The ‘Time Management Chef’ Tor Refsland once said that the difference between successful and people and those that aren’t, is the way they spend their time. 

This prophetic saying is something that many people can relate to; from those who are running their own business – whether a sole trader or a small to medium enterprise – to those employed in fast paced industries and jobs.  

There is one enemy we all have when it comes to getting things done – procrastination, the art and skill of putting off important tasks to focus on the smaller, inconsequential things. The ‘rather do the hovering’, than make a start on that all-important report even though it needs completing by 9am tomorrow and it is now 4pm the night before.  

You know it will take at least 6 hours but until the panic button is pushed, there is nothing to be done.  

And yet, when you are sat at the laptop whilst the rest of the family sleeps, you curse yourself over and over again about your once-again lapsidaisical approach to getting things done.  

For many of us, this situation is something that happens again and again… and again. Each time we promise ourselves that we will never let it happen again, but somehow it does. You listen with envy as colleagues entertain the office with stories of their weekend jaunts and social events, but you wonder how on earth they found the time… 

If this sounds like you, then you really need to take note of these 5 productivity hacks to boost your performance and productivity… 

Tip 1 – Long term goal setting 

Living and working in the here and now is just great but, it is a blinkered approach. If you wonder how your colleague partied all weekend and did not a jot of work, the likelihood is they planned it.  

Work life balance is something we all strive for, and yet some people seem to fail miserably, burnt out before they are 30 and yet others go on to enjoy the fruits of their labour for years and years.  

Ask these people how they did it and they will undoubtedly reply they set long term goals, rather than opting for the here and now approach. Clarify where you are going and what it is you want to achieve.  

Tip 2 – Planning 

There is a saying that every minute you take to plan something, save you 10 minutes performing the task.  

Some people are not great planners; it does take skill and forethought, as well as a systematic approach. To be super productive tomorrow, think about what it is you need to do and how you will do this and when, the evening before. 

Some of the workers with the greatest productivity rates will spend the last few minutes of their day planning their work for tomorrow so that they sit down at their desk ‘hot’, rather than stone cold. 

Want results, fast? Plan the week in advance and review your day every evening, altering the plan for the next day accordingly.  

Tip 3 – 80/20 rule 

There are 24 hours in a day and not a moment more. There is a principle known as the Pareto Principle that says for everything on your ‘to so list’, 20% will account for 80% of how your time will be spent. 

So, with 10 things on your lists, 2 of them will take up the majority of your time. By identifying the bigger, more time consuming items on your list you will be able to prioritise what needs doing and when.  

Key in upping your productivity is ensuring that you identify key tasks… and prioritise them.  

Tip 4 – Focus 

Train yourself to focus on one thing, for 2 minutes because someone in the dim and distant past decreed that anyone who could do so, would accomplish anything they could lay their mind too, although focusing on Facebook for 20 minutes may not have been something they included in this equation.  

Having self-discipline to focus and plough on is something that is common to people who achieve things and have a high rate of productivity.  

Tip 5 – identify when you are most productive 

For those in a 9 to 5 career, you may find this a rather dud tip but, if you can work flexibly then more is the better for we all work better at different times during the day. Some are night owls, but other work best first thing in the morning. Identifying when you can focus and exert self-discipline is key in getting stuff done.  

Which of these tips will you try?