Get More Done in a Day: Do Little Things, Achieve Big Things

No one can ever spend their time perfectly - that's a fact! Each day you're given 24 hours and it's up to you to use them the best you can. Time is fixed - when we say we "save time" that's not at all true; in fact, that's impossible. Time will pass at the same rate come rain, wind or shine thus all we can do is make better use of it. We all fool ourselves that productivity equates to the amount of hours spent in the workplace. We reason: the more time spent in our place of work the higher the productivity. To get more done we need to get out of this mindset and rather than strive to spend more time working we should aim to improve the quality of the time we spend working. The six tips below can help you to do just that. I'm no expert on the matter, these are just things I've tried and tested myself and have helped me get more out fo the day. Not how each point contains the word little. I'm stressing that you only need to make small changes to get really big improvements.

1. Go to bed a little earlier. Your mind is sharper and more productive first thing in the morning; it is much more alert and is a better frame to concentrate. This won't cost you any time and it's so simple; all you're doing is trading some lower quality time for some higher quality time. Even half an hour can make all the difference. Don't worry if you're not a morning person - your body is quick to adapt. A shower, hot drink and light breakfast are the perfect way to get the physical and mental juices flow.

2. Exercise a little more. Never exercising is like never servicing a car. True, none of us NEVER exercise - even walking up the stairs to your bedroom is exercise albeit not a lot. Along with eating (see point 4), drinking (see point 3) and sleeping (see point 1) these are the main factors that determine your productivity potential. When people think of exercise they think of signing up to an expensive gym and spending two hours a day lifting weights and using running machines. This isn't true - people unnecessarily spend pots of money each month for gym membership. Some people will get in their car, drive it to the gym and spend £100 per month so they can use the gym's running machine (okay - I admit there's more to gyms than running machines, I'm just making a point) when they could have saved a lot of time and money going for a run in their own neighborhood. The best way to exercise is to go for brisk walks - this is good for your all-round health, especially your heart, and it's free and enjoyable. You can be super efficient and combine exercise with taking breaks (see point 3).

3. Drink a little less caffeine, drink a little more water. Caffeine will seriously affect your ability to concentrate, especially if your body is relying on it to maintain alertness. Ironically, if you rely too heavily on caffeine as a stimulant it will slow you down. If you're really tired rather than battling on, rest or take an early night - remember, you're swapping poor quality time for good quality time (see point 1). Swap all (or as many as you're comfortable with) your drinks from tea or coffee to water. There are many benefits to drinking water (too numerous to mention) but suffice to say it is utilised by your entire body. Your brain is 90% water and water consumption has been linked to improved concentration. Don't believe the energy drink blurb of improving concentration by n% - these drinks contain drugs - for every high, there is a low. Furthermore, fatigue is a symptom of dehydration. If you find yourself feeling tired take a break (see point 5) and drink a large glass of water. If you are deterred by the blandness of water (I personally find it refreshing) add some fresh juice and ice to it (lemon and / or lime taste the best) for a nice cold drink or try one of the many varieties of caffeine-free fruit teas available at any good supermarket.

4. Eat a little more balanced. People erroneously eat "brain food" such as fish to improve their productivity and concentration. Whether or not fish is actually good for the brain remains to be adequately proved and what food actually improves concentration is a much-debated topic (although proteins generally seem to be used by the brain). Rather than succumbing to the fads of high-protein diets and detoxes always eat a balanced meal three times a day at regular intervals - this will ensure good all-round nourishment for your body.

5. Relax a little more. Break the working day with small periods of relaxation. Work for periods of between one and one and a half hours at a time. Then take a small break of ten to fifteen minutes. In that time do something completely detached from your work. If you work at a computer all day don't spend your breaks on the Internet. Have a drink and read a chapter of a book, listen to some music or go for a short walk. If work-related thoughts creep into your mind in this time quickly think of something non-work related. This gives your mind a break and means that when you go back to your work it will be firing on all cylinders. As a computer programmer I can testify to the effectiveness of this. On many occasions I have agonised over a programming problem for hours and hours without taking a break. Frustrated and disappointed I have left my computer and gone for a drink or played some computer games and the solution to my problem has just come to me in a flash. Your brain is very clever and can solve problems while your conscious mind is thinking of other things. However, this will only happen if you give your brain the relaxation it deserves.

6. Waste a little less time. Don't think you're a time waster? Even the most efficient of us waste time - it's easy to prove. Tomorrow make sure you carry a pen and a piece of paper around with you from the moment you get up to the moment you go to bed. Each time you do something, however trivial, jot it down and make a note of time time. When you have documented an entire day's activity take a look down it and put a star against anything that wasn't productive or indirectly productive (breaks are indirectly productive). Now using the times you've jotted down add up everything that has a star next to it. You'll be frightened at how unproductive you've been. Don't despair though this is human nature. Look to improve you productivity a little each day. No one can or even will work a 100% productive day but if you can go from 10% productivity to 20% you'll be getting twice as much done in a day as you used to. You may think you work a busy day but it is possible to be busy doing nothing! You can save time by shaving ten minutes here and ten minutes there of various daily activities such as making lunch, taking a bath, surfing forums, et cetera.

This blog entry was created for the Lists Group Writing Project.