The Streamlined Mind - Work, Work, Work - Be More Productive

If you've taken all of the advice you already know on board and started putting some of these systems in place then you should start to notice life becoming a bit easier. You have more time, you have fewer decisions to make and you're less stressed thanks to a quieter social calendar.

But you're probably still over-worked and over-stressed and this comes down a lot of the time to your work. Work is what makes many of us so stressed and it's what leaves us with so little time to do anything else.

Time to put a stop to that.

Be More Productive at Work

The first thing you need to do is to start approaching your work in a more productive and efficient manner.

How do you make sure that you get through that to-do list and that you aren't constantly treading water?

The first thing you need to do is to remove multitasking from the equation. While multitasking maybe useful in some occasions, studies show that it simply doesn't work in a workplace environment.

The simple reason for this is that activities that require our mental faculties don't enable multitasking.

What you think is multitasking is actually sequential tasking - you're quickly switching from one task to another and back. This takes up more mental energy and less work gets done overall.

Instead then, you need to set out the tasks you need to do and then work through them in order until they're all complete.

This means that you should start your day with a to-do list. And there's a definite art to coming up with a to-do list. Tim Ferriss, author of the Four Hour Workweek, always talks about having one task that he absolutely must get completed that day and then completing that. Everything else, he considers to be 'extra'.

This is generally the best attitude to take to any list of objectives. Complete the biggest and most important task first and then move onto the smaller ones.

The reason this is so important is that the biggest task is going to take the most time, the most focus and the most energy. It's also going to give you the biggest sense of satisfaction once ticked off.

If you complete all the smaller tasks first, then you risk taking up a lot of time with switching between tasks, answering emails and setting things up.

This can end up taking longer than you think and then not leave enough time to complete that one 'big task' that you needed to finish. As a result, the day ends and you're left feeling stressed.

Instead, work on that one massive task that will make a real difference first. Then start on those smaller jobs and get as many as possible out the way. You can do this after 4pm, at the point in the day when you're starting to feel less productive.

Removing Distractions

Now you have just one big task to complete during your work day, you should stand a much better chance of getting into a 'flow state'. A flow state is an almost mythical state of mind that is described by many productivity gurus.

The idea is that by focusing on one job that you need to complete you can eventually get into a state of mind where you're able to shut out all outside distractions and work in a fast and focused manner. This results in the best work and also allows you to get through the task without procrastinating.

The most important key to being able to get into a state of flow, is to make sure you remove distractions and things that can break your concentration.

And the number one culprit? Email.

Email at work is one of the things that is most responsible for causing us to become distracted and stressed and as soon as we start responding to emails we can find ourselves getting into a 'reactive' mindset as opposed to a 'proactive' one. Now we're working to someone else's agenda instead of our own and that means we're less likely to complete the tasks we set for ourselves.

One important tip then is to make sure that you complete at least a certain amount of work before you even look at your emails.

In fact, you should aim to set yourself a certain amount of work before you complete any other task.

How you might have previously started your day is by going and making a cup of tea, having a chat and then answering your emails. A couple of those emails might take some time and thought and you can then end up quickly taking a look at Facebook for a break.

By the time you've started completing any actual work, it's already 11am!

So instead, start your day by sitting down and making a 'gentle start' on that one big project. Now set yourself a goal. If you have to write 6,000 words today for instance, then tell yourself you won't make that first cup of tea until you've completed 2,000 words. And you won't look at emails until you're on 5,000 words.

Suddenly, you've changed your regime in order to put the pressing work first. The psychological impact of having this much work 'under your belt' cannot be understated and because you have made such a start, you'll find it's much easier to just jump back into work.

By the time you've answered those emails, you'll now have completed a huge amount of work and be well on top of your daily tasks! Meanwhile, having a 'goal' to work to can act as great motivation.

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is another tool you can use to formalize this process. Simply use a timer and set yourself a specific amount of time that you're going to focus on your work. This can be 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 60 minutes.

Work until that time is complete and the timer sounds and once that's happened, set the timer for 5 minutes to rest and relax.

Then, set the timer for another block of work.

Dividing your day into periods of work and rest like this helps you to maintain separation between your productivity and recovery and this can prevent burnout while also helping you to finish more work.

Reducing Email

The only downside to this plan is that a lot of people will feel very unsure about ignoring their emails in case they are missing something very important. A way to avoid this nagging concern is to consider investing in a smartwatch.

While you might think that having yet another device with notifications is only going to make matters worse, in fact this gives you a handy (no pun intended) way to check what the email is about without having to actually load up Gmail and potentially get sucked in.

Another option is to set-up an autoresponder on your email that tells your audience you will only answer emails at certain times of day but that they can contact you by phone only if it's an emergency.

When you do this, you ensure that there's always a way you can be reached in a serious emergency but at the same time you also avoid getting inundated with unnecessary calls.

Reducing Communication Overhead

Communication overhead is a term used to describe the negative impact that lots of meetings, emails and phone calls can have on your productivity. When you're in a meeting you aren't working and when you're on the phone, you're not working!

To get around this, try to keep unnecessary communication to an absolute minimum. You can reduce this in a number of different ways.

For instance, if you find yourself in lots of long phone calls, consider asking people to email instead of calling. Alternatively, preface your phone calls by telling the person you're speaking to that you only have five minutes so you'll need to get straight to business. They may offer to call back, but simply say 'no it's okay, but we'll just have to make it quick'.

As for meetings, consider discussing with your manager whether you really need to be present for meetings. Try skipping one to begin with and explain that you have lots of work to finish and that you feel your time could be put to better use in other ways.

Flexi-Time

If you can arrange flexi-time with your work - or even arrange working from home - then this can help you to save a huge amount of time on commuting and getting started with work.

Again, try to discuss with your boss how you could be put to better use by doing other things with your time and you can provide the same service from home. The only real legitimate reason a company might need you to stay at the office is if you're needed to answer the switchboard.

Otherwise, it will just be a matter of convincing them to let you give it a try - and then you prove yourself by completing even more work than you would do in the office.

Flexi-time meanwhile could just mean asking if you can come into work an hour earlier and leave an hour later. This can make a huge difference if it helps you to avoid the rush hour and mean you actually save at least half an hour of your day...

The point is that you don't have to work in the exact same manner as everyone else and it may be that there are other more effective work styles that are better suited to your lifestyle. It just takes the confidence to push for the changes that suit you and to help your employer modernize a little!

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Streamlined-Mind---Work,-Work,-Work---Be-More-Productive&id=9358467

Find Your Motivation

What motivates you?

It's an answer you have to find out for yourself. There are so many things that can make you feel motivated, but to choose just one of them may be the hardest part.

Get negative people out of your life for starters. Criticism is always going to happen. Constructive criticism is a good thing and helps growth, but negative criticism isn't beneficial. I found that when I was being told that my writing wasn't all that good (on a regular basis) I started to believe it myself. Remove yourself from negative environments and surround yourself with positive people. Smile and think happy thoughts.

Ask yourself questions like-

• What goals do I want to achieve?

• Why am I doing this?

• How soon do I want to see these goals reached?

Have visual goals. Make whatever you're working towards a visual. Maybe it's something material like a car, or a vacation you have been looking forward to for the longest time. Take or cut out a picture of it and post it in your environment where you will see it most often. These visuals can be looked at when motivation lacks, and the feeling of continuing towards your goal seems pointless. Picture yourself obtaining that goal and tell yourself you are capable of reaching it.

Draw up a to-do-list. Research has shown that people who write down to-do-lists tend to achieve their goals. Break down the activity into small doable steps instead of having just the final goal. As you achieve each of the smaller tasks, it will help build your confidence that you are indeed on the right path. As your confidence builds, so will your motivation. You will feel encouraged to continue and reach your ultimate goal.

Read books and literature that will help to inspire you. Reading stories about other peoples success can boost motivation levels. Not only will you learn from others peoples' experiences, but it will also be beneficial in motivating you to keep following the path to reaching your goal.

Find forums and communities within your interest and join up. Talking to other members can be one of the biggest motivational kicks. Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram have groups where you can discuss ideas, get tips from other members to help you get back on track.

Positive statements on Post-It notes around your environment, can also help boost motivation.

MAKE THINGS HAPPEN! Keep on aiming high and go for it!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Find-Your-Motivation&id=9374493

4 Easy Ways to Shrink Your To-Do List

We all have a lot on our plate, and even the most organized among us can sometimes feel overwhelmed by how much there is to do. But help is on the way. Read on about how to keep calm and carry on with 4 simple steps.

Good time management means focusing on the highest and best use of your time. I'm a big fan of author Julie Morgenstern's tool for shrinking how much is on your plate so you can focus on activities that support good time management. She prescribes using the 4 Ds - four alternatives which can be a lifeline when you're in over your head and going down fast.

1. Delete. Don't keep postponing and rescheduling things that aren't worth doing at all. If you can live with the outcome of something not getting done, delete it from your list. It might be fun to do, or interesting, but if it's not critical and you don't have time for it, just delete it. You won't miss the clutter it adds to your schedule.

2. Delay. Reschedule tasks to a more appropriate time. This intentional deferring of less-critical tasks isn't procrastination; it's triage. Procrastination is avoiding doing things, typically by doing more enjoyable things instead. Delay means making a conscious decision to postpone something to a better time.

3. Diminish. Shrink how much time something is going to take you to do, either by doing it more efficiently, or by shrinking the deliverable. Find shortcuts to get things done - spend more time planning to minimize the amount of time needed for doing. Adopt the "less is more" philosophy and see if shorter emails, meetings, reports, etc. will give the desired results with less time and effort.

4. Delegate. Enlist the help of others when possible: employees, family members, friends, or outside service providers (cleaning service, bookkeeper, etc.). Most people love to be of service and use their skills to help others, so give them the opportunity to do so when it's appropriate.

My favorite "D" is Diminish - I'm always looking for ways to do things more efficiently, whether it's creating templates I can use the next time I have to do the same task, shrinking the deliverable, or recognizing when good enough is good enough. I'd love to hear which is your favorite and how you put it to work for you. Wishing you success in making the 4Ds your productivity power tool.

http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Easy-Ways-to-Shrink-Your-To-Do-List&id=9401678

Find Time in This Moment by Changing How You Think About It

Finding time isn't easy - not in our fast-paced world.

You may avoid even thinking about your time because you figure you're likely to just feel overwhelmed by looming tasks... or totally depressed by how scarce time feels to you.

But thinking about time is a necessary first step toward finding it. And indeed, the way you think about your time has a huge impact on how you feel about your moments and how you actually experience them.

Penelope Trunk wrote an interesting blog post titled "Splice time in new ways to have more of it" where she digs into this idea. Below is a passage where she offers a creative re-frame you can try on for size. Start by considering "engaged time and unengaged time" as a way to think about this precious resource that we all share:

People actually don't mind working long hours when they are engaged. Burnout is not a result of how much work you're doing but what type of work you're doing. So instead of organizing time into work time and personal time, you could organize it into time when you like what you're doing and time when you don't like what you're doing.

Finding time, then, becomes less a matter of managing particular tasks and more a matter of managing the energy that you bring to those tasks. What kinds of things do you find yourself easily and thoroughly engaging with? And what tasks would you rather not have to do at all? These latter tasks are the ones that drain your energy. And they are the ones that are likely to result in feelings of overwhelm when they pile up.

But what if you step back and, using engage/unengaged time as an organizing principle, explore how you might rearrange your tasks?

This is just one idea for how you might think about your time, so don't be afraid to experiment and mix things up! Your to-do list looks very different when you change how you frame it.

Finding Time - Start with Your Thinking

So, how do you typically think about your time? The first thing to do is to take a deep breath, relax and let yourself explore your perspective. You may be surprised at what bubbles up!

Do you split your time into work and home categories?

• Are there seasonal differences in how you think about and experience your time?
• How about your aging? Do you notice that your thinking about time has evolved as the years have accumulated?
• What kinds of messages did you observe and hear from your parents (and other significant people) about time?

And as you explore these questions - along with brand new ones that you come up with - I invite you to always consider how your energy is affected, in each instance. What is the impact of these thoughts on your energy? Be as specific about it as you can; this is vital information!

You see, time itself is concrete and universal - the hours and minutes that we have to work with each day don't vary. But where we have an enormous amount of power is at the point where our time intersects with our energy. This profoundly affects both our experience of time and what we are able to accomplish.

It's really life-changing - the thoughts and the energy that we bring to the moments that we have! So what will you do next, to start finding time for what matters most?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Find-Time-in-This-Moment-by-Changing-How-You-Think-About-It&id=9423961

Are You Drowning In Your Abundance? (By Rhonda McNett)

This may seem redundant to some of you, but I just can't keep off the proverbial soap box about recognizing "too much," whether it's stuff you're tripping over, things on your never-ending To-Do List or too much vacation time on the books at the office!

That last one really got to me, because I was so guilty of that in my former corporate life. As noted in an article in my Sunday paper via the Kansas City Star (Diane Stafford), time-taken from well-earned hours has been steadily decreasing since 1983. Yikes! No wonder folks are so stressed, driving frantically; experiencing one health crisis after another; raging in too many unwarranted situations. Everyone's just too sick and tired, right?!

Why aren't you taking your well-deserved and duly-earned time off work?

1. No one wants to return to a 2-foot tall pile of work-not-done.

2. There is no cross-training so no one can do your job.

3. Don't get promoted - that just makes it even harder to get away!

4. Employees think that by being on-the-job almost 24/7 they're showing their employers dedication (Really? Heard of Bottom-Line Management?).

5. Maybe you think your co-workers and boss won't like it if you take your time away from the office (Of course they won't - they have to work harder!)?

6. If you're not at your desk, are your worried you'll be replaced?

Valid points, all, surely, but who's really hurting here if you don't go on that vacation? YOU - your family - your health - your peace of mind! UGH! Been there - done that!

But you know what the Project: Time Off surveyors came down to? PLAN! Get that vacation time circled on the calendar ASAP and then GO! Communicate with your peers and management team - don't wait for the chip-on-the-shoulder anger or burnout to catch you unawares.

But, wait: give me a few more seconds of your time, please. That little rant was about vacation-time abundance, just sitting and waiting to be used, right? How about some of the other abundance in your life?

Allow me to remind you of too much stuff, OK? That is pretty much what keeps me in business (followed closely by not enough time), thank you very much, but wouldn't it be great if YOU owned your excess abundance and it didn't own you? Keep working on keeping only what you need; what you love; what serves you well and provides a useful function for you. Envision; plan; purge; sort; containerize; keep on adjusting to The New You!

Trim down that To-Do List to Must Do's or, better yet, hit the Delete Button on a lot of those items that you just keep moving from day to day; week to week; month to month. It's perfectly fine to amend that list to a NOT-To-Do List - banish the guilt and get on with what you really want to do or can do. Life's too short for all the angst we keep dumping on ourselves for... WHAT? Societal expectations? Cultural or age-driven expectations? Find the time to fulfill YOUR life in YOUR way, albeit keeping up with the true expectations that are warranted in your own personal situation.

WOW! Now that was a soap box, eh?! I feel better, and I just hope that you'll be able to take a tiny bit of my pushing to find a bit less of this sort of abundance in your life - and get out there and smell the roses!

Wishing you small victories; increased awareness; positivity; personal power; and, above all, a release from 'just too much' of anything!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-You-Drowning-In-Your-Abundance?&id=9455187

Work Stress - Dealing With An Overwhelming To-Do List One Task At A Time

Many of us experience overwhelm in our lives. The good news is that it can be overcome. One of the ways in which we can do this is to become aware of how we focus our attention.

Many of us use a to-do list. The master list of everything we have committed ourselves to accomplishing. Dr Pedram Shojai, former Taoist monk and doctor of Chinese medicine, talks about us having numerous windows open on the desktop of our lives.

However, how we interact with the to-do list (those open windows) can go some way to determining the extent to which we feel overwhelmed.

Looking at the whole list can do one of two things:

A) It can freak us out because we are thinking we have no idea how we're going to complete all the items on the list, or

B) We see each item on the list in its own right, we know why it's on the list, we've established that it's our task and no-one else's (it can't be delegated) and we have some notion that we can deal with it successfully

Overwhelm can come about when we are in state A, and as a result we're becoming stressed out about the length of the list.

Overwhelm can be eased by:

Prioritising the list, starting from the top and dealing, with full focus, with one task at a time. This, by default, means that you are putting down (actively de-prioritising) all the other tasks on your list until you've completed the one at hand. This may sound simple, but it is profound. The reason? All we have is now, this present moment, and the more focused we are the more effectively we work.

We become anxious and overwhelmed when we are engaged in one task but thinking about all the others we have yet to complete. This dissipates our focus and dilutes our effectiveness. As a result, tasks take longer to complete because we are not 100% engaged.

We also tend to switch between tasks. This may feel like a better use of our time but our focus becomes compromised. When we're interrupted we find it difficult to get back on track if we're focused on two or more tasks, and in the end the tasks simply take us longer to complete.

So when you're faced with an overwhelming to-do list, take the time to prioritise it, start from the top, work your way down and ensure you focus on one task at a time.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Work-Stress---Dealing-With-An-Overwhelming-To-Do-List-One-Task-At-A-Time&id=9354996

Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success

Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years' time? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today?

If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you lack focus and direction. Goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it: Having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts of charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary to how you would define success.

To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between there are some very well defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you can accomplish.

Here are our five golden rules of goal setting:

The Five Golden Rules

1. Set Goals that Motivate You

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. When you don't have this, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.

Tip:

To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it's valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.

2. Set SMART Goals

You have probably heard of "SMART goals" already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:

• Specific.
• Measurable.
• Attainable.
• Relevant.
• Time Bound.

Set Specific Goals

Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.

Set Measurable Goals

Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as "To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful? In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years' time when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved something.

Set Attainable Goals

Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode your confidence.

However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

Set Relevant Goals

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals, and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.

Set Time-Bound Goals

You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.

3. Set Goals in Writing

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year," not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.

Tip 1:

Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover." The first one is motivating; the second one still has a get-out clause "allowing" you to succeed even if some employees leave.

Tip 2:

If you use a To-Do List  , make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program  , then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.

Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.

4. Make an Action Plan

This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term. Read our article on Action Plans   for more on how to do this.

5. Stick With It!

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.

Key Points

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it in the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.

So, what will you decide to accomplish today?

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm

23 Best Productivity Hacks of the Year

This year's best tips for boosting productivity

These productivity techniques will keep you on track and happy all year long. Get ready to dominate in 2015 with these helpful hacks!

1. Turn Off Alerts

It's terribly tough to get into your Zen zone when your phone is buzzing every few minutes. Depending on how chatty your phone is, you may get notifications for everything from emails to retweets. It's essential you shut these notifications off! Trust me, you'll see efficiency skyrocket once you tell your phone to shut its blabbering mouth.

2. Ignore the News

The news can be a tremendous time sink. The idea that we need to keep up to date on the news is largely outdated. Most of what passes as news today is prettily packaged garbage--it's trivial, depressing, unreliable, and largely unimportant. If something major happens, you'll find out one way or another. Instead, focus your attention on what's useful and actionable in your life.

3. Exercise in the Morning

It's been shown that exercising in the morning can greatly improve your productivity. Exercise energizes rather than exhausts you, contrary to what the couch potatoes might tell you. (Not that I'm judging. I can be very spud-tacular myself at times.)

Exercising also promotes good health (quick, alert the press!), and some studies have shown that exercise can improve your mood for up to 12 hours following your workout. Less stress, more efficiency--it's definitely worth setting that alarm 30 minutes earlier.

4. 30-Minute Meetings

As Jeff Haden notes in an Inc. article, "whoever invented the one-hour default in calendar software wasted millions of people-hours." The truth is that most meetings never need more than 30 minutes to accomplish their missions. Many really only need 15 minutes. Don't be a calendar-default deadbeat. Next you'll tell me you kept your phone's default ringtone, too.

5. Drink Water

Most of us don't drink nearly as much water as we should. Our bodies thrive on water--just like the rest of the world! Drinking more water gives you more energy, keeps you healthy, and gives you an excuse to get up for bathroom breaks so you're not stuck in a chair all day (which is horrifically unhealthy too, so you're killing two birds with one water bottle).

6. Give Yourself a Break, Man!

You work hard--you deserve a break! Maybe with a Kit Kat, maybe with a cup of tea, maybe with a walk in the park. It's easy to burn yourself out if you try to work at full throttle all day long. The truth is that our minds just aren't designed to work that way. For optimal productivity, try the popular and praised Pomodoro technique--work for 25 minutes, then give yourself a five-minute break.

7. Don't Be Afraid to Say No

This one is a pretty standard productivity tip, but it makes the rounds for a reason--when you're too eager to please, you often end up getting in over your head. Remember, it's not simply a matter of being agreeable--when you take on too much, all your work suffers. You may end up missing deadlines, and despite good intentions, you could end up disappointing others when you are unable to meet the extraordinary expectations you've created for yourself. Sometimes you just have to say no, and there's nothing wrong with that.

8. Hug Your Dog

Many studies have shown how having pets can promote physical and mental well-being. Employees who are allowed to bring their dogs into the office are less stressed and often report more job satisfaction. There's nothing like a cuddle with a furry friend to alleviate some of that toxic stress.

9. Make The Most of Lost Hours

Depending on your commute, you may spend hours driving to and from work in your car. Those hours don't have to be wasted--consider scheduling calls in the morning that you can take during your drive to work. Subscribe to popular industry podcasts and listen to them on the way home. Stuck waiting at the boarding gate before a flight? Catch up on industry news and articles. Make the most of those previously wasted hours.

10. Silence Your Inner Perfectionist

New college grads still try to pass off perfectionism as the ultimate worst-trait-that-isn't-really-a-bad-trait in interviews, but it's time to recognize that being a perfectionist really is a dangerous deal. Yes, a single piece of work can always be better, but what are you sacrificing by laboring over slight improvements? Do the best you can do in a reasonable amount of time, and then stop. Your inner perfectionist can be helpful, but it also needs to be kept in check.

11. Down With To-Dos, In With Scheduling

Have you ever had that to-do item that simply wouldn't disappear? It hovers at the bottom of the list or scratched in the corner, petulantly scowling at you for days, weeks, even months! As more time passes, you feel even less inclined to give it attention.

We've all been there--it's just one of the reasons I'm saying out with the to-do list and in with scheduling. As Eric Barker, writer for The Week notes in an article about How to Be the Most Productive Person In Your Office--And Still Get Home By 5:30, scheduling requires you to be realistic about what you can get done. It makes you seriously sit down and consider your available time and what specific slots you can designate to completing certain tasks in a given day.

To-dos are pipe dreams. Scheduling is a game plan. Studies show that even scheduling free time can be rewarding and can result in better quality of time spent--even if that time spent is playing PS4 or reading a Stephen King novel.

12. Declutter That Desk

Clutter is extremely stress-inducing. A messy desk can make you feel overwhelmed and anxious, so clear those papers, throw out those old paper coffee cups, and feel that heart rate go down.

13. Equip Yourself With An Arsenal of Productivity Tools

Staying on task can be tough, but there are tons of great tools available to help you out. Don't ignore these handy helpers--when someone offers you an axe in the zombie apocalypse, you take it, don't you?

For tracking your time management, try Toggl or Yast.

Are you a savvy social manager? Go with Hootsuite, which offers a central dashboard for managing all your various social media accounts. Also consider Buffer, which makes it super easy to share found articles across various social sites.

For saving articles to read at your leisure, go with Feedly, Pocket or Evernote. These apps are compatible across devices, you can earmark a blog post on your laptop and read it later on the train via smartphone.

Sick of forgetting passwords (then resetting them, getting an email, and choosing a new password...which you'll forget again next time)? Try LastPass, which keeps tabs and secures all your various passwords for you. If you use numerous accounts in one day (and who doesn't?), this one can be a serious time saver.

There are plenty more out there, so always keep your eyes out for new productivity pals to help you in your workday.

14. Begin With Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts have traditionally been the vegetable reviled by children across the country (although now that roasting is in, their reputation is improving). The truth is that you'll enjoy those pork chops and potatoes much more if you eliminate the brussels sprouts first. The same is true for productivity--eliminate your least favorite tasks right off the bat, and you'll find the rest of your day to be more pleasant and productive.

15. Eat Breakfast!

Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day--it's no ruse put on by Dunkin' Donuts. A morning meal gives you the fuel you need to be present and productive at work, so don't skip it.

16. The 2-Minute Rule

General productivity consensus is that if a task takes less than 2 minutes to complete, you should finish it immediately. Whether responding to an email or confirming a doctor's appointment, it's best to get those small (but often weighty-feeling) tasks done with, rather than let them collect and snowball.

17. Don't Drown in the Shallow End of the Pool

When a hundred little tasks are nibbling at your brain, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and lost at sea. However, a little perspective can do you good--remember to not sweat the small stuff. If you're going to worry, worry about the big things, not the little ones.

18. Verbal Commitments

It's easy to break a promise to yourself, but it's much harder to break a commitment you've made to another person. Words have weight and power--make vows to friends (and ask them to hold you accountable) and you may find it easier to keep commitments you wouldn't necessarily hold yourself to.

19. Get Your Sleep On

Another tried and true classic--you absolutely need sleep if you want to be productive. Sometimes it might feel like, if you only stayed up a few hours later, you'd get more done, but major sleep loss will ruin the entire following day.

In fact, Margaret Heffernan notes that losing one night's sleep is cognitively equivalent to being over the alcohol limit (none of the fun parts unfortunately). Equipment needs to be properly cared for in order to work correctly. Your brain is no different! Getting a good night's sleep of 7-8 hours is mandatory, not optional.

20. Sign In On Sunday (Just For a Minute)

Sunday is definitely a day for relaxing, but if you're often overwhelmed come Monday morning, logging in briefly Sunday evening may help you alleviate some of that Monday mania. You don't need to make calls or even answer emails--simply assess what your Monday game plan will be, and you'll sleep a little more soundly.

21. Make Bad Habits Difficult For Yourself

Sometimes the best way to break a bad habit is to make things incredibly difficult for yourself. If you hate that you watch too much TV, keep the remote control in the upstairs closet. If you can't help but surf the web when you need to be focusing on a blog post, disconnect your WiFi for a bit. While the extreme lengths you take to avoid certain habits can seem excessive, once those habits are broken it will be well worth the struggle.

22. Make Sure Your Goals Are Realistic

Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself sets you up for failure. Don't be afraid to start with baby steps and work up from there. If you want to be an Excel master, start trying to learn just one new Excel tip a day. If you want to run a marathon, start by getting out for a run a few days a week. Your goals shouldn't be lofty ideals you never plan on reaching--they should be real and attainable. Once you meet your goals, create new ones that raise the bar a bit higher.

23. Stay Positive!

A positive outlook goes a long way towards keeping you happy, healthy, and productive. Count your blessings and seek out the silver linings.

Any productivity tips I missed? Share your insight in the comments.

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