8 unique productivity tips

Faith

Oct 1

Do you ever feel extremely unmotivated? Do you ever feel like today is just not your day and there's no way you could ever get anything done?! Girl... been there. Felt that. Felt ALLLL that! Sometimes it feels like there's too much to do and too little time. Sometimes we feel lazy, uninspired and unmotivated. And it's okay to have some days that are restful and just plain lazy if you can — full of sweatpants, ice cream and movies.

But that isn't everyday, sadly...There are so many important things that we have to do on a daily basis. We may not "feel" like writing a paper, doing laundry, drafting a blog post or running endless errands -- but it must be done. God has given each and every one of us responsibilities -- and it's our job to hold up our end and JUST DO IT! Over this past year, I've had to juggle a lot of different things. So inevitably, God has started teaching me what it means to be productive and get things done! Here are a few tips that I've been implementing in my life!

Set alarms. I don't know about you but when I have an alarm set, I feel like I can conquer the world. I like to set a goal time to get a project done and "beat" myself, if that makes any sense. Don't compromise the quality but challenge yourself to be your most efficient self!
Isolate yourself when you need to get BIG stuff done. Do you have a big report due? An extra big load of laundry? Guests coming over? When there's a big to-do, I like to get myself alone — away from noise and distractions as much as possible. Turn that TV off, get away from your chatty spouse or social media for a bit and give it your undivided attention!
Give yourself productive breaks. Breaks are important too! Sometimes, when I overload myself and not make time for breaks, I get burnt out and my motivation fizzles. Take the opportunity to make your breaks productive — workout, get some fresh air, read your Bible, listen to a podcast, journal!
Get a planner and use it. My planner is one of my best friends... **awkward silence** But seriously! Bound planners help me stay on track. I can lay out my days and my assignments on pen and paper and LOOK at it. I also like to set reminders on my phone so I have accountability from both my paper planner AND phone.
Stand up during your to-do's. Unless your task requires sitting, STAND IT ON UP! Recently, I've started standing up while doing homework or drafting out a blog post. It gets me moving and makes me feel energized and less slugish! (Hey, maybe do some squats or stretches while you're at it!)
Get good sleep, peeps. This may not seem that important to productivity but trust me, it is. If you're exhausted because you stayed up til 1am, I'm not sure how productive you'll be.
Make a list & ask God what is most important. This productivity tip comes from my mama! (She's such a wise gal.) She says to plan your to-dos, but then be very prayerful about what God wants you to do. Ask Him to show you what's most important — because sometimes we just can't get everything done we want to!
Plan the work and then work the plan. This last productivity tip comes from my dad! This is pretty straight forward, but I like it. Plan what you're doing and then follow it. I don't need to explain anymore, right?!