Ground Report

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? I check my Facebook and Instagram accounts. Could I do something more meaningful and productive? Yes, of course, I could! Every morning I waste five to ten minutes in a routine that doesn’t make me happier or more successful. I just waste my time. Sometimes I waste not only the first minutes in the morning but my whole day. So, after two days of doing nothing I had to spend my whole weekend working so that I could face my deadline. And, unfortunately, I had to miss going out with my friends. I was mad at myself, so I made a promise I’ll stop wasting my time and start being more productive. So, I’m going to share with you a few little, but effective tricks how I did it.

#1 Start your day with some workout

Your alarm clock is ringing interrupting the most beautiful dream you’ve ever had. It’s too early to face the reality, so you press the snooze button. Five more minutes, right? I have a suggestion for you: why don’t you try to spend these five minutes, not in bed, but working out? Yes, you’ve heard me. Stand up, play your favorite song and move your body. You don’t have to make 50 crunches. You can JUST dance or jump. The trick is to move your body.

#2 Get dressed

If you are a freelancer, you might be tempted to spend the whole day in your pajama. Well, don’t. Get dressed. You don’t have to wear high heels (although it works for Victoria Beckham) or a suit, but put on some clothes. This will make you feel that you are at the office when you are actually at home. I don’t recommend that you to work in bed because the chances to get sleepy are really high.

#3 No social media! I mean it

Have you ever thought how much time you spend checking out your Facebook account, liking and commenting photos and statuses, chatting with your friends? Trust me, a lot more than you can imagine. And, I don’t judge you because I’m just like you: Social media addict. But, if you want to be more productive, you should reduce the social media time. Start with small steps, for example, after and hour you spend concentrated and focused working at your tasks, “reward” yourself with five minutes social media. Yes, five minutes are more than enough to check your crush’s profile or to like your best friend’s new beach photo. At the end of the day you’ve been surprised how much work you’ve done.

#4 Make a plan

I’m not a “to-do lists-making-person”, but it helps to have a clear idea what you have to do today, tomorrow, until the end of the week, etc…. Set up clear and realistic goals. Deal with deadlines. Even if you’re a freelancer and you don’t have a manager, set deadlines for yourself. Be disciplined and responsible. After you’ve achieved a goal, even a small one, reward yourself with a cocktail or a piece of cake, etc.

#5 Wash the dishes (Yes, I’m not joking)

I admit I haven’t invented this productivity trick, I read it in Forbes. According to a study, cleaning dishes helps you reduce anxiety and stress and makes you more inspired. It’s because you are just staying in the moment and doing nothing more than the dishes. Let’s be honest, multitasking may be practical, but it’s quite stressful too. While washing the dishes you can relax and get ready for your daily tasks.

I hope my little tricks will make you less lazy and more productive. Be successful, be happy!