Hack Your Productivity: How To Work Smarter Not Harder

How often has the day gotten away from you? Before you know it, it’s time for lunch and you’ve barely ticked anything off your to-do list. How many times have you made an unrealistic to-do list and set tasks for yourself at the beginning of the day, only to find you’re too tired, distracted or overwhelmed to tick them off?  

If you have sat there nodding your head, believe us when we say that is completely normal! When everything begins to feel urgent, with competing deadlines and everything fighting for first place on your priority list, everything begins to feel overwhelming. In times like this it becomes easy to forget the things that really matter, ditch the much-needed work-life balance or become too overwhelmed. But don’t worry, because that’s where productivity comes in.  

So... what is productivity? 

According to the dictionary, productivity is a measure of efficiency and output. But in reality, it is a much more complex term than this. Productivity isn’t about ticking more off your to-do list or getting as much done in as little time as possible, it’s about getting the important things done with as little time and effort as possible. 

So, what does this mean? Productivity is about concentrating your power in the direction of your goals. How cool is that! You can rewire your daily habits to make productivity work for you.  

Productivity IS NOT about being relentlessly busy or working yourself to the point of exhaustion. Quite the opposite in fact... Productivity is about setting yourself up to win and that means protecting, respecting, and conserving your energy so you can give your all to the tasks that matter most. Quite simply, it’s about working smarter not harder. 

Armed with the knowledge behind what productivity is... here is how you are going to hack your productivity to work smarter not harder:  

1. Plan Plan Plan 

Planning your day is one of the most life-changing things you will ever do. Why? Because not only does it organise all your daily goals, tasks, and to-dos in one place, which can counteract overwhelm and stress, it also keeps you accountable. And accountability and productivity go hand in hand! 

Consider The Head Plan Journal as your productivity and wellness tool. In particular, the daily goals page... this is where productive days live, allowing you to set tasks and prioritise your to-dos, so you always know what you must do and when you must do it. Do not overwhelm yourself! It’s better to complete 3 tasks and do them well than to tick things off for the sake of it!  

If you find yourself procrastinating the tasks you have set for yourself that day... use the 5-Second Rule. 

Coined by Mel Robbins, the 5-Second Rule involves giving yourself five seconds to begin any task. If you find yourself hesitating on an activity, simply count down from five and immediately make a move before you get to zero.

2. Divide & Conquer  

So... It’s a Monday morning and suddenly 100 things have landed on your plate. It’s normal to feel you need to have started everything before lunch, but many of these tasks can be spread out throughout the week. How many of your tasks are urgent or important? 

If you’re unsure which tasks are important, ask yourself this one question... will this task bring me closer to my end goal? Urgent tasks are those that need to be completed ASAP and are normally there to bring other people closer to their goals... read this again!  

The trick is to prioritise the important task, while leaving wiggle room for urgent tasks. The key to doing this is to ensure you don’t pack your schedule! If a task is not important but does need completing, consider rescheduling or figuring out if you could delegate. If it’s neither important nor urgent... straight in the bin!  

3. Nourish 

You are what you consume!  

You have probably heard this saying before... but it goes further than you are what you eat. Everything that you consume will be a product of your output. Whether it’s the radio station you listen to in the morning, the amount of water you drink, the vitamins you put into your body or the people you surround yourself with, all of this accumulates to how you will live your days and subsequently your life.  

Did you know... our bodies are 70% water so sipping on your Daily Drench throughout the day will boost your overall energy and mood tenfold!  

There are stacks of foods that are scientifically proven to boost productivity too, like salmon that elevates mental performance, berries that improve memory recall, and avocados that stimulate energy-boosting blood flow. 

Even a square or two of dark chocolate has been shown to give your productivity a boost. Grab your Nourish meal plan and begin adding nutrient-packed foods throughout the day. 

3pm slump? Don’t know her. 

4. Reward Yourself  

In the book Success Principles, bestselling author Jack Clanfield explains why rewarding yourself for completing tasks is so effective for productivity. He explains that inside each of us are three separate ego states: the parent-like ego, the adult ego and the childlike ego. 

The childlike ego acts much like a child does and it doesn’t matter whether you’re 23 or 93, all of us have an inner child who will happily act up and keep us from getting our work done. To keep this part of yourself in check, you need to enlist the help of your parent-like ego, the part of you that ensures you do all the sensible but boring stuff that needs doing, like eating your greens and meeting your deadlines. 

Your parent ego needs to step in and set rewards for the childlike part of you in much the same way that you’d tell a five-year-old they can have an ice cream when they’ve finished their homework. 

Science shows that the closer the reward, the harder you work, so, open The Head Plan Journal and jot down a daily productivity reward that will inspire you to finish that challenging report, complete that demanding workout and power through that tricky bout of procrastination. We promise you it works! 

If you’ve ever heard yourself saying, there aren’t enough hours in the day... NOW is your time to rewire and reset, making the most out of the time you do have. Everyone can hack their productivity to make the most out of their time if they really try. 

YOU can end each day feeling fulfilled, satisfied and accomplished, even closer to your goals, ready to tackle the next day that lies ahead.  

Your future self will thank you... it’s time to