The internet is trending right now; it has given a lot of us the opportunities of our lives, opportunities we might never have if the internet never existed.
The problem with the internet, however, is that it is damaging as much lives as it is improving, and one area that is notorious for this is the area of productivity.
The productivity of this generation is dwindling, and we now find ourselves postponing that should have been done and forgotten.
Of course, the problem with this is that it also results in lack of motivation, and this article will be sharing with you a few tips on how to stay motivated and be more productive. I’ll also be sharing some apps to help you.
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1. Avoid Routines, but Keep to Your Plans
It’s natural to think that the best way to stay motivated and be more productive is to have routines, especially since that’s how we’re brought up.
The idea is that we wake up at a particular time of the day, we go to our places of work at a particular time of the day, and we perform a particular activity at a particular time of the day; while these actions sound like the very best way to be productive and organized, they don’t really work especially if you work online.
What has always worked for me is to avoid routine; in other words, instead of waking up to check emails at 8 am every morning, I shake things up a little bit, and I make sure my plans for the day are a little bit different.
In other words, I avoid routines.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t be organized, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t stick to plan. Instead, I’m saying you should be organized.
Make sure you plan each day and stick to your plans, but always shake things up a little bit to make the journey more exciting.
2. Have Adequate Sleep
There’s a lot of bad advice out there today when it comes to productivity, especially from those people who think that the best way to be productive is by only sleeping for 5 hours a day.
The first thing you should realize to be productive is that there is a huge difference between time spent and what is achieved. The fact that you spent 20 hrs in front of your computer at a particular point in time doesn’t mean you’re doing work that matters.
Sleep for at least 7 hours a day, and if 8 or 9 hours is what makes you feel good, then go for it.
It is better to work 5 hours a day and make the best of it, than to be awake for 20 hours and not be able to get anything done.
To be as productivity as you want, you need rest; you need sleep!
3. Know Your “Creativity Cycle”
One thing about individuals is that we’re very unique, and there is no advice that applies to everybody; what works for me will probably not apply to you, especially when productivity is concerned, so the best way to be really productive is to know your creativity cycle and make the best of it.
There might be a time of the day when you’re more productive, and there might be a particular activity that kick-starts your productivity. Don’t ignore this “cycle” and go after the tips you read online because everyone says they work; take a closer look at yourself to see what works for you, and spend quality time mastering it to secure your productivity.
4. Try Your Best to Never Miss Deadlines
If you’ve ever observed the process of getting addicted to a particular bad habit before, you will notice that it starts with the first step, and the second, and the next step until it starts to look like nothing ever happened.
The same thing goes for productivity and motivation online.
Make sure you don’t miss your deadlines, whether it is set by you or your client; once you agree to a particular date to get something done, stick to it, and get it done no matter what.
Apps to Help You Be More Productive
Since we’ve covered a few essentials of staying motivated and getting things done online, I’ll also share a few apps that can influence your productivity and make you more organized. Check them out, and you’ll be surprised to see how much your productivity can improve almost overnight.
1. Time Doctor
You know exactly how it feels to spend 8 hours in front of your computer on a particular day, thinking you’ve gotten something done, only to discover that 4 hours was spent on Facebook alone, and more hours on other insignificant activities.
The best way to be more productive is to keep track of your time, to know how many minutes you really spend on a particular activity, and how many hours you waste on social media sites and on tasks that don’t count.
Time Doctor is a sophisticated software application that helps you monitor your time, while quickly notifying you whenever it notices that you’re on Facebook or Twitter or any other major social media site. It helps keep you in check and ensure you’re on the right track, and it also gives you tips and suggestions on how to improve.
2. Evernote
Productivity revolves around ideas, and you will hardly move forward if you often ignore your ideas.
Evernote is a website (and software) that helps you take note and keep tracks of activities around you, and it can also serve as a notepad or idea journal for you.
You need ideas to be productive, but some of your best ideas will come when you’re incapable of acting on them at the moment. Keep track of these ideas with Evernote, and let them develop over time.
3. Free Mind
Free Mind is a mind mapping software that helps you plan your future; it could be a day worth of action you want to take, or a whole year. It helps you organize your idea in a way that is easy to remember and act on, and it has a lot of functionalities that can enhance your productivity.
This is a guest post by Bamidele that writes about Sugarland real estate and Houston real estate listings. You should check his personal blog for more helpful productivity tips for bloggers.
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