A while back I wrote a blog post about my troubles with focus and time management. It was during a super busy time in my life and I was having trouble juggling so many responsibilities and projects. I realized that I needed a better way to manage my time, stress and focus because what I was doing before was just not cutting it. Enter in these techniques I’m going to share with you. Although I still have a ways to go to become the most productive person possible, the following tips have helped me immensely on my journey of getting shit done.
1. WILLPOWER IS A MUSCLE
And like any other muscle, it needs exercise to get stronger. Before implementing any other tips, this is something you have to understand. Although it would be amazing if we could just wake up one day and say, “today’s the day that I change my ways and get my shit together.” It’s always easier said then done and old habits die hard. It’s damn near impossible to instill new habits without practice and it takes willpower to keep practicing when you get discouraged. The more often you use your willpower, the stronger it gets. A good book on the subject I recommend is (you guessed it) Willpower by John Tierney and Roy Baumeister.
2. THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE
When working on a project or assignment you really don’t want to do it’s easy to get distracted. At least for me anyway. I’d often find my hands wandering to my phone, opening up different tabs on the computer or fucking around with my hair. With the Pomodoro technique, you dedicate 25 minutes of pure focus into whatever it is that you’re doing. After those 25 minutes, you take a short break before getting back to work for another 25. I find that not only is the Pomodoro technique a great way to practice will power (full circle guys) but it’s also a non committal way to get work done. Instead of telling yourself that you have to dedicate the next two or three hours to a sucky task, it’s a lot easier to wrap your head around 25 minutes. Sometimes, if I especially hate whatever it is I’m doing, I reduce the time to 10 minutes. Better something then nothing am I right?
3. MAKE A LIST
Let’s say you don’t have trouble focusing or dedicating time to tasks that need to be done, but you do have trouble with feeling overwhelmed with all the work you have to the point that you don’t know where to begin. This is where scheduling your day out comes in. Do a brain dump and make a list of everything that needs to be done. Then, determine which tasks are the most important. Which one has the closest deadline? What will take the longest to do? List your tasks in order of importance and revel in the satisfaction you’ll feel each time you cross something off your list.
4. SCHEDULE OUT YOUR DAY
The Pomodoro technique may not work for everyone all the time, so scheduling your day out is an alternative way to make sure things get crossed off your list. There are many ways to do this. Whether it’s in your planner or in your phone’s calendar, write out each thing you have to do for that day along with the time you’ll start and the time you’ll finish each item. Then, commit yourself to doing each task within the allotted time (willpower y’all). Here’s an example of a scheduled out day:
7 am: Gym
8:30 am: Sketch and draft wire frame for client A
10:30 am: Create web design estimate template
11:30 am: Finish client agreement form for client A
12 pm: Design shirts
2 pm: Lunch
2:30 pm: Design shirts
3:30 pm: Work on branding for client B
And so on. If you don’t finish a task in the predetermined time don’t worry, just add it to the next day’s to-do list. At the end of each work day, assess what you completed and what else still needs to be done. Since your mind is still in work mode, this is also when you’ll make the next day’s schedule.
5. PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN
It goes without saying but still needs to be said. Your phone is a distraction. Put. It. Down. Plug it in across the room at night before you go to sleep. Put it on do not disturb while you’re working. Designate times to check it. Delete the apps your fingers subconsciously go to. There are so many ways to make sure that your phone doesn’t interrupt your productivity, you just have to be willing to do it. “But my job requires social media!” You say. Fair enough. But even if your phone is a work necessity, you probably use it a lot more than necessary while “working.” Try scheduling your posts ahead of time or designating a time to reply to comments. Treat social media the same way you treat email. A necessary evil that you tackle a set amount of times per day at designated times. Whatever you do when you’re not working is up to you.
Remember, these tips are nothing without a little bit of willpower. The more you practice them, the easier it will be. I hope these tips helped. Please share and let me know if they did.
Stay hungry. Stay humble. Stay productive.