Do you get easily sidetracked throughout the day? Typically, things start off quite well. You're focused and work quite productively, but at some point, everything just falls apart. Instead of focusing on your work you end up indulging in little distractions and pleasures that keep your brain entertained. It's the end of the day, and you look back and wonder how on earth you managed to get so little done. This is of course a typical scenario that many of us go through. It's however not an unavoidable scenario. There are six steps you can follow that will intensely improve your chances of having a productive day.



1) RECOGNIZE THE UNPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY
To have a productive day means working productively on your highest priority activities. It simply means hitting targets and getting results which help move projects and tasks forward. So, if that's the number one goal, then anything that distracts you from this path becomes a hindrance to your productivity. Whenever you find yourself getting diverted with anything that pulls you away from your highest value activities, that is when you need to instantly do three things. First, identify what you're doing. Secondly, stop pampering in this activity. And thirdly, acknowledge that this isn't a valuable use of your time.

2) CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES
To have a productive day requires thoughtful values of your actions. The whole thing you do of course comes with a set of costs. The significances of your actions can either move you forward in a supportive way, or they can hinder your progress. When we pander in unproductive activities, we normally don't take into consideration the consequences that may result. We don't contemplate the long-term consequences. Precisely, the long-term effect of the choices we make. Consider the long-term impact of indulging in this unproductive activity. What will it inevitably cost you?

3) REMOVE YOURSELF FROM ACTIVITY
To have a productive day you need to get into the habit of being very pivotal. This is especially relevant when it comes to removing yourself from unproductive happenings. You need to detach yourself from these activities as soon as possible. Separation will allow you to gain proper perspective of the situation. This isn't just about perspective, it's also about taking the time to retell yourself about what truly matters. Have a think about the kind of person you are and how you would ideally like to live your life. Reflect on the goals you would like to accomplish. Now consider, how this unproductive activity could deny you these things.

4) START SETTING PRIORITIES
To have a productive day requires effective prioritization. It requires constantly reminding yourself about what's most important, and then changing on those activities. But how do we know what's truly most important? Well it all begins with getting very clear about the kind of person you want to be now. The person who indulged in this fruitless activity probably isn't you. If that's the case, then how do you desire to be in this situation? Now, reflect on the goals you want to achieve, along with the various tasks that support these goals. Here is where you find your chief priority activities.

5) CREATE CONTINGENCY PLANS
To have a productive day requires well organizing your time around your highest priority activities. You need be clear about what you want to accomplish, how you will achieve those tasks, and how you will adapt when things get in your way. This successfully comes down to creating contingency plans for when things don't quite go to plan. For example, what will you do when you get sidetracked? What will you do when you lose concentration? How will you adapt to the inevitable setbacks you might face throughout the day? And, how will you progress your efforts on your top-most priority activities?

6) TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION
To have a productive day means staying attentive on the things that matter most. These are your main value and highest impact tasks and actions. They must support the kind of person you want to be and the goals you want to achieve. And this is where your focus must lie. If, however all this kind of feels a little daunting, then break big tasks down into small chunks. Moreover, work incrementally through these chunks within specific predefined time frames. You can set a timer to create a sense of earnestness. This will encourage you to work more efficiently through each task. Also, make work fun. When you love working, you will have a fruitful day.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
To have a productive day of course takes hard work. It takes discipline, determination, persistence, and effort on your part. It's not easy to work productively for an entire day, but certainly can be done.
Working through these six steps and recapping yourself of them through the day, will help you to stay focused on what matters. This of course doesn't mean that you won't get distracted. What it means is you will manage those distractions in more optimal ways, which will help you to make better use of your time.
Do however keep in mind that it's not always about what you do, but rather about how you do those things. Focusing on the right things in the wrong way is almost as bad as getting distracted. At the end of the day results are what we look at. When you get remarkable results, and surpass your expectations, that is when you know you have had a productive day.

About Rang Technologies:
Headquartered in New Jersey, Rang Technologies has dedicated over a decade delivering innovative solutions and best talent to help businesses get the most out of the latest technologies in their digital transformation journey. Read More...