7 Tips to Be More Productive

The only reason you should do something yourself is if no one else can do it as well. So if you’re planning on outsourcing something, make sure it’s because no one else is better at doing it. Delegate when possible, and outsource when necessary.

It’s easy to get distracted. Research has shown that people are up to four times more productive when they have no distractions. Instead of posting on social media or checking your e-mail every few minutes, see if you can shut these distractions down for a few hours at a time.

It’s common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people ignore it: Exercise keeps your mind clear, sharp and positive. In addition to staving off diseases like diabetes and hypertension, regular physical activity helps regulate your moods and gives you more energy. You don’t have to run a marathon; a brisk walk at lunch or after work will do wonders for your outlook.

The importance of setting and achieving goals cannot be stressed enough. Having goals in place for all aspects of your life—career, health, family, wealth—gives you a framework and allows you to have focus. But once you’ve set those goals, don’t spend too much time thinking about them during your day. Spend time planning how you’re going to achieve them, then leave them in place.

An old boss of mine told me that breakfast is the most important meal of your day. I didn’t believe him until he said, If you don’t eat breakfast, how can you expect to perform at your best? How do you expect to lead an entire team? What do you think is going to happen?! You need to eat! Yeah, he had a way with words.

People have a profound effect on us. Make sure your friends and family lift you up when you’re down—not put you in a funk. If they’re not doing that, it might be time to cut those people from your life, so you can instead spend time with positive people who will build you up, like an employer or mentor who supports and encourages your dreams. Sometimes getting clear about what we want means we need to get rid of everything else holding us back from our true potential.