5 Hacks to Have a More Productive Week

We have all heard that being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you are productive. Yet, there is something that makes us feel important when we get to express how busy we are.

The difference though, is seen when it comes to getting something meaningful done, as opposed to mundane tasks that don’t really get us any closer to those goals that we have set out for ourselves.

I have been building two businesses, recently started a youtube channel (which by the way, you can check out by clicking here), managing the foreign teachers for three branches at the company I am working at, learning German and trying to keep a healthy lifestyle.

I'd definitely say that I’m usually occupied. But all these things I am doing, gets me closer to my goal. How do I do all of this? I'll share 5 hacks that have helped me to be more productive.

These hacks have helped me to have balance, and start and end almost every week on a positive note.

Meal Prepping

Thanks to my good friends Taylor and Jenifer, I was introduced to the wonders of batch cooking meals so that I never have to be faced with the daunting decisions of having to hunt for food again.

We all know that the time and energy that goes into deciding what to eat usually involves a lot of wasted time, or settling for something fast that our bodies are not going to be happy about later on.

Every Sunday, I decide on the meals that I want to eat during the week, and prepare 5 lunches, and dinners. (I don’t prepare breakfast anymore, because I started intermittent fasting a few months back.)

At first this was not very easy, and it took a lot to train my body to get used to eating the same thing everyday.

Since I only prepare healthy meals, I never have to worry about my body crying out for help after I am done eating. I am then in control of what goes into my body, and have since seen a reduction in time and energy that goes into choosing food.

I have also noticed an increase in energy because of the quality food that I am eating. Like the one below.

Setting Goals

Every morning when I wake up, I set my one major goal that I must achieve for the day, and outline what my day will look like.

This helps me to make sure that when I go to bed at night, I feel accomplished and don’t stay up thinking about that one important thing that I need to get done, but didn’t have time to do.

I have learned to make accomplishing my daily goals be one of the highlights of my day, and it has helped me close in on those goals that are important to me.

I apply this technique to my businesses, my job, my hobbies and even my relationships. Every time I lay down to call it a day, there must have been one thing that I achieved for the day.

These small goals have accumulated over time, and are usually a part of the puzzle to achieving a bigger more meaningful goal. You would be surprised how they make the bigger goals less daunting and a lot more achievable.

Block Distractions- Be The Boss of Your Phone

Today, we have so many distractions at our fingertips. There is so much content, constantly bombarding us and fighting for our attention the minute we open our eyes. A lot of this comes from our phones.

We must learn to be the boss of our phones.

Don’t Jump on Your Phone as You Wake Up

Giving our bodies time to wake up in the morning before going on our phones is very important. Our brain cannot process the constant overflow of information that comes from looking at our phones first thing in the mornings.

Taking half an hour to an hour to reflect and observe our thoughts while allowing our brain and body to get ready for the day will make us more productive and help us set clear goals. It will help us to be more intentional with our days.

Set Limits on Social Media

The technology in our cell phones have improved dramatically over the past few years. Today we can have more control over what our phones allow us to do, yet it seems like our phones control us more than ever.

Whether we have an android or an apple phone, setting controls on the time we are allowed to be on apps is now easier than ever before.

Setting controls helps you to slowly spend less time on the apps that constantly pull our attention away from the things that are right in front of us. It then becomes easier to remain focused on the tasks at hand.

Check the settings of your phone and see how easy it is for you to do.

Make the most of your Caffeine

For most of us, caffeine is a fuel that gets us through the day. Yet, we could be using it in more powerful ways than we have been.

Don’t Drink Coffee As You Wake Up

Allowing your body time to fully wake up will help you to make the most of the caffeine when you have it.

Usually, when we wake up, we wake up with a spike in cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that is supposed to keep you awake. When we have a lot of it in our bodies, caffeine doesn’t really have any effect on us. Thus why waiting for an hour to two after waking up to have our first cup of coffee is essential.

Take Coffee Naps

Coffee naps? Doesn’t make sense right?

In short, coffee naps are short 15 minute naps that you take after having a cup of coffee, usually recommended for the afternoon time. You can read more about coffee naps by checking out our blog post about it HERE.

Get enough sleep

Sleeping that magical number of hours your body needs, can actually make you more productive. This is because our brain and body can process information better and move in a more optimized way to help us reach our goals faster when we have gotten a full night’s rest.

Although burning that midnight oil may be very tempting, try to avoid constantly short changing yourself from the sleep that you need. Ensure that you get quality sleep, to function to the best of your abilities.

The next time you are tempted to watch one more episode of that show you love, remember that resisting and getting the sleep that you need is a lot more important.

The challenge

Examine these 5 productivity hacks, and choose one of them to implement into your life this week. Then let me know if you see a difference. If you do, think about the difference you will experience with all 5 of them and try them.