10 Ways to Make This Week the Most Productive Yet

Achieving a productive week is challenging but here are some tips to be productive and enjoy your week. It’s all about  achieving more by doing less.

1. Focus on a single task.

It’s been proven over and over that if you have two things to get done, completing them one at a time will not only allow you to finish sooner, it’ll also increase the precision of your work.

2. Learn to say “no.”

In his new book, The Power of No, James Altucher, bestselling author of Choose Yourself, dives head first into this practice. He states, “a well-placed ‘No’ can not only save you time and trouble, it can save your life.”

3. Plan to be productive.

A productive week starts on Monday morning, as long as you’ve got a good plan in place. Things will always come up unexpectedly, but having a schedule can help. If you know you tend to dawdle during free time, schedule it down to the minute.

4. Start the week before.

As you’re writing out your calendar, aim to have your work completed on Thursday. Friday can then be used to concentrate on any tasks that have come up unexpectedly, allowing you to finish the week strong.

5. Get it out of the way.

Tackle what you don’t want to do first so that you don’t waste any mental energy resenting it. You’ll be so relieved that the rest of the day will seem simple.

6. Become vulnerable.

Everything is better when you put another set of eyes on it. If you don’t have an accountability partner, yesterday was the best time to get one. The next best time is right now. Share your calendar and to-do list while being open to constructive criticism.

7. Play the comparison game.

Compare your weekly calendar or productivity plan to others’ and learn from their best practices. Many of my best habits have been acquired from other people’s methods through simple observation.

8. Complete is better than perfect.

Striving for excellence is a noble goal, but obsessive perfectionism is the ultimate enemy of productivity (second only to laziness). Wouldn’t you rather accomplish 100 things this week, all done well, than 15 things that are perfect?

9. Start early.

The sooner you get started, the more you can get done. Learn to be an early riser and take care of personal issues and breakfast before you begin. Fewer distractions coupled with more time during the day equals more completed tasks.

10. Schedule down time.

Work hard and play hard, but don’t mix the two. Be fully engaged wherever you are. When you’re working, go all out, then schedule some time each day and on the weekends to stay far, far away from work. You deserve a break and your brain does too.