10 Productivity Tips: How to Get More Done

I consider myself a humble person, and don’t like to brag. But when it comes to getting things done and not wasting time or procrastinating, I’m the queen!

As my home and work responsibilities increased over the years, so did my need to make sure no time got wasted. From reading books and articles, to watching videos or listening to podcasts, I’ve learned so much, and I’m still learning. I thought I would share my knowledge and experience with you, and hopefully you can apply some of it to your life.

I’m sticking with 10 tips to make it simpler, but it’s more than that to be frank. A lot of the tips are also intertwined…they effect each other and are best when more than one is adopted together. For example, waking up early is very much effected by reducing TV and social media time. If you exercise daily you are more likely to eat better and both will help you increase your energy and therefore your mental focus and productivity…exercise will also help you sleep better.

Think about your week…there is always time that is not being used productively. I run a business, I have a blog and post weekly to our YouTube channel. I’m currently doing an online course, working on an ebook and working on a business plan for a new venture. All that and I still have time for myself to workout and meditate, and see family and friends.

There are days when everything runs smoothly and days where things are on the chaotic side. It’s OKAY. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But I don’t waste time! NO WAY! Time is precious to me. Maybe I need to relax more, I admit that. But I’m always thinking of how I can be more efficient, so that I can still get all that I want done with enough down time to keep me sane.

1. Plan your week, not just your day
   • If you think about just 1 day, you will feel like you can’t get much done, but when you think about a whole week then a task seems less difficult.
   • Plan it out on paper or digitally. Divide into most important categories in your life. For example my tasks for the week are divided between work, family, and personal. And each of those is divided into categories…so for work I have Crumbs, Table11, the blog and YouTube. For family it’s the kids, my husband, home projects and extended family. Personal would be self-care, workouts, seeing friends, and learning. If you FAIL TO PLAN, YOU PLAN TO FAIL. 
2. Wake up an hour earlier
   • What would you do if you had an extra hour every day to do the things you normally thinkyou don’t have time to do? This is not wishful thinking, you have it already. It’s early morning before everyone else wakes up, preferably after fajr prayer.
   • Night time is usually wasted watching TV, scrolling through your instagram or snapchat, or worse eating junk food.
   • Sleep earlier and take advantage of the early morning to exercise, read, or work on the business you’re dreaming of. When I was studying for my CFA exams, I would wake up at 5am to get in an hour of study time before going into work. And when I was done with the exams, I would still wake up at 5am to workout or bake. Who knows…without those early hours practicing my baking skills I might not have started my business.
3. Restrict TV & Social Media time
   • I’m honestly happiest when I don’t watch TV at all. I get to sleep earlier, and read more. But let’s be realistic here…shows like Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones deserve to be watched. But it’s carefully planned, ideally not daily, and never past my bedtime to make sure I get enough sleep.
   • I never watch TV during the day when I can be most productive. It’s always in the evening and only if the kids are in bed, I’ve done all my important tasks for the day, and I still have some time before I’m supposed to be in bed which is 10pm.
   • Social media is a time sucker! You have a few minutes so you turn snapchat on and all of a sudden 30 minutes have passed…30 valuable minutes of your life that you could have worked out, read with your child, or gone to bed. See the next point on how to deal with that…
4. Turn your phone off
   •  In order to get to bed earlier, limit unnecessary social media browsing, and retain your peace of mind…turn off the phone or at least put it on flight mode an hour before your scheduled bed time At Least! And in the morning don’t turn it on first thing especially if you’re waking up earlier as explained in point no.2. Give yourself at least an hour before you let the world in.
   • Same thing if you’re trying to focus on an important work task, turn the phone off or at least put it on silent. And then give yourself a minimum of 30 minutes before you need to check it. 
5. Combine something you love with something you don’t
   • I enjoy my work very much, but there are certain tasks that are not fun, or require more focus. What I do to get me in the mood is not allow myself to have my delicious cup of coffee unless I’m working on that task.
   • Another way is to make working out more fun by combining it with something you enjoy….a walk in Shaheed park with a friend, or watching your favorite YouTube channels while doing a circuit workout.
6. Move daily
   • Exercise doesn’t have to be an hour at the gym with a 30 minute commute back and forth. Find something you love, even if it’s 20 minutes a day that you can stick to in order to do regularly. Working out  at home has never been easier with free YouTube videos and apps for quick and easy workouts you can do anywhere.
   • By moving your body, you change your state of mind. If you are feeling down or having a lazy day just go for a walk or jump around the room, or dance with your kids and see how you feel after that.
   • Exercise helps you sleep better, encourages you to eat better and gives your more energy throughout the day to get more done.
7. Eat well for energy
   • I leave foods that will make me tired to the end of the day. I try my best to eat light and healthy during the day so I don’t get the slump in energy, also known as food coma.
   • These days supermarket shelves are filled with superfoods that help give you sustained energy throughout the day. So many of them are so delicious.
   • Plan your meals for the week so you have something to feel your body and keep your energy up the whole day. Make seed crackers, granola or energy balls to have with you on the go as a snack or quick breakfast. 
8. Time Block
   • You should have a good idea of what times of day you are at your peak and most productive. Use that time to get your most important work done without any distractions if possible. Don’t take calls, or answer text messages or emails.
   • Answer emails and text messages or take calls at a certain time of day, not randomly.
   • Schedule meetings or errands you need to do in 1 (or 2) days. Get them all done on the same day to save time.
9. Have less stuff
   • I must admit I’m new to this, but when it comes to productivity there’s always something new to learn.
   • Less clothing? Easier time to decide what to wear and head out the door.
   • Less makeup? No time wasted trying to find your mascara.
   • I can go on and on….but you get my point.
10. Personal time
    • You need to take care of yourself, in order to do your best for your work and your family. That means a lot of the points mentioned above such as exercising, sleeping and eating well. But it also means making the time to do things you enjoy for yourself. It might be reading, meeting a friend for a coffee, journalling or daily meditation. If you think you don’t have time to that, refer to point no. 2.