5 Ways to Stay Productive - Boundless Bliss

I have stayed away from writing about these unpredicdented times we are facing for awhile. Part of me wanted to believe what we are facing wasn’t true, and part of me needed time to process it. I needed to process what was and is going on in the world, and really feel at ease with where I am at.

Thankful is the one word I have come up with that sums up where I am, and how I am moving forward. Enough digression and on to what this blog post is about; 5 ways to stay productive.

Now even more than ever I find staying productive and moving forward in an efficient well defined manner is of the utmost importance. The majority of the United States is working from home, kids are being virtually taught and animals are the one thing keeping us sane. You see though staying productive during this time and continuing in a “semi-normal” fashion is extremely important. You don’t want to be completely derailed when all of this is over, and we go back to whatever “normal” looks like.

Staying productive during this time will help you get the required items completed, additional projects done and you moving forward. We live in a day and age that we have some of the best resources at our finger tips at all times. Why not use what we have and take the world by storm?

The 5 tips below are tips I not only live by now, but during “normal life,” whatever that means to you. They keep me on track and I find I accomplish more than I thought I could and remain sane.

Get Dressed

Whatever is on the agenda for the day, whether it be a small or large OR informal or formal; get dressed. Getting dressed in some sort of outfit will mentally prepare you to take on the day and conquer whatever tasks are on your list. You are sure to be in the right mindset to be productive.

Plan Out Your Day

I have found it very helpful to have my days planned out. Whether you plan it out mentally to know what you are going to get accomplished at what part of day, or you write it down; plan out your day. Personally I do a little of both, however lean more towards writing my day out.

I have found that writing my day out helps hold me accountable. I use the STARTplanner to do this. Last year I searched high and low for the best planner and I found it in the STARTplanner. I love that I am able to completely lay out a full day by time. While I may not follow the timeline to an actual “T” because you know, some things take long than anticipated, it’s still extremely helpful. It gives me an outline of what needs to get done and how to move forward in a clear fashion. Laying out your day will help you be the most productive you can be.

Make a ToDo List

Along with laying out my day I make a ToDo list for my day. Well I don’t just make “a” todo list I have multiple for all the different facets in life; one for work and one for personal. I know I have mentioned multiple times on the blog my craze with ToDo lists, but how many times is too many? I digress.

Make a ToDo list whether it be on paper or electronic. Check of items as you go. The sense of accomplishment you get from crossing items off the list will drive your productivity to keep getting items completed.

Hold Yourself Accountable

Don’t let yourself make excuses for failed or not completed actions. Hold yourself accountable. Whatever works best for you do it. Maybe the planning your day out or the ToDo list helps you, or maybe you tell yourself at the end of a productive day you get some sort of treat. I do the latter a lot. I tell myself if I get everything done I can have time to read, or watch my favorite show. This leads me to my last tip set time aside for you.

Set Time Aside for You

Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and months in years, and then on to the next year and so on. This cycle happens all to fast and keeps getting faster the older we get. Being productive is super important to driving this cycle forward and being the best you can, but you need to ensure you do you. Setting aside time for you is extremely important for you mental status. You need to be able to feel free, and not trapped in ToDo lists and daily plans. You need be the best you for you.

Some days you may have more time to set aside for you and others it may be minimal. Whatever amount of time it is, set it aside. Let yourself feel all the feels, and do whatever you heart desires; of course within reasonable limits.

I learned this last tip to being productive after we lost my Dad. It’s the one thing that got me through the hard weeks, months and years. Since then I have continued to instill this in my life. I find it invigorating, and it makes every day a truly happy day.

Productivity

Staying productive now is more important than ever given the status we are in, in the United States. Numerous states are under the stay at home order and while sitting on your couch and doing nothing sounds like a grand plan, it’s super important to get off your behind and get stuff done.

Getting stuff done is definitely limited by what we can do in our house, but I am sure you have a large laundry list of items you have wanted to get done. Now is the time. Put the above tips to staying productive to use. Keep conquering the world; one step at a time, one check off the todo list at a time and more importantly by being and doing you.