Six tips for a productive week

Generally, Monday is considered the worst day of the week. Ironically, Monday is the perfect day and opportunity to plan and start the new week on a good note.

Remember, how you start your week is important and also a determining factor in how productive the rest of the days will turn out.

So if you’re struggling with your week’s productivity, here are some tips that can help you figure it out.

• Plan your week ahead

Before the week begins, you need to plan and prepare to be productive.

You have to put everything in place to achieve your goal. From jotting down things that need to be done for the week to scheduling, identifying unproductive activities, and planning to cut them down.

So first step to achieving a productive week is planning and preparing.

• Create a to-do list

The next step to a productive week is making your to-do list as it helps you to stay organized.

Make a comprehensive list of all you need to do during the week which may include both work and personal goals.

This gives you an overall picture of what your week might look like so no unnecessary surprises. To do list also help keep you on track.

Each day, tick each task off your list as you complete them. Ticking a task off the list gives a form of satisfaction and motivation.

• Prioritise

After jotting down your goals for the week, it is important to prioritise.

Priortise your tasks/goals according to importance and urgency. This will help to be productive and achieve lots of goals before the week runs out.

• Set a deadline

After listing and prioritising your goals and tasks, the next thing to do is to set deadlines.

Setting deadlines is important when trying to be productive. Since each task is time-bound, you will have the intention and motivation to finish up within the set time.

When deadlines are set for accomplishing a goal, there will be less postponement and procrastination which will further increase your productivity.

• Get rid of distractions

Being productive might be difficult when in a distinctive environment. So to achieve productivity, you must learn to manage or better still get rid of distractions.

You are aware of the things that get you easily distracted and a major one is social media. So you can stay off your phone for the period you’re trying to do a task.

Also, get to know your preferred way to work and try to put yourself in the best situation to focus.

• Review your progress

Review your tasks and achievements daily and weekly.

The daily review will help to know what has been done, what is left to be done, and plan on how the remaining will be achieved.

Having a weekly review is an opportunity to reflect on the past week, plan for the week ahead, and ensure your to-do list is aligned with your goals.

Reviewing your week further helps you celebrate your achievements, review your progress and identify any obstacles that are holding you back and ways to do better the following week.

Taking the time to review your week builds confidence and motivation.

Photo credit: TopCV