Proper planning prevents poor performance. Therefore, as part of my evening routine, I always plan the next day in great detail using my <a href="https://jariroomer.com/peak-productivity-planner/">productivity planner </a>. This one practice has at least tripled my daily productivity.As part of my planning practice, I make a list of all the tasks I want to complete, <a href="https://medium.com/better-advice/why-i-stopped-using-a-to-do-list-and-what-i-use-instead-935b445c2e6d">rank them based on priority </a>(the more a task moves the needle forward to my long-term goals, the higher its priority) , and use <a href="https://medium.com/better-advice/how-to-save-10-20-hours-per-week-with-the-time-blocking-technique-56d0c7fe5c30">time-blocking </a>to create a schedule for the day.

Plan Your Day The Night Before

Instead of starting your days like this — which only leads to information overload, stress, and distraction — use the morning to focus on your mission. Your goals. Your priorities. Don’t be reactive to other people’s stuff, but <a href="https://medium.com/personal-growth-lab/5-morning-habits-of-the-most-disciplined-people-506cf29a342c">focus on moving your life forward </a>.

Avoid Information Overload Early In The Day

In the afternoon, I tend to be more prone to distractions, have less energy, and tend to procrastinate more. This is why, in the afternoon, I perform ‘managing-type’ tasks such as email, meetings, admin work, and Zoom calls.

Use The Afternoon For Managing

One of the simplest but most effective habits to increase your productivity is to identify your top 3 targets for the day. When you clearly identify your priorities, your entire day will be much more focused and purposeful.So, before the workday begins, take one minute and ask yourself the following question:Which 3 things, if achieved today, get me a big step closer to reaching my long-term goals?

Identify Your Top 3 Daily Targets

As part of my <a href="https://medium.com/personal-growth-lab/this-evening-routine-boosts-my-productivity-sleep-and-health-7961bbbe6a26">evening routine </a>, I perform a 5-minute review of the day using my <a href="https://jariroomer.com/peak-productivity-planner/">productivity planner </a>. I ask myself the following questions: <ul><li>Did I accomplish my top 3 priorities of the day? If not, why not? </li><li>Which tasks occupied my time and energy, but didn’t lead to meaningful results? </li><li>Which people and activities sparked the most energy and happiness today? </li><li>What would I do differently tomorrow? </li> </ul>

Do A 5-Minute Daily Review

The most common reason people fail to achieve their goals is stupidly simple: They forget about them. When you lack a system to keep your goals top of mind, they’ll slowly fade away due to the busyness of life. To avoid this, I recommend reviewing your long-term goals every single morning — before you start working. This way, your goals stay at the top of your mind and you stay focused on them. Besides, it will help you purposefully plan and design your days so that you’ll actually make progress towards your long-term goals instead of merely reacting to the busyness of the day.

Review Your Long-Term Goals Daily

The smartphone is the biggest distraction for most knowledge workers. If you want to regain your focus and get more done, you need to put it away for at least 2–3 hours per day. Put it in your bag, hide it, or place it in a different room. Do whatever you can to protect yourself from this major source of distraction.

Put Your Phone Away During Focus Hours

Honestly, I could do much better with this habit. I’m naturally an introvert, so I tend to forget to reach out to my most ambitious and positive friends. I should do this much more often. However, I’ve noticed that those days in which I talk to my type-a friends (the ones who dream big, spark energy, and radiate positivity), I get infected with their energy. This automatically boosts my mood and motivation. Remember, energy is infectious. The mindset and habits of the people you surround yourself with rub off. Use it to your advantage.

Reach Out To Your Type-A Friends

One of my most productive rules is that the morning is for making, and the afternoon is for managing . In the morning, I do my writing, work on my courses, and perform other ‘making-type’ tasks that require my maximum performance.

Use The Morning For Making

Instead of reminding myself how completing certain tasks and projects would help me grow my business, increase my income, or get me closer to my goals, I’d ponder too much over how much time and energy doing the work would cost me. Only when I practiced ‘<a href="https://medium.com/better-advice/use-the-mental-shift-technique-to-increase-your-self-discipline-and-stop-procrastinating-7f70b729fa55">mental shifting </a>’ was I able to beat procrastination and decrease mental resistance towards my work. Instead of focusing so much on the ‘pain,’ I started focusing on the ‘gain.’

Focus On The Payoff, Not The Effort

When you wake up, it’s important to immediately hydrate your body. After being without water for 6–8 hours, you’re pretty much dehydrated. This leads to feeling sluggish, unfocused, and maybe even a bit irritated.

Drink Two Glasses of Water Right After Waking Up

Remember, knowledge is only potential power. If you want to make a real change in your life, you need to apply what you’ve learned.

Now Do It

Increasing your productivity doesn’t have to be rocket science. No need for complicated productivity systems, new apps, or Navy SEAL-level habits. Some of the simplest actions and micro-habits can…

Focus On The Payoff, Not The Effort

Similar ideas to Focus On The Payoff, Not The Effort

Answers To Common Interview Questions