Productivity is about saying no to the endless list of things that could be done. There is always more to be done, in any area of life: personal, home, relationships, physical, work, hobbies. The task list is endless. But the priority list is short. Productive people tackle a few things, the things that are high priorities, and focus their time and energy on getting that stuff done.

5. Choose to do less but it should matter 

When productive people commit to a few, well-chosen areas in life, they let those areas define their priorities. Then they let the rest of life go to the non-priority side of things.But it does mean that when there’s a choice to make, between something that is high priority and something that isn’t, the high priority always wins.

4. Fewer Priorities 

Productive people know that knowledge is power. When they’ve chosen their focus areas, and they’ve set their priorities, they start doing the research.They conduct interviews. They read studies and reports, newspapers and magazines, books and journals. They try and test. They take notes. They think. They develop skills, and then they start doing.

8. Spend time learning before starting 

Being a productive person does not mean being a superhero. You’re here to do your job in it, whatever that job is for you.Choose a few areas in your life that matter the most to you, and commit to doing your best at those even if that means letting go of other things.

3. Committing to a few things at a time

Productive people know that a plan is a starting point. A good plan is more like a compass than a roadmap. It’s going to point you in the right direction, but it’s not going to lay out every bridge, road, route, and obstacle you’ll encounter on the way. Productive people take just enough time to put together a decent plan that gives them a starting point and a direction for the goal they’re trying to achieve. Then they start, and they change the plan as needed along the way.

9. Spending less time planning 

Productive people understand that work – whatever it is, whatever it looks like – is a privilege. Work is how we accomplish things. Work is how we reach goals. Work is always required for productivity. Whether it’s the work you get paid for, the work you call a career, the work you do for the love of it, or the work you do at home, work is how you make stuff happen. It’s your power. Your ability to work is your ability to be something, do something, and change your life the way you want.

7. Seeing work differently 

Nothing you do can ever take the risk out of life. Life is risk. That’s all there is to it. So be like the productive people of the world, and quit wasting your time trying to avoid risk. Instead, be proactive and choose the risks you’re willing to take.

10. Risks are inevitable 

Productive people have learned that sometimes it’s really important to say No to making other people happy. Because what makes other people happy is often not what makes you productive.

2. Stop trying to make everyone happy

The really successful people in life know that overnight success comes after months and years of work. Productive people aren’t wasting their time trying to get out of work, or get around work, or figure out how to cheat and get to the front of the line. They just do the work.

6. Don't cheat or skip 

Productive people are too busy actually doing stuff to waste time worrying about if other people think they’re cool or not.Productive people are the ones doing, changing, moving and shaking the world in ways that will change the definition of cool. Let go of your concern for the opinion of your group, your peers, your buddies, your trendsetters.

1. Not caring about other's opinion

Tired of being average? Start doing what productive people do: it's not so much about apps, calendars, and task lists. It's more about a different mindset.

5. Choose to do less but it should matter

Similar ideas to 5. Choose to do less but it should matter

6. Cut down your to-do list

Keep a running list but do just “one thing” on it

Getting Things Done (GTD)