You would have a hard time arguing that increasing your productivity when working to make money online is a bad thing, in fact I’m going to stick my neck out and say you would be plain wrong, if you disagree we can fight it out in the comments later! I’ve dedicated last week (and the upcoming two) entirely to working on my some of my online projects before starting my new job. Describing myself as hugely determined to not waste my final weeks of freedom does not do it justice and a week in I’ve become aware of three easy things I can do to improve my productivity.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of these mental health nuts that’s going to proclaim that the regular consumption of a 2-week old carrot under a full moon whilst standing on your head in a bucket of ice water in your underwear is going to help you get more done with your day… I’ve just noted some pretty obvious things that I imagine many of you, myself included, may be in the habit of forgetting. Cue the list!:
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Exercise
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Diet
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Have fun!
I don’t know whether it’s the same for everyone but I find it so much easier to concentrate after exercise, not only that I actually enjoy doing it!
Hopefully you don’t see the word “exercise” and immediately get reduced to a shaking lump, horrible memories of weekly gym lessons suddenly fresh in your mind. What I’m trying to describe is anything which gets your blood moving, whether it’s a quick walk down the road or something more hardcore in the gym I don’t think it matters.
As human beings it’s only recently that our everyday lives have become about sitting down in front of a computer answering emails, not so long ago we were running about it loin cloths chasing food around with a pointed stick (fresh fruit wasn’t good enough for us… if you don’t get do check out Monty Python). Give your body what it was designed for and I find you reap the benefits afterwards.
Yes it does use up some of the time when you could be getting something done and if the weather’s awful it’s hard to psyche yourself up, but I find I get far more done with what’s left than I would have done if I hadn’t exercised.
As I’m sure you know athletes spend a lot of time worrying about what they put in their bodies. This isn’t because they are worried it will make them fat, it’s because some food is better than others in terms of supplying energy for exercise. When working / problem solving etc you consume far more energy than when you simply set your mind idle. I don’t have any numbers to back myself up but I’m sure you’ve noticed how much more hungry you are by lunch after a morning of hard work than you are on a lazy Sunday morning.
If I’ve been eating healthier I find it much easier to concentrate for extended periods of time and I swear I get more done in that time as well. The problem is if you’re fully focussed on something it’s easy to forget about cooking properly and to start snacking on bad foods. Putting in the time to make proper meals really makes a difference to me, maybe it’s just a mental thing… all I can say is so what, do what works!
Ah finally, the explanation for that picture! One thing I’ve been particularly guilty of during this last week is trying to ensure that I use every last minute of my time for what I deem “useful stuff” i.e. work. I can only guess but imagine this will become even more the case once I start working full time.
Not leaving time to go out and do something you enjoy just isn’t a good plan. Life’s for living, so from now on I’m planning to ensure I regularly get out and do something I really want to do. Don’t get me wrong, this make money online hobby certainly classifies but you’ve got to mix it up or everything can become stale.
If you’re in a good mood and enjoying life it’s so much easier to be productive when you are working. The old saying “the busiest people have the most time” certainly rings true.
Obviously this isn’t even close to an exhaustive list of productivity tips, but if you’re struggling with your productive I highly recommend you try them out. What else do you do to maximise your productivity? Let me know in the comments below:
. Still not Gravatar btw!
That picture is classic you, mate! Love it!