Are you productive or just busy?

We tend to have an automatic response. How are you? Good… busy! It is good practice to stop every now and then to check what you are ‘busy’ spending your time on. Is what you are working on, serving you best? Is it relevant, helping your progress, making you happy and balanced in life?

I have noticed the difference in my productivity levels when I exercise in the morning versus evening. Sometimes we choose sleep over early morning gym alarms, but I do see a significant shift in my energy levels the mornings I have jumped out of bed at 4:45am to get to the gym (ok, dragged myself out of bed).

This might have something to do with the fact that neuroscientists have discovered the positive effect that exercise has on our brains. It is scientific you cannot argue with that. Besides early morning exercise, which is not for everyone (insert your excuses!), here are five of my productivity tips:

1.       Make a list and prioritise it - I love a list. Yes, I’ve been known to add to my list just to tick it off (stop judging, I know you do it too!). Sort it so you have a clear picture of what must happen, by when for you to be successful. Choose a realistic number of tasks for you to complete that day.

2.       Focus on one task at a time, trust me your pre-frontal cortex (PFC) will thank you for it. Multi-tasking is a productivity drainer! Work hard to stay focused. Do whatever it takes - put your phone away, close your emails and turn off notifications.

3.       Be mindful of when you work at your best, are you a morning, afternoon or evening brain? Work on the bigger tasks when your mental capacity is at its best. Don’t ruin the good PFC hours sifting through emails and booking in meetings.

4.       Start with a small task that you can tick off, build on that momentum and get busy (or should I say productive) – it feels good when we accomplish something, tap into that energy and keep going!

5.       When you start to fade, have a brain break! (fresh air, mindful meditation, be present) – try to avoid the sugary, caffeine hit that will give you a spike of energy to then come crashing down.

Are you productive or just busy?

Are you getting the best out of your day?

Are you working towards your goals with intention?

If you want to learn more let’s chat, book in here for a free 30-minute coaching discovery session.