5 Ways to Be More Productive Starting Today

Becoming a productive person is ongoing, long-term work. And it's never 100% locked in. That said, you can start changing a few small habits today to boost your productivity right now.

1. Put Your Phone and Social Media Aside

You're likely part of the majority of people who lose a huge amount of time on their phone. It's an enormous time-eater. Even though it holds a ton of information and it's never been easier to learn, it's a major enemy of productivity.

And it's not just about getting distracted by a notification. A study published by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, found that the mere physical presence of your phone nearby, even turned off or face down, reduces your available cognitive capacity. Your brain spends mental energy just resisting the urge to check it, even without actually looking at it. In other words, it's not just checking your phone that hurts you: it's the fact that it's there, within your field of view.

So here are 2 options:

1. Leave your phone elsewhere during certain parts of the day when you need to work. Don't forget to turn off sound notifications and calls so you're not tempted to check it and let it break your focus.

2. Install an app that lets you limit access to certain apps or websites. For example: AppBlock, StayFocused, Freedom, BlockSite (Google Chrome).

2. Tackle the Heaviest, Hardest Task First Thing

That one task on your list that feels like a mountain, the one you keep pushing off until you end up never doing it at all.

Complete it at the start of your workday. Not necessarily the very first hour of the morning: I encourage you to have a non-work routine when you wake up, then start working after that. Just make sure it's an essential, important task.

There's a good reason to do this early rather than late: your reserve of focus and willpower isn't infinite over the course of a day. Every decision you make, every distraction you resist, every task you put off, it all draws a little from that reserve. The further the day goes, the more it shrinks. Tackling your most demanding task while your mind is still fresh gives it the best chance of being done well.

Once that task is done, the rest of your day will feel lighter, and you're less likely to procrastinate. It'll give you a sense of wellbeing and "motivate" you to keep going.

3. Take a Moment to Take Care of Yourself

It's great to want to accomplish a ton of things, but none of it makes sense and none of it will last if you don't take care of your vehicle: your physical and mental body.

Don't forget to get enough sleep, to move, to eat in a way that nourishes your body and gives it the energy it needs to function well. And make sure you do something that's good for your mood and take care of your mental health.

Sleep, in particular, has a direct, measurable effect on your productivity. According to a RAND Corporation study, sleep deprivation alone costs over $400 billion a year in lost productivity in the United States, largely because sleep-deprived workers perform worse during their work hours, even when they're present. It's not just about passing tiredness: it translates into dollars and concrete outcomes.

Yes, all of this takes time, but it's an investment. You'll gain it back long-term in energy and health, because without it, you'll stop making progress.

You can do activities like: journaling, yoga, exercise or working out, meditation, calling someone you love, and so on.

4. Clear Space to Work in an Uncluttered Environment

You don't need to call in The Home Edit to organize your entire house tomorrow morning. Take 2 to 5 minutes before or after each work session to keep only the essentials in sight and put everything back in its place.

It's not just about aesthetics. Research by neuroscientist Sabine Kastner of the Princeton Neuroscience Institute shows that visual clutter directly competes with your brain for the same attentional resources used for focus and decision-making. In other words, every unnecessary object in your field of view, every pile of papers, chips away a little at your ability to concentrate, even if you're not consciously paying attention to it.

When you're working, I strongly recommend keeping as few objects on your desk as possible, and especially as few loose notes as possible.

Make room for more minimalism in your workspace and take a bit of time daily to maintain it. When you don't let clutter pile up, it's so much lighter to keep things tidy and clean.

5. Prioritize One High-Impact Task and Put It on Today's To-Do List

Don't waste your time doing a bunch of tasks that have no real impact on your dreams, your goals, and the life vision you want to build.

Every day, set one priority: a task you absolutely need to do that day, because you know it's going to genuinely move you forward. It's non-negotiable. Ideally, do it at the start of your workday. It might well be the hard, heavy task from point 2. If not, do both of those things first.

It all sounds simple in theory, but in practice, it's easy to get swept up by life's fast pace. Take the time to pause and put together a small game plan to implement these small changes. You'll already start seeing a real difference, and it won't take much time to plan.