Are there really worthy tricks for being productive?

I love talking about productivity in our blog posts or by tweeting daily interesting content that could be really relevant and useful to our Twitter followers. But there’s one thing that I really can’t stand: when I scroll my personal LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter feed it is very likely that I see headlines like these:

“Send this email and you’ll save hours of work!”
“Do more in less time with these 3 simple tips!”
“5 secrets to unlock your productivity!”

And so on. In my opinion, these are only “seductions of productivity”.

Working for a time tracking company means living and breathing productivity 24/7, aiming to help people improve their time management in order to achieve a better work-life balance. Unfortunately, posts like the ones mentioned before are dangerously reductive because they present productivity as something that can be easily achieved by reading a 250 words blog post.

You do not get higher productivity by doing stand-up meetings instead of sitting on a chair. I’ve tried it myself: it’s great if you want to get fit, but it didn’t boost my productivity. In my opinion, this is like arranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic – the ship continues to sink, no matter how much it’s embellished.

So, the question is. What makes us productive? It’s quite simple: you have to give up bad habits and hone your skills to concentre and plan for long-term success. There are only 2 simple ways to become more productive and, more importantly, to keep the ball rolling.

Organize your tasks in one place

It can be a piece of paper, a spreadsheet or a checklist in Wunderlist. The support does not matter if they’re handy and convenient to use regularly.

The simpler, the better.

The same applies to priorities. If you are honest with yourself, you probably know what are the highest priorities. Don’t wait too long: take a long breath, put them on the top of the list and eat the frog.

And above all, do it!

This is the point where the majority of people have problems. One of the biggest mistakes is not setting deadlines or monitoring the total effort spent on a precise task or project. Sorry, but you can’t just organize the work. You must get it done. Take the time to do it, monitor your productivity using a time tracking tool, and finally delete your completed tasks from your list.

Being productive doesn’t have to be complicated and it should take no tricks and shortcuts. If you stick with a simple and direct strategy, the more chances you have to keep it in the long term. Practice it a little and you’ll be surprised by the transformation it will have on your productivity and motivation.

Give it a try and sign up for a free 30-day Timeneye trial!