How To Overcome Laziness and Skyrocket Your Productivity

Laziness stifles your dreams and prevents you from becoming the best version of yourself. However, there are some practical ways of reducing laziness and skyrocketing your productivity.

Here are some highly effective ways to push you into intentional action. In this article, you will learn how to stop being lazy and start being super productive and focused on your life goals.

Clean Up Your Diet

Cleaning up your diet does not mean that you should throw out all your favorite treats and start eating lettuce for breakfast. It means that you should be intentional about what you put into your body.

Research has shown that a poor diet can have a detrimental effect on the way we think and feel, and our ability to focus fully without being distracted.

According to an exploratory study carried out by a group of physicians in 2011, employees with unhealthy diets were 66% more likely to report a productivity loss than healthy eaters.

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Incorporating more fresh produce into your diet daily can improve your productivity by up to 33%. Therefore, instead of reaching for that candy bar, why not reach for an apple and some almonds instead. Instead of that greasy burger and fries, go for a lean chicken burger with sweet potato baked fries instead.

There are little tweaks that you can make to your diet to improve your overall health and wellbeing. Also, incorporate at least eight large glasses of water into your day to increase productivity and clarity of mind.

Plan

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail; therefore, if you want to take your productivity to the next level, prepare everything the night before.

Write down a list of the most important things you need to do for the next day. Write the most vital tasks at the top and the less crucial tasks at the bottom.

Do this every night before you go to bed.

Unplug and Use a Notepad and Pen

Instead of doing all your planning and note-taking using an electronic device, unplug and plan your day analog style using a notepad and a pen. Take a look at this quote:

“The best way for me to achieve uninterrupted focus is by closing my laptop, turning my phone off, and pulling out a notepad and a pen. If I really need to sit down and get something done, this is the way to do it. No distractions, no mind wandering. It just comes down to you, your ideas and formulating those on a piece of paper.”

—Cassie Petrey, Crowd Surf

Batching

What is batching? Batching is when you batch similar tasks together. Instead of focusing on multiple tasks at a time, you give yourself an hour to read through and reply to all of your emails.

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Once you have done that, you move on to work on the next batch of similar tasks. Multitasking kills productivity and destroys your ability to focus calmly and productively. Batching is a very effective way of carrying out focused duties over a specific period.

Step Outside

Research has shown that stepping out of the room where you are working is an effective way to boost productivity.

When you take a break, instead of taking your break in the same space, leave your workspace and clear your head somewhere else.

Work on Multiple Devices

Working on multiple devices tricks your brain into thinking that you are working on a new task.

For example, if you are working on an article on our laptop, switch over to another laptop, a desktop or a tablet. As a writer, one excellent way to boost productivity is to do the following:

• Write on your laptop
• Write on your tablet
• Dictate on your phone and walk around when motivation is low

Pomodoro Method

The Pomodoro Method is a time management system that was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.

The method uses a timer to break down focused work sessions into intervals. This is how it works:

Pomodoro Work Cycle:

1. Set timer for 25 minutes
2. Work for 25 minutes
3. Take a 5-minute break
4. Work for another 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break
5. When you have worked four 25-minute rounds, take a more extended 25-minute break.
6. Continue the cycle until all your work is complete

Get Up

Instead of sitting at your desk for long periods, get up and walk around. Use a standing desk if you have to.

When you stand and work instead of sitting, the blood is allowed to circulate more efficiently, which is excellent for the efficient functioning of the brain.

Productivity Music

Productivity music is excellent for increasing focus and calming the mind to allow for focused, intentional work sessions.

Here are some excellent examples of effective productivity music:

Evan Carmichael Productivity Playlist

8 Hour Brain Power Study Music

Super Intelligent Memory Retention Music

A Typical Productive Day

This is a typical productive day for someone who works from home. Starting the day right is one of the most important factors to consider when you want to skyrocket your productivity.

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Here is a typical day of productivity for someone who works from home:

5 am: Wake up and drink one glass of water

• Meditate
• Look over plans for the day
• Stretch + exercise
• Shower
• Healthy breakfast (or you can fast if this works best for you)
• Start work by checking the most important tasks for the day
• Set your timer for your first Pomodoro session
• Combine Pomodoro with batching and work on similar tasks at the same time
• Leave the room and walk around in a new space to clear your head
• Come back to work and work on multiple devices if you have to
• Do four Pomodoro sessions and then take a longer 25-minute break
• On a long break, go for a walk, get some fresh air
• Do some star jumps throughout the day, keep the blood pumping around your body.
• Use Pomodoro work sessions to thrash out your work for the day.
• Take breaks, get some fresh air and do not sit for more than 20 minutes at a time.
• End your work day and enjoy time with your friends and family.

Remember productivity is not just about working non-stop. It is about creating an effective time management system that allows you to work hard and play hard too.

Bonus Productivity Tips

• Do the tasks you hate first
• Break down big tasks into small tasks
• Instead of setting huge goals, set a goal and focus on the process
• Experiment with working at different times of the day, know your best productive times and stick to those
• Have a deadline- work to a strict deadline
• If you work from home, get up and get dressed like you were going to work in an office.
• Meditate in the morning to clear your mind
• Switch off your phone notifications while you work
• Give yourself a reward for completing major tasks
• Use noise cancelling earphones/headphones
• Clean up your desk
• If you work from home, meal prep. Preparing your meals in advance means that you will spend less time in the kitchen and more time finishing tasks
• Put up a “do not disturb sign”
• Learn to say no
• Keep it simple, do not overcomplicate things, simplify your tasks and simplify your life to give yourself the headspace to achieve massive productivity.
• Avoid meetings on days where you need to be super productive
• Remind yourself that you do not need to work 10 hours a day to be productive. Four hours of focused work is better than 10 hours of half-hearted work.

Productivity is the buzzword for entrepreneurs, freelancers, students and for anyone who needs to complete tasks in an effective and efficient way. Remember that what works for you might not work for someone else.

Therefore, it is crucial that you find your way, you find your focus and you stick to that routine. Keep it simple, when you overcomplicate things this is when the dreaded overwhelm kicks in and everything you were trying to do begins to look like a huge uphill struggle.

Avoid laziness by implementing some of these tips, find out what works for you and stick with it, Rome was not built in a day, your productivity will improve over time, take it one step at a time. Like James Clear said in his bestselling book Atomic Habits, aim to get 1% better every day.

Work on achieving one major thing on your list tomorrow, and the next day do it again, add another small task, a simple task that is easy to get done, then move on to the more difficult tasks over time. Reward yourself for sticking to a routine.

Productivity is all about learning how to work smarter. Clear your mind of useless clutter and finish the work.

Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own.”
– Bruce Lee

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