This tip seems like a no-brainer, but so many people are wasting time. If you want to be more productive, add more productive hours into your day. The more time you make for productive things, the more productive you are – plain and simple.
I first heard this tip from Brian Tracy talking about work productivity. But he ended by saying, you don’t really need to increase your work time at all. Well, that doesn’t seem true, does it? Maybe I misunderstood him, but, still, the advice on extending your workday has been really good advice for increasing my productivity.
We talked about taking breaks during your day, which is very important to keep your mind fresh and your body awake.
According to the rule of 52 minutes on and 17 minutes off we talked about, you will work 416 minutes, or 6.93 hours in an 8 hour period – assuming I did my math right. If you add two hours onto that, you will work 520 minutes, or 8.66 hours. You still get all those 17-minute breaks, but you increase the amount of time you work by almost two hours.
What I did was add two hours in my morning. For me, this was easy because I wasn’t starting work until about 9 anyway, so I made a commitment to wake up at 5:30, do my morning routine, and get to work by 7 am. This may sound hard, but it really wasn’t. It only took a week for my body to get used to waking up at 5:30, and now I just naturally open my eyes at that time and it doesn’t feel too early at all.
For you, adding a few hours at the end of your day could help you get more done. Or, adding a few hours in the evening may be your answer.
My husband works all day in an office, but he is pursuing a more creative career, so after I go to bed, he stays up and spends a few hours working on that creative career. He is able to do that, so it works for him.
How To Get Up Earlier
Following is a great video with a ton of ideas on how you can wake up earlier. It covers both bedtime and morning.
For me, I consistently go to bed at the same time – and it’s pretty early. For a long time, I hated going to bed before 11, but now that I enjoy getting up early and doing productive things, I don’t mind going to be earlier. I normally just used that later time to watch TV anyway.
Also, I do mostly go to bed at the same time on weekends, and I always wake up at the same time on the weekends. If I don’t, I have a harder time waking up on Monday.
I’ve found it’s also important to create a good bedtime routine! It helps you get to sleep faster and have a better night’s sleep.
Create More Productive Hours
Besides adding an hour or two to your workday, use your time more wisely. You know where you are wasting time, so do something about it.
For instance, instead of watching four hours of TV each night, do things that matter, such as quality time with your loved ones or working on creative hobbies that make you happy.
Time goes so fast, and you won’t get a chance to do it again, so use your time wisely and be productive.
