10 Steps To A Productive Week

24 hours in a day. 168 hours in a week. It may seem like a lot, but in reality it really isn’t. We live in a world with constant distractions: social media, Netflix, texting, & more. It’s hard to sit down & actually get a task done. If you are trying to have a side hustle or run a blog in your spare time while having a 9-5 job, it can feel like you just don’t have enough time. Well, here are my tips for how to make the most of your time & your 168 hours in a week.

1. Don’t skimp on the sleep. I know it can be tempting to go to bed at 1 am & wake up at 6 am, but don’t do it. In the end, it will just leave you feeling more exhausted during the hours that you are actually awake. It’s hard to be productive while yawning & trying to stay awake.

2. Plan out your week. It’s extremely important to plan your week. I totally recommend a bullet journal. I love mine & it allows me to write down the things that I have going on each day. It also allows me to say no to certain events that I know I need to miss in order to achieve my goals. It’s okay to say no every once in a while. You don’t have to go to every happy hour if it is getting in the way of you achieving a certain goal.

3. To-do lists should be your best friend. We sometimes get stuck on doing the easy tasks, instead of tackling the hard, important tasks. When you write your to-do list, list the most important tasks first. Tackle those before moving on to the smaller, easier tasks.

4. Discover which time of day you are most productive & utilize that time of day. I am personally most productive in the morning. I feel like I’m clear headed & I can get tasks done faster. Therefore, I like to finish my most important tasks for work in the morning & I like to wake up early on the weekends & work on my blog / side projects in the morning. If you are a night owl, utilize the night time to work on your most important tasks.

5. Eat healthy. I bet you’re wondering, how does this make me productive? Well if you eat healthy, your mind will be sharp & you won’t feel that “brain fog” after eating an extremely unhealthy meal. Let’s be real. Who can be productive after finishing a burger? I sure can’t. I just want a nap.

6. Make a plan/list of goals & write a list of tasks that will get you one step closer to that goal. Then plan out when you are going to tackle those tasks during the week. Want a promotion? What do you have to do to get there? Plan the tasks you are going to have to do to get there during the week. I want to grow my blog & help others achieve success/ their dream life. Some of the tasks that I need to do each week are plan my blog posts, schedule social media posts, etc.

7. Take time for self care. It’s very important to not get burnt out. If you are constantly working & never taking time to take care of yourself, then you might lose motivation to keep working on your goal. I once worked until 11 pm one day. I came into work the next day exhausted & I didn’t have the normal motivation to tackle my to do list. In the end, I would’ve been much more productive if I stopped working at a reasonable hour & rested before the next work day.

8. Remember your purpose. If you are lacking motivation, then remember why you are trying to achieve this goal. I want to help others & provide them with the resources they need to achieve their goals. I remind myself this when I don’t feel like working on my blog. I want to bring in great results for my clients & grow as a digital marketer. I remind myself this when I’m lacking motivation to tackle my to do list at my 9-6 job. What is your purpose?

9. Take time to reflect on your progress. My day of the week for reflection is Sunday. I reflect on my goals & if my tasks during the week helped me get one step closer to my goals or pushed me away from my goals. Then I plan out the week accordingly.

10. Remember to have fun. If you are miserable going to work & don’t want to be productive, it may be time to change your career. If you are miserable working on your side hustle, it may be time to take a step back & try something new. Life is too short to spend hours being miserable.

I hope you try these steps & have the most productive week ever. Leave a comment below on how you stay productive.