5 Strategies to Get More Accomplished
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Life is busy and it is so easy to let time slip by without getting things accomplished. It’s crazy how much time can be lost just from getting lost in some Netflix series. I know for myself, I can easily waste away hours on Netflix, if I’m not careful.
I was totally that girl that would see people getting so much accomplished and thinking, “how the hell do they have the time to do all of that?!” I know I’m not alone in thinking that.
The problem I had was that I got too comfortable with my life and my schedule. I wasn’t doing anything to make changes, but I wanted changes to happen. That’s not realistic.
Eventually, I sat down and really thought about my time and how I was spending it. This happened right around the time the iPhone screen time feature came out. That was eye opening for me.
What I realized was that I was spending SO much time on wasted activities. Of course I wasn’t getting anywhere or getting anything done, I was wasting away my days.
I slowly started implementing a couple of strategies and have since accomplished so much more in such a short amount of time.
1. Write out a to do list of what you want to get accomplished.
Now, this is probably something that you have heard a million times. But, lets be real, it’s because they work. Personally, I used to always write them down and lose them shortly afterwards. Or, I’d start crossing things out and also adding more to my list and never felt accomplished.
I suggest you create a time limit on your to do list. I personally have a general one for each week. I keep it in my notes in my phone so it’s basically always with me. This allows me to easily add to it and easily cross things out as they are accomplished.
I really like that by Sunday, I check in with myself to make sure everything is completed by the end of the day. It really feels so great to have everything checked off and Monday morning I start fresh with a new list for the new week.
2. Spend a few minutes each morning planning out your days.
This has been a game changer for me and one of the best strategies I have started doing to get more done. I spend a bit of time each morning planning out what I want to get accomplished that day. This breaks down my weekly to do list in to more manageable parts.
This is also something that makes me feel so much more accomplished by the days end. By breaking it down into a daily to do list, I am able to get those tasks accomplished that day. By spending some time in the morning doing this, it frees up my mind to actually get things done, instead of thinking about the list. It’s kind of like a brain dump of the things you need to get done.
3. Time block.
Another life changer, let me tell you. I bought a Day Designer planner and it has completely changed my productivity. This is where I write my daily to do list, I block out my day into when I am going to get things accomplished. It can be an adjustment to get yourself to follow a schedule, but once you do, you will notice how much more time you have.
If you want to give time blocking a try, they have a bunch of free downloads available.
4. No distractions until it’s done.
This was really hard for me. I mean, I told you my eye opening screen time alert. I don’t even want to tell you how long it said I was on my phone on average. It’s that bad. But, I set myself a strict rule, no distractions until the work is done.
This means that I put my phone on do not disturb and away from me and I definitely don’t have anything going in the background. I basically always had the TV going in the background or Netflix playing. The reality was that I was losing precious time whenever I’d get distracted by the show or my phone.
We live in a world full of distractions. It’s important to disconnect and just get shit done when you need to. This also means that once my to do list is done, I’m most definitely catching up on my fave shows and Instagram. I’m still the same person, just a bit more disciplined!
5. Prioritize.
When you have a never ending to do list, it can definitely get overwhelming. It’s why I have a daily to do list and a weekly to do list. Within my massive to do list, I prioritize my items based on when they need to get done.
Fo example, an email I received the prior day may be pressing and need to be dealt with ASAP. This means it would be the first thing I accomplish on my list. It also is something that I may not have expected when planning out my week. Something that is less of a priority for that day, may get bumped to the next day.
By prioritizing what you need to get accomplished, it allows you to control your list, instead of your list controlling you.
Remember not to be so hard on yourself.
It can be really easy to get discouraged when things don’t get done, but that’s not going to get you anywhere. I have fallen into this trap many times. You see a mountain of things to get done and it causes you to feel overwhelmed. This was what always happened to me, it was a vicious cycle. That’s why I put these systems in place, to limit the amount of overwhelm I feel day to day.
I’m still getting everything done, but it’s so much more manageable day to day this way. And of course, there are days where I just need to throw the list to the wind and say forget about it. It’s important to listen to your body and what it immediately needs, the list will be there tomorrow. What are some strategies that you have incorporated to get more accomplished?
