5 Things to Focus on Every Day For Better Productivity

Use These as Daily Reminders to Use Your Time Wisely

4 min readDec 3, 2019

To achieve better productivity, there are simple things you can do every day, that will not require a lot of effort or time.

With the number of distractions you have to deal with daily, knowing how to stay productive is a major advantage.

The Costs of Not Focusing on Better Productivity

Your ability to stay focused has a big impact on what and how much you accomplish. If you don’t focus on better productivity, costs include:

Not meeting deadlines, which means things will be delayed.
Generating additional stress because you will constantly be catching up.
Not feeling good about yourself, especially if you let others down.
Lower levels of confidence.
Not setting new goals because of your inability to deal with what’s already on your plate.
Poor quality work.

Having daily reminders can help you start your day well and focus on what will benefit you most.

The Advantages of Better Productivity

Most people want to improve how they work and how much they accomplish. The advantages of better productivity include:

Faster progress towards outcomes or deadlines.
More time to focus on other activities.
Greater confidence to start new projects.
Increased performance and quality of work.
Better mental and emotional well-being.

5 Things You Can Do For Better Productivity

Most times, doing simple things will make a big difference to productivity levels. Everyone operates differently, therefore you have to make adjustments as needed to maximize your productivity.

Here are five things you can focus on every day for better productivity so you feel great about what you get done.

Better productivity starts the night before. Your mental and emotional states have a huge impact on your productivity. This means making rest and sleep a priority. If you get enough sleep every night, your ability to concentrate will improve. Aim to give yourself a minimum of seven and a half hours of sleep every night.
Prime yourself for your day. This can include having morning rituals to get in the right frame of mind. When your mind is clear, your focus is stronger. Morning rituals can include meditation, reading, deep breathing, stretching or exercising and drinking water.
Have clear priorities. Lack of clarity will often lead to time-wasting, procrastination, distraction and other unproductive habits. If you are clear on what you want to do, you reduce the likelihood of being productive. Having a daily plan is necessary to identify your priorities.
Know your rhythms and habits. To clear your mind, you have to remove thoughts that can distract you when you are working. An example is allowing yourself time for distractions at the start of your day. Although this may seem an unproductive activity, it can help settle your mind so you are not thinking about other things. A few minutes of planned distractions can lead to better productivity throughout the day.
Identify rewards when you reach specific targets. Giving yourself an incentive is a powerful motivator. Based on what you have on your daily plan, you can define ways you will reward yourself when you accomplish certain things. Rewards can include having a longer break or having something to eat or drink.

Final Thoughts

When you make better productivity a focus, you will experience a change in how you use your time and how you work. Focusing on a few things every day will make a difference.

If you continue to focus on better productivity, you will achieve improved performance and results. If you don’t, you risk getting distracted by things of lower importance, which means you will not use your time wisely.

Action Step: Make the five things identified a focus. Based on what time you want to get up, ensure you get enough sleep every night. As you make these daily practices, you will experience a shift in your productivity.

Question: What are other things you can focus on every day for better productivity?