Tip Tuesday: 3 Steps to Improve Your Productivity

I fancy myself a woman who can get things done. (This may be delusion, but for the sake of this post, let's just go with it.) Sometimes I find it remarkable that I get things done because I am not naturally organized, but just like people with dyslexia can learn to read and excel academically, those of us who were born with, ahem, a free spirit, can learn to be productive and appear all orderly and disciplined-like.

Step 1- The List

The most common tactic for getting it together, keeping it together, and getting things done is the list. We looove making lists. I need constant reminders and visual cues. I don't know if this is a product of age, hormones, over-commitment or inhabiting a world of 24/7 plugged-in, connected, information overload. I'll go with the latter.

At any rate, the list is only step one. I start my day making lists, but more importantly, I keep a notebook handy at all times. Important to-do items often occur to me while I'm in the shower, walking the dog, or driving. I try to catch all those random thoughts so I can return to them later and get on with my life.

Step 2-Prioritize

If you don't give a little thought to what's most important, your list becomes a way to game your own productivity. You cross things off and feel faux accomplishment. I've even written down to-do list items I've already done, just so I can cross them off. 

Some suggest you hit your high priority items first thing, other say knock out a few easy items for the quick win. I say, tackle your priorities when you are at your best. you know when that is. The key is to schedule the time and just do it. Starting is always the hardest part. So set aside some protected, uninterrupted time for the important stuff every day.

Step 3 - Put up Some Guardrails
Guardrails are designed to keep you from running off the road, so for me these look like deadlines and accountability. Write things down, schedule blocks of time for certain important but routine activities, and tell someone about that thing you want to get done. It's amazing what a little grown up peer pressure can do for you.

So what about you? How do you stay productive?