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You can be more productive and start the week right by adopting a few simple changes in your Monday morning routine, including these 10 productivity tips.

When I first started my corporate career, I knew nothing about scheduling tasks, using planners, and checking my emails only during designated times, because I had no regard for time.

Heck, I was from an era where email & spending 24 hours talking about everything and nothing online was everything. Hello MSN.

Over the years, I have developed through practicing an effective system that allows me to benefit from most of my time.

Through using painstaking online scheduling tools such as Trello, outlook calendars to my current day planner, I now sometimes feel perplexed when finished working.

If you feel like you get nothing done during the day and come back to the same stagnant point day after day, try these 10 productivity tips.

Create A Morning Routine To Be More Productive.

For a long time, when I woke up at 5:30 a.m, my first thoughts were “YES 1 more hour of rest. But I never looked at it as one hour I lost since I could have been doing something much more productive.

I am usually already well-rested by 5:30. a.m. most days now, my morning routine has become so regimented that my body involuntarily wakes up before the alarm, puts on the kettle, and writes down my affirmation for the day using a few snazzy mantra cards.

I have a cup of tea or warm lemon water before I proceed to my daily 30-40 minute workout. Not only have I gained an extra hour of daylight somewhat,  but I also gained the extra energy needed to fuel me throughout the day. A productive day starts with self-care.

Use A Calendar or Planner To Be More Productive.

I think it’s safe to say that 90% of the “scheduling geeks” like myself either use a calendar, day planner, or a dry-erase board. Calendars and day planners are great ways to get the most out of your day if you use them correctly. When using planners, prioritize tasks according to importance and urgency. And if you prefer visuals, then a erase board can be a great alternative.

“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Stop Procrastinating!

At some point, we all end up with some tasks we don’t enjoy doing, but it has to get done. Biting the bullet and getting the most dreaded activities over and done with “like monthly reports per se” takes quite a lot of time and can be tedious at the time, but you have to do it at some point; why not now?

Say No To Multitasking.

In my honest opinion, multitasking does not exist. Why? Because not only are you not giving your full attention to the tasks at hand, you ultimately spend more time than needed on the 1,2,3,4, or 5 tasks you are attempting to complete. 

These create avenues for mistakes, which you will then have to return to, in order to fix. So I refrain from doing that. I spend a certain amount of time on a task until completed and move on to the next. 

Clear Out Your Desk – It WILL Help You Be More Productive.

If you work from your home, office, or corporate office, organize it. I have a motto that everything should be in its place. Having clean and organized workspaces provide better focus, and creativity and allows for things to get done.

There’s no need for me to be fumbling with the stapler trying to figure out how the parts work. Remember to keep it simple.

Delegate A Specific Time For Emails.

It’s so funny how you start to read one email, which leads to the next, and the next until you realize that you’ve just wasted an entire hour on what was probably spam. Dedicate a specific time to check your emails throughout the day. Ideally, once during the morning and once after lunch or before the end of the day.

Additionally, those pop-up notifications you get on the bottom right corner of your screen, turn them OFF because it’s a major unneeded distraction. Learn to use technology to your advantage.

If you are working on an important project, set up an autoresponder “like the ones we use when we jump into vacay mode” to inform your email respondent that you will be contacting them shortly. Genius right!!

Take A Break Or Work Out.

Sitting for long periods not only gives you a numb bum but can become a bit boring.

If you notice that you are beginning to feel fatigued after a couple of hours, take a 5-minute break and walk it off. To engage with your co-workers, stretch outside, get some sun, coffee, anything to get the blood pumping, and return to your tasks.

Regularly exercising also lessens the fatigue feeling we get before we even start our days sometimes. Getting the endorphin “positive body released drugs” kicking and sweating out toxins is not only good for the body but also allows for great mental stimulation. 

Prepare Your Day Or Week Ahead Of Time!

Getting ready for the day ahead in advance gives you guidance on what you’re to do ahead of time.

That way, less time is spent scheduling your current day, but more time doing the things that need to get done because if you’re a planning freakazoid like me, you would have already figured out the steps, words, etc. you are going to use.

Don’t Be Afraid To Say No! 

Don’t shy away from saying no to a commitment that you can’t handle at the time. If someone asks you to schedule a meeting for a specific day, and time, and you can’t tell them that YOU CAN’T.

There are 24 hours in a day, 365 (66 sometimes) pick a time convenient for both of you.

Develop An Invaluable Relationship With Your Time.

If you don’t you will have no regard for it nor pay attention to it. We always seem to say it flies or it’s only 2. pm.

Stop looking at it in such a negative way, and embrace & squeeze all that you can out of it. Value it.

“Productivity Is Never An Accident. If Is Always The Result Of A Commitment To Excellence, Intelligent Planning & Focused Effort” – Paul J. Meyer

Bisous

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