have a day of hard work awaiting, you know deep inside
that you would need a sufficient amount of ‘Me Time’ as well. Thus, it is of utmost importance
that you take regular breaks. Taking breaks increases productivity, according to studies. Micro-
breaks, lunchtime breaks, and even longer breaks have all been shown to have a positive
relationship with wellbeing and productivity. You can consider these breaks as a form of reward
after some minutes or hours of productive work. Breaks can greatly help in the run to maximize
productivity.

9. Consider automating redundant tasks: If you have a lot of redundant tasks, like bill payments,
daily chores, meetings, etc., and there is a possibility of making them automated, you must
consider doing that. There is a huge merit in automating these tasks. This not only saves time,
but also creates adequate time for other, more important tasks which can reduce workload and
help remain productive over long periods of time. Free up your energy and bandwidth for the
things that only you can do or what really moves the needle for you.

10. Follow the 80/20 rule: Apply the 80-20 rule before beginning a project. Only 20% of the work,
time, or activities put into a project will result in 80% of the desired result. Spend a few minutes
identifying that key 20% and focusing only on it. The remainder may be eliminated, forgotten,
delegated, or automated. For example, your 20% contribution to a project may come from
assembling the proper team and providing them with the correct objective and drive. The
remaining 80% will be completed without your involvement.

The motivational public speaker and self-development author Brian Tracy himself says that “The
important thing is the 80/20 rule: 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. This means
that if you’re doing ten tasks, two are going to be vastly more important than the others.” This
surely means a lot when you aim for maximum productivity. Perfecting the 80-20 rule is surely
going to benefit your higher goals.

People generally consider Productivity as the ability to get a lot of things done in a short time period.
While this is somewhat true, it is not what productivity only comprises of. True productivity is defined as
the ability to produce high-impact results in a short period of time. This is the type of production that
counts, not busy labor that has no long-term benefit.

By the end of this video, you might think you have mastered quite a few of these habits. But sometimes,
these may not be a rule of thumb. Productivity is more of an experiment. Keep following what helps
you, and drop everything that doesn’t. Don’t let these things discourage you.

If you liked this video and are going to practice these habits from now on, make sure to hit the like
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that if you want to be highly productive. With that, we bid you farewell. See you in the next video!