5 Ways Successful People Achieve Productivity and ‘Get Stuff Done’

The end of year 2017 is fast approaching and people have already started making unrealistic new year’s resolutions that they probably won’t stick to. Human beings are natural procrastinators with a habit of resisting change…

It’s always easy to make a list of plans and elaborate schedules but, when it’s time to commit to them, our natural instinct of hesitation, kicks in, getting in the way of productivity. So, how is it that some of the most successful people in the world disengage from this human instinct and push themselves towards finishing tasks and meeting goals? Well, we’re about to unveil their secrets.

They Detach Themselves from the World

Successful people get more things done in less time by minimizing distractions

For people who strive to achieve maximum productivity without working long hours, the most effective strategy is to disconnect themselves from everything temporarily and focus solely on the work at hand. Disconnecting doesn’t only apply to the physical environment around them but also the social environment on their electronic devices.

The secret to achieving more in less time is to set a goal that you want to achieve that day and minimize all distractions around you to maintain the work momentum until you’ve achieved the goal. Distractions not only affect the quality of the work, but also your efficiency, leaving you with less free time for yourself at the end of the day.

Their Ambitions are High

Your ambitions often set the bar for productivity. If you have the discipline to work on your goals, no dream is too big or out of reach. People who have achieved success in their lives and careers today, had to struggle for it yesterday and most of them had anticipated their success and slowly worked towards it.

Back in the day, when Jim Carey was only a struggling comedian trying to make a mark in Hollywood, he actually wrote himself a $10 million check and put it in his wallet as a constant reminder of what he wanted to achieve in life. Raise your ambitions and match your level of productivity to them. On the off chance that you achieve the goal that you set for yourself, move on to the next aspiration.

They Avoid Burnouts

Taking a break from work to rest your mind and body is important to avoid burnouts

We often hear about how successful people sleep less to achieve more – well, those people also tend to experience a burnout from pushing themselves beyond their physical and mental capacity. A study from Harvard Medical School showed that almost 96 per cent of senior leaders experienced burnout at some point in their career due to high stress levels which affect their sleep.

If you’re sacrificing your sleep with hopes of becoming more productive, chances are that you’ll take twice the time to complete a task than with a good night’s sleep. If you experience burnout due to work load, its important to take a break, disconnect yourself completely from your job and focus on recharging your batteries and relaxing your mind and body.

The 80/20 Rule

In his book, the 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferris says that the ‘less is more’ principal can apply to your work as well. Pareto’s 80-20 Rule states that only 20 per cent of what we do brings about 80 per cent of the results. If 20 per cent is all the effort you need to get most of your work done, why not focus only on the things that really matter instead of getting overwhelmed and achieving nothing at the end of the day. Remember, one task done well is far better than three done poorly.

They Start Their Day Right

Planning before starting can increase your productivity and save valuable time

One thing that successful people do differently is practice discipline and consistency in their lives. They wake up at the same time every day and dedicate the first few hours of the morning to organizing their thoughts, coming up with a plan of attack to tackle the rest of the day.

Those who are in the habit of reaching for their smart phones the moment they open their eyes lose the window of opportunity they get in the first hour of the day to prepare themselves for progress and enhance their productivity. Your brain doesn’t reach its peak performance until two to three hours after waking up, so the best way to utilize the initial hours of the day as your brain warms up is by exercising or meditating. The endorphin rush after a workout will have a positive effect on your productivity.