3 Simple Things That Will Make You More Productive Everyday – Even when you don’t feel like it

How many days do you have where you just don’t feel like doing this, or that? Days spent spinning your wheels but never really accomplishing anything? Here are 3 simple things that when done everyday they will turn your entire life around.

Give yourself a fresh start every day

Take 15 minutes before you go to bed and clean up your kitchen and bathroom. “What does that have to do with improving my life”, you ask?

When you get up to a clean kitchen and bath, it’s like giving yourself a fresh start every morning. No facing a splattered mirror and smelly dishes to remind you of what you didn’t finish yesterday. Nope, now you start with a clean slate every morning. Besides, once you develop this habit – it really only takes you 15 minutes. You can pat yourself on the back for a job well done before you go to bed too. You can’t have too much positive reinforcement!

Put your best face forward

Get yourself ready for the day. Do your hair and makeup. Get dressed.

You’ll be more likely to hit the ground running!

When you look good, you feel good.

When you feel good, you get more done.

The more you get done, the better you feel.

But most people have it backwards. You feel depressed, so you don’t fix yourself up and then you feel worse because you look worse. See how those nasty cycles work? Take the time and look your best everyday.

The Magic List

Why do I call this magic? Because it truly works. This one tip is so effective it can change your entire life. But most people won’t take the time “to-do” it.

Yep, the “to-do list”.

At the end of your business day or before bed, think about what you need to accomplish the next day. It’s best to do it while things are still on your mind. What did you not get done? What are the next steps you need to take? Always put down at least 3 things related to your business or goals. They can be as simple as a phone call you need to make.

Put both business and personal things you need to do on the list. You still have to dust the living room, do a load of laundry, order a birthday gift, take Johnny to soccer, and so on…

The list will keep you organized and on track. Your day will have focus. Now your attention is on getting the list done, not how you feel, or what should you do today. It’s right there ready for you to start working at it. Within a day or two you will notice an immediate difference in how productive you are.

I know a lot of you use PDAs, and task managers and such, but the most effective list is one that is handwritten.

Remember in school it was easier to learn something if your read it, wrote it, spoke it, and heard it? The same principles apply here. You’re telling your subconscious that this is what you expect to get done today- so get to it! You’ll be amazed at how much more you’ll get done.

Now there’s just one more thing – and this is actually fun when you start doing it- As you finish each task, cross it off the list.

Not just a check mark – cross it off! Scribble it out. Do it with flair! You accomplished that – it’s done! It’s a little psychological trick, almost like rewarding yourself for a job well done. Hey, as you cross it off, tell yourself – “good job!” You like it when someone else tells you that you’ve done a good job. But somehow we’re wired to beat up on ourselves faster than giving ourselves any credit. This is an easy way for you to acknowledge your daily accomplishments and start to feel better about yourself.

This may all seem so primitive and simple. But let me tell you, it works. Just these 3 little things can make a big difference in your life.

Try it and let me know how it goes!