5 Strategies I Use to Stay Productive Throughout the Day

Do you constantly struggle with distractions in your life? Do you wish you could increase your productivity, but not sure how? These 5 simple strategies will help you get more done in less time!

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the 5 things brilliant moms do to get more done. While I would love to say that I follow through with all of those tips every day, the truth is I don’t. I fail on most days.

However, there are a few strategies that I take each and every day to try to stay focused and on task.

1. Make a To-Do List

Obviously, I’m a to-do list maker. However, from time to time I don’t get one written. Those are the days that I seem to just wander aimlessly from task to task and don’t feel like I ever get anything accomplished. Making a to-list really helps to keep me productive.

My favorite way to make a to-do list is by using a Daily Docket. My daily docket allows me to plug in any appointments at the appropriate times, create a realistic amount of goals for myself, and even stay on top of what cleaning tasks and meal prep I need to get done each day.

You can get a FREE Daily Docket printable below!

2. Put Away Technology

When I put away the laptop, iPad, and my iPhone, I always seem to get more done. These three items are my biggest time wasters. I can sit down with plans to check my email for 5 minutes or less and end up wasting half an hour looking at Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, checking the weather, or watching Youtube videos.

Putting away the technology will instantly make you productive. Try putting everything on the chargers or away in a drawer. You will be less likely to walk past it, grab it, and begin checking social media.

Another note on technology: I find that I’m more engaged with my children when technology is not around. Just another bonus! 🙂

3. Put on Some Music

While this may contradict my second point, I get things done quickly when I have music playing on my phone. I know, I know. I just told you to put away your technology. However, I do have some suggestions that will help you keep moving.

Create a playlist on your phone of some of your favorite upbeat songs. Make sure to have several songs that add up to 60-90 minutes. This will keep you from going back to your phone to find new songs and wasting 3-5 minutes each time while you search.

Once you set your songs to play, find a place to set your phone and walk away to start marking things off your daily docket. I usually place mine on top of my microwave in my kitchen. The number one rule is set it to play and walk away!

4. Set a Timer

I love to use timers. I use them multiple times each day for so many different tasks: baking, toddler timeouts, and time management. I find it fun to set the timer for 20 minutes to see how much I can get accomplished. It’s a race against the clock and it keeps me motivated to stay on task.

Try setting the timer for shorter periods of time. If you try to go for longer than 30 minutes you are bound to get distracted, especially if you have young children.

5. Completely Finish Each Task

This may be number 5 on my list, but this is probably the most important step I take to stay productive. If I don’t completely finish a task, I feel like my efforts were all for not. Some examples of this include:

• Washing a load of towels, putting them in the dryer, taking them out and placing the basket in your room where it stays for the next 3 days. You went to the trouble of starting the laundry. If you just spend that extra 5 minutes to fold and put away the towels, you won’t agonize over that basket!
• Unloading the clean dishes from the dishwasher, loading the dirty ones back in, washing the pots and pans, and then setting future dirty dishes on the counter or in the sink. If you go to the trouble of unloading the dishwasher, make it a habit of putting all future dirty dishes in the dishwasher. This will help keep your kitchen looking tidy.

I find that if you just finish each task completely, you will feel much more accomplished at the end of the day.

We all have days where we feel super productive and get so much done. We also have days where we feel like we run around doing 100 things and by the end of the day feel like we didn’t get anything accomplished. It’s okay. Give yourself grace on the hard days and move forward tomorrow. It’s a new day!

What steps do you take to stay productive?