How to Go from Busy to Productive in Three Easy Steps

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Being busy and stressed is seen as a badge of honor for some. Running from meeting to meeting, working long days, and always being “on” is now glamourized in the entrepreneurial world. It’s time we take back control over our lives and stop being busy and instead be productive.

Close-up Of A Businesswoman Making Agenda On Personal Organizer At Workplace

As a mom, wife, and entrepreneur, I know a thing or two about making the most of my time. I’ve also learned the hard way why busy shouldn’t be worn as a badge of honor. Constant stress and business can eventually lead to dangerous causes like burnout, breakdowns, and eventually, even illnesses.

Below are three easy ways to go from busy to productive.

Focus

Multitasking is one of the most overrated abilities that is now seen as a valuable skill in the workplace. While I understand the value management might see in multitasking, it’s hurting our overall productivity. By choosing a single task or project to focus on at one time, you’ll likely increase your efficiency.

One of the easiest ways to find focus is to limit the number of tasks you put on your plate. Three items in your to-do list should be enough to keep you active and productive throughout the day.

Track your time

Time blocking is one of my favorite methods for tracking time. It not only helps keep me accountable for upcoming tasks, but it’s an easy way to look back and see what I’ve accomplished in the past. Time blocking also helps you focus on one task at a time to ensure you streamline your schedule and get everything done on time.

If you’re not currently time blocking, I highly recommend using a free and user-friendly tool like Google Calendar. You can use the desktop or app version to create a method that works best for you.

Remove distractions

It’s astonishing the number of distractions we have around us daily. From unplanned phone calls to social media notifications, it’s no wonder we can’t seem to get anything done. Removing distractions is crucial to ensuring your transition from busy to productive. This might require you to make changes to your environment, but it’ll all be worth it in the long run.

One of the easiest and immediate ways to remove distractions is to place your smartphone in a different room. I also like to mute my notifications from social media to limit the number of notifications I get in a day.