Mar 1, 2020

How to Increase Your Productivity

Set clear goals and narrow it down to committed and consistent action.

Setting a goal or project is one thing. Being productive is a completely different story. A huge part of your productivity will be determined by your vision and motivation. Another way to increase your productivity is by taking consistent action. Besides your general habits, it’s important to determine specific routine actions for specific projects and goals.

In this post, you will design a clear overview of your desired outcomes and what you need to do to get there. You will determine your goals and develop projects that will help you achieve these goals. Be as specific as you can and keep in mind 'your what' and 'your why' in order to stay focused on the things that are most important to you.

1. Categorize your life in themes

Creating and keeping track of the themes in your life will create more overview, which will help you to determine what is important to you and what you want to focus on and spend your time on.

TASK: Think of the most important themes in your life. This can be anything from family to travel to finances. Write down your eight most important life themes. What areas of your life do you need to work on? Are some themes more important than others?

Fill up the slices for each theme (for example with colored pencils) anywhere from one to ten depending on how satisfied you are in your life regarding this theme. Keep track of your life wheel once in a while and add more color whenever your level of satisfaction goes up.

➳ Keep track of your life themes with this printable worksheet. Get it here.

2. Determine your goals

Look back at all the activities you have done and use that information to determine your goals.

What do you want to achieve?

Think about...

Your needs
Things you love
Your dreams
Your challenges
Your life themes
Your values
Habits and routines you want to develop
Your perfect life

TASK: Start with a brainstorm session and write down every single thing you can think of that you want to achieve. As a guideline, you can brainstorm goals for each life theme, or only the life themes you want to focus on.

After your brainstorm session, start categorizing your goals into topics or groups. This can be both short-term and long-term goals. I like to categorize my goals into timeframes. For example:

Life goals
5-year goals
Yearly goals
90-day goals

➳ Create an overview of all your goals with this printable worksheet. Get it here.

I also keep a list of goals I want to achieve for each of my life themes. These goals are usually a bit less specific and I don’t refer to them as much as the goals I set on a timeline. I reflect on my 90-day goals the most since the tasks I’m currently doing are most related to them. For inspiration, I look at my life- and 5-year goals. However, how you set your goals is completely personal and is all about finding the method that works best for you. Try out different ways to set goals and stick to the ones that give you the most energy and excitement to work on your goals.

➳ Create an overview of your life-theme-goals with this printable worksheet. Get it here.

3. Create a list of projects and tasks for each goal

TASK: Based on your goals, write down the projects you need to work on. Think about projects that will bring you closer to your goals. What projects do you want to focus on? Give each project a name and deadline to feel more motivated and more connected to the outcome.

For each project or goal, write down the tasks you need to do and the steps you need to take. What do you need to do to make this project successful? Narrow down your action steps as much as you can. Make them realistic and doable on a daily basis. Create a clear overview so you know exactly what you need to do to make each project successful.

➳ Narrow down your action steps with this printable worksheet. Get it here.

4. Develop commitment and consistency

The most effective way to achieve your goals is by taking consistent action. When you take (small) steps every day, eventually something big will come out of it. In addition to (or in combination with) your habits, determine what you can do on a daily basis to get closer to your goals.

Think small. Small steps are easier to take and less overwhelming and stressful. Commit to one small step each day and slowly but surely you will see the effect of your consistent efforts. to do at least one thing from these lists each day and step by step you will get there.

TASK: Schedule the tasks and action steps of your three most important goals in a 90-day time frame. To create a clear overview, you can narrow the tasks down to monthly and weekly action steps. Commit to doing at least one small action every day. Even if you only spend 15 minutes on a task, doing something is better than doing nothing. Start small, find out what works for you and what doesn’t, and soon you’ll find yourself doing more and more every day.

➳ A monthly planner and weekly overviews are included in the Lifestyle Planner. Get it here.