9 Effective Ways To Be More Productive and Motivated In Life.

Ever felt busy throughout the day but have nothing to show for it in the evening? Or have you ever wondered how that guy could complete a task of an hour under half the time?

With the endless to-do's and today’s demanding and competitive work environment, it is difficult for us to be productive or stay motivated. 

We all need that motivation but where is it? Where can you find it? Believe me, I’ve asked all these questions especially as a medical student who has to keep up with studies and lectures. It’s overwhelming. They just never end!!! (sighs)

Well, motivation differs from individual to individual. But the good news is that there are strategies you can utilize to be more productive. 

Here are 9 strategies you can try:

1.) Establish a good morning routine.  Whatever you do in the morning matters. A good morning routine practiced with consistency can have a positive in your life. 

A good morning routine can produce a ripple effect that will boost your productivity, reduce procrastination and increase your happiness. 

I personally still find this to be challenging but whenever I start my morning off with the right set of actions like meditating, journaling, and reading a book, I feel energized and motivated

A morning routine adapted to you personally is a very effective tool for carrying out your daily obligations with ease whether you decide to read a blog post, brush your teeth-mindfully, meditate, journal...the list goes on!!! It makes your life productive and keeps you motivated.

2.) Prevent your phone from claiming your attention. Let’s admit it, many of us are stuck to our smartphones and it seems as though we can’t go by without it even for an hour. I’m guilty of it also haha!!! 

Although our smartphones can increase our productivity, let’s face it, most of our distractions come from that device, and being distracted by it affects our productivity and our quality of life negatively.

To avoid being distracted by your smartphone; you can turn off your notifications-i do that a lot and it’s very effective or you can delete some apps that you aren’t using or the ones that are a major source of distraction. You can also utilize the screentime app to limit the time you spend on your device.

Another interactive app that boosts my productivity and lets me complete tasks with laser focus is forest.

Forest allows you to set a limit depending on how long you want to stay away from your phone. When you’re done a tree will grow in your forest app to indicate you’ve been successful.

3.) Set realistic goals. Goal setting is the key to being productive in life. Actually, the idea of to-do’s and goal setting can be overwhelming because come on!!! Where’s the spontaneity in that? That was how it was at first to me.

With a little bit of consistency goal setting will be as easy as brushing your teeth.

If you set a realistic goal that is difficult but achievable you will lessen distractions, improve your focus, and have a sense of purpose that will increase your productivity and keep you motivated in life.

4.) Put a priority on your self-care. Work! Work! Work! Many feel that by working themselves off they are being productive. I felt that way and wasn’t seeing the result of my efforts. Rather I was rewarded with bad grades, anxiety, heart palpitations, and insomnia. 

With this mindset, it feels impossible to chill and carve out time for yourself. Stop! 

Relax and build up a relationship with yourself. Give your mind, body, and spirit what it deserves which will motivate you into being productive.

You don’t need to do something fancy like going to the spa to take care of yourself you can do that by getting some sleep, meditating, reading, watching a youtube video.

5.) Learn to say no. According to James Clear, "The ultimate productivity hack is saying no."

For a softie like me saying no is a challenge. I’m scared to say it because I don’t want to offend anyone or sound rude. 

But whenever you say yes to fulfill the commitment of another person, you say no to your own commitment, and waste your precious time. You only have 1440 minutes in a day!!!

But how do you say no and not feel bad about it? You may ask. You could say, “Thank you, but I can’t right now but when I can I’ll let you know.” “I’m honored, but I can’t.” “Wow that sounds fun it’s just that...” “Thanks for your consideration but I’ll have to pass.”

When you say no, you take control of your life while maintaining your relationship with others. What’s more? You achieve your goals and increase your productivity and stay motivated in completing your tasks daily.

6.) Utilize the 80/20 rule. When it comes to productivity, the 80/20 rule or the Pareto principle cannot be ignored. Developed by Vilfredo Pareto it states that; “80 percent of the result comes from 20 percent of the time and effort.” 

You may be unintentionally using this principle. “How?” You may be asking. But how many shoes do you own, and how often do you wear that 20 percent? You may have a variety of app on your mobile but 20 percent of your time is spent on just a few.

I personally utilize this technique when I’m studying or carrying out large tasks and discovered that it reduces stress and helps me to focus on that single important task that will produce the greatest result.

Just have the mindset that you can’t do everything and then identify those important tasks that will deliver the biggest rewards.

When you use the Pareto principle you will work less, there will be less stress, and you will be happier which will ultimately result in a more productive lifestyle.

7.) Schedule time for emails. To be honest, checking and responding to emails increases stress. 

Research led by Dr. Kostadin Kushlev drew the conclusion that; “People find it difficult to resist the temptation of checking email, and yet resisting this temptation reduces their stress.”

If you find it difficult to resist the temptation of constantly checking your email, allotting 10-20 minutes three or four times a day can go a significant way to help you reduce stress and with the remaining time can be used to do achieve traction and be productive.

8.) Be organized. This is the hardest part for me. I don’t know about you but it’s too difficult to be organized. 

Being organized comes as second nature to most of us and some claim that organization is in the eyes of the beholder. Who knows?

On the flip side, being organized has a lot of benefits which will double your productivity and lead to a happier life.

To stay organized you can make schedules and deadlines, always keep a journal nearby to write an idea, Don’t procrastinate, avoid clutter, Have a place for everything, keep what you really need, stay away from time wasters, delegate some responsibility.

9.) Reward yourself for completing each task. You deserve it!!! After that long tedious task, you deserve a break that will motivate you to keep going.

Research shows that people who receive an immediate and frequent reward after each task are more likely to be more productive than those who receive delayed rewards given out at the end of a long project.

To reward yourself you can, take a cup of coffee or a nice glass of wine, listen to your favorite album, watch tv, read a book, go for a walk, or you could reconnect with friends and family.