"I've No Time"... The Productivity Hacks You Need

Have you ever found yourself saying “I don’t have time”?  

Do you feel the wrath of time constraints as you struggle to get your daily tasks done, let alone the added extras you had planned to do that day, not to mention relaxing? You’re not alone...  

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and think there’s not enough hours in a day... But, is there actually not enough time or are you just not utilising your time adequately?  

Whether you’re balancing a demanding job, juggling a family, trying to stay active or achieve your personal goals... the struggle is real! Making it happen takes time, effort and dedication, so making the most of your time and enhancing your productivity is essential.  

What actually is productivity?  

We hear all this talk of productivity, with many people searching ‘how to be more productive’.  

Productivity is essentially getting the most done in as little time as possible by optimising the time you have and balancing the tasks at hand. We all crave balance, we all want connection, fulfilment and success – so by cracking the time needed to complete your tasks and projects you will continue to move forward and ensure you have balance in your life.  

Productivity involves getting the most out of your time, effort and resources so you can optimise what little time you do have. It is the act of working smarter, not harder and getting the most done in the least amount of time. This doesn’t mean rushing through your tasks and half-doing them, not completing anything to the best of your ability will ultimately lead you in the opposite direction... working smarter entails optimising your efforts so you can master your tasks and complete them in a fraction of the time usually required.  

The Head Plan Top Tips to make it happen:  

Focus Zone: By getting in the zone and in a solid work-flow state you are likely to get more work done in less time. To get into this flow, we recommend putting in your earphones, alerting other team members that you are going to get into a workflow state and to not interrupt you, or to email you if necessary. Playing music with a tailored focus and concentration purpose will quickly zap you into focus.... We love Grace Beverly’s work playlist! Remove all distractions and allow yourself complete focus to get the task at hand complete.  

We are lucky to work in a co-working space, so there’s always somewhere else to go! If there is a particular task we need full concentration for, we love removing all distractions and leaving the office with just our brain, laptop, Agenda, a pen and our daily drench and we won’t come back until it’s finished! Sometimes even taking a quick 5-minute break from you desk is just the rejuvenation you need. 

Two-Minute Rule: Do you find yourself bogged down by tasks that just never seem to go away? Well... here is the golden rule: if a task will take you less than 2 minutes to complete, write them all down, set a timer and start ticking them off. By writing them down you will look back and realise you completed more than you thought you had, enhancing feelings of accomplishment and re-wiring your brain to seek more achievement. By completing these quick ticks, you will remove the build-up of minor tasks that begin to feel like a mammoth task the longer they are put on the backburner. For example, making a doctor's appointment, replying to an email, renewing your car insurance... these are all quick ticks that once they are left to sit there begin to feel like a much bigger effort. We are all guilty of this! 

Productivity Pad: By taking 5 minutes in the morning to plan out your day at your desk, you will quickly realise which tasks are important and should be prioritised, and which actually won’t serve you or don’t align to your main goal. What is your main goal of the day? What will leave you feeling accomplished this day? What are your top 3 priorities? Other main goals of the day?  

If your main goal of the day is to have a full complete strategy for one of your social channels, your 3 main goals might be to spend time researching other brands succeeding in that space, meet with your marketing team to brainstorm and dedicate time devising the strategy...  

By doing this you are actively aligning your actions towards the bigger picture every single day and know the action steps you need to take to feel accomplished that day, reducing time wasted completing other miscellaneous tasks.  

Time/Time Block: Dedicate time to getting things done... Set a timer on your phone and actively work on a particular task for that specific time, no breaks! You can use the pomodoro effect for this... 25-minute hard work followed by a 5-minute break... repeated. We are all addicted to our phones and can find our devices a massive distraction when trying to focus, but to be productive you need undistracted, focused work. A hack we love to do is to set a time lapse on our phone, so we’re not tempted to pick up our phone and mindlessly scroll. There is also an app called ‘Forest’ where you can set a timer and it blocks all other apps on your phone. Every time you successfully complete a dedicated work block a tree is planted, overtime you will build a full forest! This reinforces positive habits and removes the distraction for you. 

Set yourself up for success: Plan your day in advance the night before in The Head Plan Journal so you know exactly what the most important tasks are for the next day. Set up your desk so you don’t need to break your flow, make sure you have everything you need...Your daily drench is full, you have a cup of tea, snacks if needed and pen & paper. By priming your environment to have a productive day, you are more likely to seep into a productive workflow quicker, completing the necessary tasks in record time!  

Make it fun and make it rewarding. Plan a treat for yourself once you finish a project. It doesn’t have to be an unhealthy treat like a sugary drink or a quick-fix chocolate bar, it might be a 5-minute break outside in the sun, a cup of tea, a long bath that evening or dedicated time to watch your favourite show. Science shows the closer and more attainable the reward, the harder you work. That’s why we have included space for productivity reward every evening in The Head Plan Journal for you to reward yourself every day once you have completed your to-do list.  

Reflection – I know we might sound like a broken record talking about reflection... But it really is the secret to success. If you don’t take the time to reflect on your work for the week gone and re-evaluate your system, you can’t make the necessary changes to propel you towards success. The secret to having more time is to be smarter with the time you have. Ask yourself if a particular task was worth the energy/time it took? This will enable you to hyper-focus on the more important tasks and the ones that bring the greatest results. For example, if you spent 3 hours in one day on a miscellaneous task that you didn’t see results from, then make sure you don’t repeat this the next week. As humans we generally move from one project to the next, without taking the time to ask how we could have done better. Where could we have improved? If you take these few minutes to reflect, you’re more likely to save yourself time in the long run on your next project. 

Reflect every week in the dedicated space in The Head Plan Journal so you can improve your productivity and overall wellbeing for the upcoming week.  

Nourish: Ever “don’t have time” to take lunch? So, you find yourself working through lunch thinking you will get more work done, when you end up scratching your head by 3pm, feeling restless, irritable and desperate for another coffee break? By prioritising nourishment and giving your brain the necessary energy and resources it needs to thrive, you are more likely to be more productive in a shorter time constraint, hence actually completing your tasks faster while still taking that much needed lunch break. Your productivity is a direct result of the food you feed your brain and the amount of water you consume.   

Here are some superfoods you should aim to introduce to your diet which are proven to increase productivity: 

1. Salmon - High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids which is useful for improving memory and mental performance. 

1. Green Tea - A natural energy enhancer, without the negative side-effects of other energy-fabricating ingredients! One of the most effective types of green tea for energy production is the current wellness trend ‘Matcha’. What appears as an aesthetic ‘that girl’ beverage, has a myriad of health and energy benefits behind it. Opt for a matcha latte when you’re next at your local coffee shop!  

1. Dark Chocolate – Excellent for satisfying that sweet tooth and improving your overall focus. Dark chocolate is a natural stress reliever, and the caffeine content helps you feel more energetic and focused on the tasks at hand. Enjoy your sweet treats with added benefits!   

1. Nuts – Excellent source of protein, vitamin E, and amino rich food acids which will naturally increase your memory and brain performance to make it throughout the day. Almonds and walnuts contain some of the best ingredients for brain power!  

1. Bananas – Glucose = energy and bananas are the perfect energy source. Did you know... a single banana holds the daily amount of glucose your body needs? (This is science fact but I'm not sure about this – does this mean you don’t need any more glucose throughout the day what do you eat etc etc? I think I'd spiral thinking i shouldn’t eat any more glucose...)  

Grab your Nourish Meal Planner and plan out your meals and snacks for the week, incorporating as many of these superfoods as possible to enable you to perform at your best and thrive!  

In a world where our demands are constantly increasing and it is normal to feel tight for time, boosting your productivity ensures you complete the tasks necessary to achieve your goals and propel you towards success, while also making time to prioritise your personal goals... whether this is spending time with loved ones, pursuing a hobby or simply relaxing! By incorporating these hacks into your weekly routine, you will reap the rewards almost instantly as you begin to work smarter and not harder. On average we work for 8 hours a day, with many people working overtime. How much of this time is spent in deep focus and in productive mode? You will find you might reduce your work time to half of this, leaving more time to complete new projects and upskill! Increased productivity promotes a healthy work-life balance, improving your overall satisfaction and fulfilment in life as you achieve your goals. 

YOU have the power within you to achieve everything you have ever wanted... you also have the time. Time is a limited resource, but you are in control of how you spend it. Make it count.