Foolproof Productivity- Easy Tips to Jumpstart Your Success Now!

Productivity when time is tight and autonomy is high can be a challenge for anyone. Today I’m sharing foolproof, anyone-can-do-it, ways to stay productive when a deadline, goal completion, or working independently is staring you in the face.

Start Productive

Regardless of your temperament, nature, or approach to big tasks that take long term vision starting productive is a great way to increase your chances of success. One way I do this is by firmly planting a foundation of structure.

Here’s what I mean:

Create parameters for the work you want to do by blocking the time. Sometimes this is called chunking, or in its simplest form it’s essentially scheduling. If you are a business-owner and are struggling to find margin to maintain social media marketing, the best place to begin is to block out the time to do so. Schedule your block of time in your planner and treat it like a non-negotiable business appointment. Take it one step further and make the blocked time reoccurring. Schedule it as frequently as is required for your success with the task.

Starting with this structured foundation, especially when autonomy is high, can be a solid way to productively chip away on a big project.

Stay Productive with Loose Structure

This summer happens to be a major study and project summer for me as it relates to my teaching career. I have a few classes to take, books to read, new curriculum to understand, and my teaching license to renew. The nature of my profession requires this kind of summer work every few years.

So I’m taking my own advice. Every morning I have blocked time to study. In the cool, quiet, coffee-filled moments of the morning I study for a little while. Now, being that it’s summer and it’s my break from the structural norms of the school year, I’m giving myself the grace to maintain a loose structure.

Here’s what I mean:

Each morning during my study time I give myself options. I am currently working my way through two books, a prayer journal, and a reading curriculum overview. So everyday with my coffee in one hand and journal in the other, I choose what I want to accomplish during my time. Yesterday, I read with margin note-taking, the day before that I read and took notes in my journal. Today I took notes and studied reading curriculum. Giving myself this kind of flexibility allows my mind the freedom to flow from different topics or tasks and is more relaxing.

I’m still accomplishing the big work at hand. Staying productive is still a major component of my blocked time. But the loose structure coupled with flexibility of tasks keeps it light, fresh, and fun. This idea can be amended for nearly any project or area where you want to maintain high work output and while still considering your productivity levels.

Intentional Productivity

I use the above tactics for my writing and content creation here at Pine Daisy House. I’m careful to structure my time in such a way as to make sure I have the necessary time to complete at least one task within my topic of work. The loose structure helps me maintain creative margin which is so important for content creating. I’m able to vary the work I do within my topic by choosing a task that suits my disposition that day.

This intentional approach has also proven to work for me across my professional and personal life for years. Start by grounding your work and choosing what area to focus on. Then give your mind and heart room to breathe freely during your blocked time by creating choice and flexibility as long as you stay on topic. Blocking the time to work as if it were an appointment and giving yourself structured options of tasks within the blocked time is a great way to maintain productive momentum.

If you’d like to read more about my approach to intentional planning, and goal setting go here:

So today I hope I leave you with hope for you and your intentional life.