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[bctt tweet=”Being productive is not about working longer, it’s about working smarter & achieving more” via=”no”]

There was a girl that would wake up at 4.45am every morning to set off for work at 5.00 am. She would stop by the gym for an hour before arriving at work; eat breakfast between 8.30 am and 9.00 am after wading through morning rush traffic.

During work, she would often drift off into her own world on her phone, trying to make personal plans because there really was no spare time for other spheres of life. How did Beyoncé do it anyway? Short concentration spans began to set in and before the blink of an eye, it was already closing time. This usually meant time to journey through traffic again. These traffic bouts amounted to 6 hours daily and feelings of underachievement would often arise.

That girl was me! Taking charge of my productivity and life is a daily (and not yearly) resolution which has enabled me highlight a few life hacks. Have you been wallowing in disbelief of how you never manage to be very productive? Maybe you have recently taken on a new role at work or have greater developments in your business. Being productive is not about working longer and harder, it’s about working smarter and achieving more. Here are seven ways to effectively maximize your productivity every day:

Get quality sleep

Even as an adult, you should be having nothing less than 7-8 hours of sleep every day. Anything short of this is simply killing your productivity potential. Apart from gaining a huge 13% on mortality rates compared to those that get more sleep, a recent study also confirms that the US loses up to $411 Billion on productivity from people that sleep less than 6 hours every day.

Get to work or attend to your business with a relaxed mind so you can make the most out of your thinking time.

Eat brain food

Adjusting your diet will do great things for your productivity levels. It is advised to never skip breakfast; but eating heavy and starchy food in the morning can be counterproductive as it you may feel tired a few hours into the day.

Endeavour to choose a healthy meal plan that reflects your activity levels to give you a burst of energy and not lethargy. This means a lot more vegetables, lean meats and water with your meals while you have fruits and nuts as snacks. Fighting the urge to sleep rather than work with a clear mind is not the formula to smashing your goals!

[bctt tweet=”Choose a healthy meal plan that reflects your activity levels to give you a burst of energy” via=”no”]

 michelle obama healthy eating turnip turnip for what turn up for what GIF

Drop it like a squat!

Exercise has proven several times over to be therapeutic, creating a positive effect on your productivity levels. Memory concentration and mental alertness are just a couple benefits associated with regular physical activity.

Engaging in a regular exercise regimen promises better sleep and the regular release of endorphins -the feel-good chemicals that bring about your inexplicable happiness. Whether you choose to hit the gym, do yoga, join a dance class or play a sport, make sure your activities are diversified to avoid boredom.

Make a weekly goal

To increase your productivity, create and document a goal to accomplish by the end of the week. Whether you are setting targets at work, or planning expansion strategies for your new business, it is wise to set specific and realistic goals that you can reasonably achieve within the space of one week.

Remember that goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Based.

Create a task timeline

It is extremely useful to make a list of your daily tasks and allocate time slots to each task so that you can manage your time efficiently and have productive ‘working’ time.

Ensure to have short breaks to eat and rest your mind in between tasks to prevent fatigue. Tick off each task as you complete them and feel accomplished!

No phone zone

If you are battling a major addiction of toying with your phone, it’s probably best to switch it off completely or work in another room if you work from home. Chatting, Candy Crush and social media can all wait while you make money.

Focusing only on work for allocated periods of time will increase your productivity levels. However, if your job involves the use of social media, you have to concentrate only on your current task at hand and not cyber stock people on Twitter and Instagram.

[bctt tweet=”Memory concentration is just one benefit associated with regular physical activity” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]

 golf serena williams tiger woods busted no phones GIF

Daily recap

At the end of the day, recap all your tasks including the incomplete ones and others that need more research or tweaking. Recapping at the end of the day allows you time to cool off and give yourself constructive criticism, seeing how you can be more productive the next day.

To really compare your state of affairs to your impending progress, try these seven tips for a week and watch out for any differences in your productivity. Remember that if you dislike your situation, you can always change it. I can assure you that there will be no turning back!

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