No Time to Waste: The 6 Best Tips to Get the Most Out of Life

We all find ourselves in busy seasons at times. The weight of the things we bear may feel overwhelming, but the good news is that we have the power the control it. There are plenty of ways to maximize productivity at home and at work.

Thankfully though, you don’t have to start from scratch. We’ve narrowed down the top tips on productivity and assembled the best of the best here. Here are the top six ways to get more done and be more productive in life.

• Plan your day ahead of time

Taking a few minutes to prepare at the beginning of the day (or the end of the previous day) is going to be your best timesaver so you can get more done. Use this time to review your schedule, note your priorities and set personal goals. 

Everyone’s day is going to look different, but you’ll want to schedule in time for work, meals (grocery shopping, meal prep and eating time) and your physical and mental wellness on a regular basis. Family time is also a critical aspect of the day for many people. Set your priorities and schedule in the most important things first.

• Streamline your organization

How you schedule is just as important as where you schedule. When it comes to organizing your day, keeping it simple is best – only use one tool so you can see your full day’s to-do’s all in one place to be more productive at home and on the go.

Online calendars are one of the best tools for this because you can view them via your phone or a desktop, and you have the added bonus of being able to share calendars and events with others.

Use a code to make your schedule even easier to see at a glance, like color-coding events for work, social events, doctor’s appointments and your kid’s soccer games.

• Set limits on screen time

According to CNN Health, Americans spend an average of 10 hours a day on devices, around four and a half of them on their phones. Although phones have incredible utility, there’s no doubt that phones are also a huge time-waster.

The number one tip for how to increase productivity is to limit screen time. It tops the list because it’s so practical, but it’s also so difficult. Managing time on your phone is an important lesson in self-control, but once you can keep to stricter limits, you’ll feel a million times more productive.

Thankfully, many phones come with screen time settings and your device will notify you when you’re at the max time. Spend a week with a limit of one hour on your phone. Stick to it and you’ll notice incredible gains in productivity in life.

• Stop trying to multitask

When you have too much on your plate it’s tempting to try to do several things at once to knock things off the list faster. However, multitasking makes us feel busier and more stressed and rarely do things get done well. Multitasking wastes time in the long run.

You’ll especially want to stop multitasking during social activities. Trying to play with your kid while you’re checking emails, or sitting down for a meal with your partner while you’re paying bills can leave room for error in your task and makes the other person feel neglected.

If your lifestyle requires that you are endlessly multitasking, you would be better off minimizing your commitments than doing them half-heartedly. You and the people around you will feel happier for it and you’ll have more productivity in life.

• Don’t overcommit

It’s impossible to do everything, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for not being able to. If you’re struggling with how to increase productivity, it might be because you’re trying to be productive in too many areas, instead of honing in on being efficient in the areas of your life that are the most important.

As you get the knack of running through your routine every morning, pay attention to what you’re excited about and what you dread. Consider cutting out the things that take up time and don’t add meaning to your life (sorry, work doesn’t count).

• Invest in your mental health

Maybe feeling unproductive isn’t at the root of your discontent. Sure, crossing things off the to-do list is gratifying, but feeling unhappy may have a deeper cause than your struggle to be productive at work.

If mental health is interfering with how you live your daily life, seeking out therapy can change that. When you feel good about yourself and have an outlet to address your experiences, you’ll have more mental clarity to do other important things.

The key to productivity

You’ll never find the peace you want if you’re only worried about efficiency, and being productive is only satisfying if you’re happy at the end of the day. Make sure to prioritize your mental well-being in your striving for career and life success.

With Pyramid Online Counseling you don’t have to compromise your mental wellness or your productivity. With flexible scheduling and online services, you can invest in your mental health without the inconveniences of in-person therapy.