Do you need to improve your productivity?

Do you ever have those days where you start the morning off with every intention of being a master of productivity, but then before you know it, 5 o’clock rolls around and there are still tasks on your to-do list?

Sometimes no matter how hard you try to be as productive as possible, life just has a way of, well… getting in the way.

And with so many of us now working from home full-time, there are even more opportunities for you to become distracted by non-work-related things going on around you.

Productivity Killers Are Everywhere

The sneaky thing about productivity killers is that oftentimes, they’re hiding in plain sight. You might not even realize just how many of them are taking their toll on your day.

They show up in the form of texts and notifications going off on our phones. Come on, when you hear a “ping,” what’s the first thing you do?

You stop whatever you’re working on and check your phone, which then leads to you scrolling through your social media feeds – just to check and see if there’s anything new going on.

And then there are those other distractions that pop up, such as hearing the timer go off on the dryer.

Getting up from your workspace and going to the laundry room to get the clothes out and fold them might not seem like a major diversion on the surface, but it is. It’s something that causes you to break your focus and it interrupts your flow of productivity.

And, what do you do when you sit back down in front of the computer? Odds are good that you check your email to see if any new messages have come in before getting back to what you were actually working on before all of this happened!

The truth is, a lot of people don’t even know what they’re really doing on a day-to-day basis. And, not only can this be bad for your workflow, but it can also lead you to feel burnt out, exhausted, and unmotivated (with nothing to show for all of your work!).

3-Day Exercise to Identify What’s Hindering Your Productivity

The good news? 

All it takes to truly get a handle on the parts of your day that are impacting your productivity is to commit to this exercise for 3 days.

What you’ll need to do is keep a pen and paper near you at all times during the day, from the moment you wake up until the time you crawl back into bed.

And, every 30 minutes (you could even do every hour if you think you won’t be able to commit to 30 minutes), write down exactly what you’re doing.

Here’s the hard part — you have to be totally honest with what you write down.

Checking Facebook? Write it down.

Staring into the fridge looking for a snack? Write it down.

Driving to and from school or running errands? Write it down.

Focusing on your work and actually getting stuff done? Write that down, too.

When the 3-day period is over, go back over your list and pay attention to the periods in your day when you’re not using your time wisely.

You’ll be surprised at how many insignificant things you’re doing on a daily basis that actually cause your productivity to decline!

On the flip side, you’ll also notice patterns — like the times of day when you really are most productive, which will help you set up your schedule for increased productivity going forward.

Once you figure out what those times are, block them out on your calendar and commit to eliminating all distractions during that time block.

If you’re worried about being tempted to check your email, or to take care of a household chore…

Block time out in your day for that, too! Set aside dedicated breaks where you’re allowed to indulge in those activities.

This way, you’ll resist the urge to pick up your phone every 10 minutes. And, instead, you’ll focus on what really needs to get done.

Another Simple Way to Find More Time

If the 3-day exercise seems a little too rigid for you, you can also simply play a little game that ITN Founder and CEO, Cynthia Garcia, calls “Finding Time.”

It’s as easy as taking time to reflect on the following:

Ask yourself… what do you spend time doing throughout the week that you can ditch in favor of focusing on tasks that are going to move you forward…

Seriously. Think about it.

Watching TV?

Playing a video game?

Scrolling through social media?

Checking emails for the umpteenth time?

Checking the news sites?

If you play this little game, we promise you’ll find time to increase your productivity. It’s there, hidden in whatever mundane activity has become part of your daily ritual.

In Conclusion

It’s difficult to break away from your routine, especially given the circumstances of the past couple years. Honestly — we’ve all needed distractions to help take our minds off the heavy stuff.

But, when you commit to finding those extra minutes in the day and shift your focus to things that actually serve you, productivity will follow!

And isn’t a life that you don’t need a distraction from something that you’re aiming for?

Are you searching for a career where you set your schedule, have more time, and also help others live healthier? Then becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach just might be your answer!

See the details and learn more about how becoming a coach can change your life right now!