Mind Hacks to Improve Productivity

Before you can begin to learn how to concentrate better on the tasks you need to accomplish each day, you first need to know where your time goes. Several time killers destroy your focus without your knowledge.

The Biggest Time Killers

As yourself this question and answer it honestly:

Do you pick up your phone every time that you receive a notification?

If you answered "yes" to that question, then you've identified your first-time killer. By picking up your phone repeatedly throughout the day, you are destroying your focus. Whichever task you were working on was interrupted as your attention moved to your phone.

There are several other important time killers to identify.

Some of these may sound familiar:

1. Facebook and YouTube

2. Your email inbox

3. Non-work related conversations

4. The internet

To identify the time killers that are destroying your focus, you need to spend a day observing your activities. Write down everything that you do, keeping a running list on a piece of paper on your desk.

Yes, this can be a time killer in and of itself, but it will help you see where your time goes.

For example, you might notice that you spent 30 minutes on your personal Facebook account or stop what you're doing and pick up your phone every time it goes off. By tracking your time and activities, you'll know what you need to eliminate to improve your concentration.

Distractions Destroy Your Focus

The problem with these distractions is that they destroy your focus.  Constantly starting and stopping an activity is no way to succeed. You'll spend more time getting back into the proper mindset than you do working on the task.  On top of this, by frequently going back to this same task every time you get interrupted, you're spending more time on it than necessary.

As a result, your list of projects will end up getting longer. You need to hack your mind to become more productive. These tips will also help you deal with those time killers that eat away at your day and make tasks take twice as long to finish.

1) Work when you're at your most productive.

Not everyone is at their most productive in the morning. Some think more clearly at other times of the day. By adjusting your schedule to coincide with your peak brain activity, you're setting yourself up to get more done.

2) Use the Pomodoro technique.

The Pomodoro technique is a time management tool that requires you to break your day into specific 20-minute periods, called Pomodoros.  During those 20-minute periods, you focus solely on the task at hand, ignoring all distractions. Every three Pomodoros, you get to take a five-minute break.

3) Unplug yourself from the internet.

The internet is a major time distraction. Put your computer on airplane mode so that you can't go online.  This will force you to focus on your tasks without the temptation

of Facebook, YouTube, and all of the other websites that call for your attention.

4) Ignore your phone.

Every time your smartphone goes off, it draws your attention to it, not what you're working on. Place your phone in a drawer, turn it off, put it on silent, or do whatever you need to do to eliminate this time killer.

5) Stop multitasking.

Multitasking has adverse effects on the brain. Studies have shown that it lowers your IQ. It also forces you to take longer to finish your tasks and makes you 40% less productive overall.

Instead, only do one thing at a time.

6) Form better habits.

It takes 21 days for a new activity to become a habit. Begin these new habits now, and before the month is out, you'll be more productive than ever.

Try it. You can do it!