Change Your 2018 With These Fresh Productivity Tips

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We as a society are always looking for new ideas to make our lives easier. We always want that special gadget, state of the art gizmo that guarantees you will free yourself from the restraints of time and space.

As technology grows, we find apps and programs that determine our information faster and helps us keep the productive juices flowing.

Not all of the productivity tips you will find here will be new. Some are tried and true. They are proven to work. When you combine them with the apps and programs on your computer, they can carve hours out of your week. Let’s take a look.

Distractions

In the old days, before home computers and the internet in our back pockets, children were instructed to do their homework in the kitchen or their bedrooms. The reason for this is there would be no distraction from the television or radio. This form of discipline did not work for everyone, but for the most part, children learned to focus and ignore distractions. This training began in pre-school and carried through their adult lives.

Today’s student, business person, and parent have no such luxury. We live in a world of distraction. Your smartphones, laptops, and tablets are always signalling us with messages, meetings, and emails. It is little wonder that the world has learned to function around distractions. But functioning is not enough. You want to improve your productivity.

So, we will begin by eliminating distractions. By dividing your hour up into smaller portions of time, you can set aside a 30 minute period every morning and afternoon to hang your do not disturb sign on the door. Children should be in an electronics-free zone. Phones, email, and televisions are not to be in the room they select to study. During their mini-sessions, they are to study.

Do not use this time for organizing, planning, or catching up. If you need to do those things, schedule them, These minutes are for the actual nose to the grindstone work. You stepping out of the line of fire for 30 minutes will not cripple the company, class, or team.

Bulletproof coffee

We all know the coffee pot with brown liquid they swear is coffee is always brewing in the breakroom. Coffee and the caffeine it carries is a great productivity tool if used correctly.

If you are carrying a few too many pounds, and you are sluggish, and out of shape, you might want to consider bulletproof coffee.

Bulletproof coffee is a high-quality coffee. Bulletproof coffee is going to be your power-source for the day. Do not cheat yourself.

Brew 2 cups of coffee. You will add two tablespoons of grass-fed butter and two tablespoons MCT oil. Note: you will want to start slow and build up to these amounts of butter and oil, or you will find yourself with an upset stomach. Mix it with a hand-held blender until whipped, and drink it hot. Some people prefer it stirred, though it will leave an oily film in your mouth and for a nutty flavour, substitute Coconut Oil for MCT Oil.

Unless you would prefer a cold brew coffee during those hot summer days, you would want to check out some guides on how to make the best one for yourself, take a look at this great resource: https://www.homegrounds.co/guide-to-cold-brew-coffee/

CEOs around the world celebrate this brew. It brings your mind into focus, increases your energy, curbs hunger, gives you energy.

Take the time to learn your way.

The reason many people are less productive is that they try to fit into someone else's mould. Take the time to discover how you function best. Carry a notepad (or record on your phone) for a few days. Write down what you accomplished and in what time. At the end of the week, you should see two things quite clearly. First, you will identify what or who is always knocking you off track. Is it the sales manager who has to stop in your office, or the student who never has a pen? Whatever or whoever it is (once identified) you can take steps to remove them. Second, you should see a picture of where you were most productive. Maybe you produce better in the coffee shop with busy noise behind you or early in the mornings when everyone is asleep. Discover your path and make that the cornerstone of your plan.

Have an accountability partner

If you have a secretary or someone in your life that acts like one, ask them to be your partner.  Share tasks including the dates and times with each other. You will each hold one another accountable to get your work done. When you have reached the goal, treat them to dinner. If you take on the role of being or using an accountable partner, you have to man or woman up when you drop the ball and not take it out on them. That is a quick way to have no partner at all.

Each one, teach one

Take the time to learn what you don’t know. People have a way of centering themselves in their universe. Reality is much different than that. Few of us have entire companies or classes that revolve around us. No matter what your position is in a company, you have something to learn and something to teach. By taking on the task of understanding what you don’t know, you strengthen your position. By showing others what happens beyond their desk, you make them more valuable. Most of all, you get a clear picture of reality. The bottom line is this. Success is there, but you have to reach for it. Beyond that, once you begin working as part of the team around you, whether at home, school, or work, you will identify things that need to grow and change. You will see habits that made perfect sense at one time, but no longer serve a purpose, except for adding a step to our journey.

People are like a plant. If weeds take over the ground, they stop growing. If you want to be productive, get rid of the weeds that are in your soil. Remove the problems and focus on the solutions.