7 Productivity Hacks to Be More Motivated

Sometimes all we need are some simple tools we can put into practice that can help us be more productive. Here are 7 productivity hacks to be more motivated.

I’m no stranger to having a lack of motivation for getting stuff done in life, whether it be mundane chores or important tasks for projects I’ve been working on. I honestly used to think I was destined for laziness for the rest of my life because being motivated never came easily to me. But once I started learned a thing or two about some simple but effective ways to boost my productivity levels, I found myself far less lazy and more motivated.

The very tips today I’m about to share today are what have made the biggest difference in my motivation levels, productivity, and overall ability to get up and get stuff done. (Although doing dishes? Ugh.)

I’m confident these 7 productivity hacks will help you get stuff done. Let’s dive in! 

7 Ways to Be More Productive

1. Put Your Phone Away

You may not realize it, but even just having your phone near you when you’re trying to stay focused on a task can take your attention away and make you feel more inclined to check it. Put it far away and turn it off while you’re at it – out of sight, out of mind. I guarantee you’ll notice a difference in your productivity levels. 

2. Minimize Distractions

It takes a good few minutes to settle into a focused state, and each time you disrupt it by doing anything that diverts your focus away from the task at hand — checking your emails, Facebook, notifications or text messages (point #1!) — you need to completely reset your attention. Remove anything that can be a distraction to you. A note on music: some people find listening to music promotes productivity, others not so much. Either keep your environment quiet, or play instrumental music. Avoid vocals as this can be distracting.

3. Focus on One Thing at a Time

There are many reasons why we may feel unmotivated or unproductive, and one of those is feeling way too overwhelmed by our often long list of tasks and goals. The solution? Pick ONE task and focus on that, and that only. This reduces overwhelm dramatically by creating an attainable goal, and allows you to check off your to-do list quicker! Write down everything you need to do, pick the most important task, and focus on that. 

4. Set a Timer/Use Checkpoints

Setting a timer or creating checkpoints is another great way to reduce overwhelm by breaking tasks down into achievable blocks. For example: Set a timer for 1 hour and then take a break! Breaks are important to give ourselves and our brain a chance to recharge and refuel. This is a great time to reward ourselves for what we’ve accomplished so far, and acts as an incentive to sit down and get to work, knowing we’ll have a break after our set block of time. Note: You may notice you fall into a deep focused state that you can go beyond your timer! 

5. Get Dressed

If you work from home or are working on a project from home, refrain from the very tempting act of lounging around in your pj’s! There absolutely is a time and place for cozy, comfy days, but optimal motivation and productivity comes from not feeling lazy. When we’re in our pj’s, out hair is a mess, we haven’t showered and we desperately need to put on deodorant, we simply don’t feel good. This lazy feeling quickly translates into doing lazy things. So try it — get dressed, get ready, fix your hair and even put on some makeup. It works! 

6. Know Your Why

In order to generate momentum and propel you forward, you need to have a why. Your “why” is your reason for wanting to achieve the goal you’ve set for yourself or to work on the task at hand. Your “why” is what makes your goal appealing! This step can’t be skipped. Be very, very clear on your why. In fact, write it down: write down all the advantages of achieving your goal and all of the disadvantages that may arise from not achieving it. I’ll say it again: know your why!

7. Just Do It

This is by far my favourite tip of all. Although it may require the most effort initially, it’s easily the most effective, I promise! Just do it. Sometimes in order to get out a rut or unproductive spell, you need to just downright decide to get up, stop making excuses, and just do it. Make the conscious decision to get started, regardless of how lazy you feel, this is a surefire way to be productive. Pick the 1 thing to focus on to reduce overwhelm, put your phone away to reduce distractions, write down why you want to achieve this, and just do it. You got this!