Unlock Peak Productivity: Secrets to Consistent Success

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Getting everything done each day, staying on task, and maintaining a healthy balance in life isn’t something that people just fall into. No one accidentally completes their goal list—they consistently work towards them day after day, following a carefully laid out plan. No one just finds themselves in an environment free from distractions and interruptions, allowing them to easily stay on task—they create it. And no one magically has a well-balanced life where they’re focused and alert at work while being present at home—they’ve learned what they need to do to set themselves up for success, and then they follow through.

I often hear clients claim that others have it easier than they do, and they’ll give me a huge list of excuses as to why they can’t get things done or follow through on their goals. And they truly believe in these lists; they’re not just saying them. They legitimately believe that things are harder for them and that they have many more barriers in their way than others do. And for some, this might be true. But for most? It’s not.

The reality is that most people have numerous obstacles to overcome, and many of those roadblocks are completely out of their control. But in my years of experience, one of the main differences between someone who gets things done and someone who doesn’t is their ability to leverage their time. The person who knows how to get the most out of their day is the one who gets ahead while the person who lets life happen around them tends to flounder.

Are you a doer or a flounder-er?

• Do you have a planner or calendar that you use to map out your time? If so, you just might be a doer.
• Do you have notifications from email, Slack, or social media popping up on your phone or computer throughout the day? If so, you’re leaning towards floundering.
• Do you prioritize your tasks for the day and then take time to clear out distractions and interruptions to ensure you get them done? If yes, you could be a doer.
• Do you find yourself spending a lot of your day on tasks that aren’t within your job description or area of expertise? If yes, you might be floundering.

If you find that you’re floundering much of the time, don’t worry. It’s never too late to turn things around. I’ve got a list of things to do below to get you on track. And if you’re more of a doer, you might find that there are still things you can do to really maximize your potential.

Five ways to leverage your time

There are only 24 hours in a day, but the way you use them matters. Here are some steps you can take to better manage your time.

1. Learn how to get into a state of flow.

Flow (aka being in the zone) is when we’re in such deep focus that we lose all sense of time, and the work we’re doing feels effortless. We’re much more efficient when we’re in this state and capable of making rapid decisions (since our prefrontal cortex is deactivated). People who know how to trigger flow accomplish major projects and tasks in short amounts of time.

2. Ask who, not how.

Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy wrote a wonderful book with this very title, and in it, they write about how we often get stuck trying to solve problems that are better suited for someone else to fix. Instead of wasting precious time fixing the annoying leaking faucet, hire someone to do it (just because you can figure out anything with YouTube videos and duct tape doesn’t mean you should). Use that time on the activities and work you’re cut out for. People who get things done tend to delegate, hire, and barter rather than waste their precious time on things that would take them forever to figure out.

3. Create systems.

Are there things in your life that you find yourself doing over and over? By taking a bit of extra time on the front end to figure out how to automatize and systematize, you’ll save a ton of time in the future.

For example, I have a variety of email templates in a folder that are ready to use. Instead of rewriting the same things, I can just grab one, personalize it a bit, and send. People who automate and systematize don’t get bogged down with menial tasks and complain about all the time they’re wasting on emails, calls, or spreadsheets. They have all that extra time to devote to high-value work instead.

4. Prioritize and eliminate.

Get clear on what’s truly important to you, prioritize it in your schedule, and eliminate anything that isn’t it. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we’re clear on what’s essential. People who take a few minutes to prioritize their tasks for the day, turn off notifications, and let others know when they can’t be interrupted don’t get lost in scrolling or reacting because they’ve set themselves up for success.

Productivity Essential Reads

The Danger of Confusing Activity With Productivity

12 Simple Ways to Increase Your Productivity

5. Make the decision once.

Create some rules around decisions you must make repeatedly and then stick to them. Instead of figuring out what to eat for dinner every night, make a rule that Mondays are salad night, Tuesdays are tacos, Wednesdays are pizza night… You’ll no longer have to waste precious time figuring out the daily menu and running back and forth to the store. When people create blanket decisions that they can apply to daily tasks, they free up their limited cognitive resources and can now spend them on more important things, like being present with family or focused work time.

Don’t be overwhelmed if you find that you have a lot to do to leverage your time. Just pick one item above to work on at a time, and once you’ve mastered it, work on another one. Leveraging your time sounds simple, but if done consistently, it can be the difference between a worn-out, exhausted, and frazzled person and a present, engaged, and joyful one.