#BeInspired Mondays with IK: 7 Ways to Boost Productivity

“It’s easier said than done” is one of the truest lines ever said and this is because most people know what to do to be successful, but the challenge lies in actually doing them. There lies the difference between successful people and others.

What is also important is taking the right actions, the ones that will produce the results that are relevant to our goals. There’s no point wasting resources on a tasking project that is irrelevant to you.

If you are looking for ways to boost productivity in your personal life, continue reading…

Drink Water and Mind Your Business

In recent times, people have interpreted this to mean “do not meddle in other people’s affairs or issues where your opinion is not sought for” neglecting the other part of that sentence – focus on your own business.

The first step to being productive is actually knowing what you want to achieve, planning for it, and executing your plans. Without carefully outlining your own personal goals, there’ll be nothing to be productive about.

Sit down regularly to think about your own life and where you aspire to be.

… and water is good for your health.

Throw Away the Negativity

You don’t need to leave your house to hear about one negative story or another. Negativity is almost like air – all over the place. Your goal should be to look at the positive side of things, train your mind to do so, and then spread it.

No matter what is going on outside, understand that there is nothing as powerful as what you believe.

Negativity starts from the mind; control what you are thinking about and take down whatever thought that’s an enemy to your goals.

Do not allow your mind to be a dumping ground for all sorts of thoughts. Be deliberate about what you commit your mind to think about.

Stop Stressing your Brain

Many times, we like to keep things in our head because we are pros at remembrance, but the truth is that instead of trying to store information in the brain, store it in a book so that you don’t have to worry about remembering it.

Moreover, the things we tend to store in our brain are those that come in a flash. Your best bet is that they are kept in your short term memory, most times they don’t make it past your sensory memory.

Write things down! Also, you are more prone to act on what you can see than what you are struggling to even remember.

Go and Work

Don’t contract analysis paralysis. Don’t just talk and/or think; talk and do! Nothing works unless you do. There is no effect without a cause, no reaction without an action and no withdrawal without a deposit.

Delegate/Outsource

When your commitments become too much for the time you have, it’s a strong message that you delegate or outsource some of them so you can spend your time on the most important things of your life.

Understand that Activity is not = Achievement

A man that wants to get to the north from the centre and starts by going to the west, then to the south, and finally the east is active, but he has not yet achieved anything despite all that movement.

Direction is key. Always ask what the end result of any activity you are engaging in is.

Don’t waste your time on things that do not matter to you. It’s possible to effectively manage your time doing rubbish. That’s why it’s important to manage your life instead of time that you have no control over.

Set what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it, noting the steps you need to get there, and then assign a time to get these tasks done.

Schedule a time to think about the things that are important to you, the end you want to get to, and the how you want to use to get to the end. Then put a time to these activities.

Be Accountable

Find someone who likes and respect you and who you like and respect and help each other keep your various commitments.

***

Shoutout to Eki Ogunbor for her contribution to this week’s coloumn.