11 Habits for a More Productive Life and Why They are Effective

How to be More Productive

Our habits can make or break us, they are what we do day in and day out.

They determine the life we have and whether we enjoy it or not.

In my late 20s and early 30s, when I had only 2 young kids and was single for most of it, I was extremely productive.

I went from homeless single mother (after I left an abusive marriage) to multiple international award-winning CEO, author, speaker and charity ambassador.

Once I got full custody of my kids, I took time off to travel and enjoy our life.

During this time, I met someone, the world shut down, we repatriated and had 2 more kids, bringing our combined total to 5.

Juggling family, him being away a lot, business and cultural obligations overseas saw my productivity drop off completely.

Partially because there was too much going on and I was dealing with some trauma but also because I wasn’t living my own advice.

Instead of doing the things I knew would boost my energy, productivity and life in general, I focused on all how hard everything was.

I hid behind my kids and their needs, using that as my biggest excuse as to why I was no longer doing things I wanted or being active with my goals.

The decision to take control, review my life, what worked and what didn’t, cut the excuses and follow the things I knew would help drastically changed my life.

To change our life we need to change our habits and the systems we have in place.

Here are the 11 things that help me be more productive and achieve all I set out to achieve.

11 Habits for a More Productive Life and Why They are Effective

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links to products or services I use.

1. Know Your Energy and Work With it

Knowing when your energy is at its best for different tasks, when you can focus, when you need a boost and how to manage it all is essential.

Time management has been the main focus for years to increase productivity and while it is important, I have found learning about my energy levels has been even more effective.

Managing your energy is not a new concept, it doesn’t seem to be as widely discussed as time management though.

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal is a fantastic book that will help you work this out.

Working according to your energy enables you to be more productive and plan your day accordingly.

Track your energy levels throughout the day to get an idea of when you are at your peak, when certain tasks would be better for you to do and what boosts your energy.

If I exercise, journal, meditate and do my morning routine before the kids get up, I have infinitely more energy.

When my energy dips during the day, I found doing a quick 10 minute exercise, going for a walk or similar can boost my energy again.

Planning tasks that require numerous decisions earlier in the day ensures I make them faster and more accurately compared to late in the day.

Learning about autism and ADHD and how that impacts my energy as well as what impacts me was huge.

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a teen but back then it wasn’t taken seriously by many people so it wasn’t until recently we made changes in our home.

Lastly, for those who menstruate, your cycle can impact your productivity and there are things you can do to make it work for you.

Hormones fluctuate which can change how motivated, productive, energetic and focused we are.

I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and a few other health issues that make my cycle harder to track and painful at specific times.

Knowing how my body works, even if it is irregular, makes it easier to schedule things at optimal times.

Improving my sleep was another thing I had to work on to improve productivity.

It was difficult with my last two kids so I had to learn to deal with sleep deprivation and implement tips to help all of us improve our sleep.

Getting that sorted increased my energy and made everything else happen much faster.

All these little things add up and once you restructure your activities to align with your energy, you will be amazed at how much you achieve.

If you want some time management tips too, check out these 18 tips for busy mums.

2. Know Your Values and Priorities, Then Live Them

When you know your core values, the lifestyle you want and your goals, structuring your day becomes easy.

Being clear on your values and goals makes it easier to cut through your tasks to find the ones you want to prioritise.

What are your values, how are you spending your time and what are your priorities?

To determine your core values, use this exercise and to work out your priorities, look at the most urgent and important tasks in your life that align with your values and goals.

For example, if your value and goal is to improve your health, exercising and eating nutritious food, reducing stress and having quality sleep become priorities.

If it’s your relationship, time with kids, growing your business etc you will see which tasks align to those and need to be scheduled.

Too often we try to squish in exercise or time with our family around the rest of our commitments.

Take time to decide what is most important to you for the life you want to live and how you want to be remembered then schedule accordingly.

Then within each of those key areas, decide what are the most urgent and important tasks to be done for each one.

Using exercise as an example, plan your workouts each week to incorporate the things that align with your health goals such as dance class, weights, swimming, stretching for flexibility etc.

When it comes to relationships, planning dates and vacations, catching up with friends, make the time and find things you want to do or everyone can connect with.

The time you dedicate to these tasks will help ensure you achieve your goals and live your priorities, this increasing productivity.

Schedule your priorities and live the life you truly want.

3. Utilise Routines

I resisted routines most of my life because I wanted to think I was young, free and spontaneous.

Implementing a few routines increased my productivity and quality of life.

The most important ones to me are my morning routine, my evening routine and family traditions such as Friday Family Fun Night.

Morning Routine

Starting your day with a consistent morning routine sets a positive tone and boosts your energy, helping you tackle tasks more efficiently.

Most people will reach for their phone as soon as they wake, probably check social media or email and that sets the tone for the day.

Consuming that sort of content first thing reduces your productivity and motivation.

Think about the life you want and what is important to you then craft a morning routine around that.

Drink water as soon as you wake, exercise, journal, meditate, do things that positively impact your life.

Take time to create something important to you before you start consuming content and going down the rabbit hole.

What you create could be a more peaceful life through mindfulness and meditation.

Or maybe you want to create a healthier body and lifestyle so you exercise followed by a healthy breakfast, supplements if you take any etc.

Your morning routine can set you up for success and create the life you want or keep you stuck.

My ideal morning routine is based on the billionaire morning routine.

I might not get it all done to the level I want every morning but doing even 1 to 5 minutes of each thing makes an incredible difference if I can’t do it fully.

Evening Routine

My evening routine is split into two, with part done in the afternoon and the rest after dinner.

Around 4:30 pm I check my plans for the next day and make any necessary changes.

I need to do it then because I still have the energy and because it is before I pick my kids up from daycare.

Once they are home, there is no way I can get the time to plan the next day.

My day is usually already sorted since I prefer to check my week on Sunday evenings.

Dinner is usually around 6 pm, followed by cleaning up then the whole bath/books/bed routine for my toddlers.

During the evening clean up I pack their lunches for the next day, check their school bags, get our clothes ready and do anything else to make the morning easier.

Sometimes we do bedtime yoga together, sometimes I do it on my own once they are asleep.

We listen to meditation music to fall asleep and try to be in bed early to make the next day easier.

Check out my evening routine tips here.

Other Routines

We have cleaning routines that are printed and stuck up in key areas such as the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms.

Having it outlined makes it easy for anyone to do it and knowing the quickest way to do it appealed to my kids.

They generally do their chores without me nagging them.

Friday Family Fun Night is a family activity either on a Friday night or sometime on the weekend.

My kids choose a few treats, they have pizza for dinner and we spend time together watching a movie or going for a bushwalk, swimming at the beach or seeing a waterfall etc.

Some routines are daily, others are weekly but all of them contribute to making life more enjoyable and productive.

4. Time Blocking

Allocating specific time slots for different activities prevents multitasking and ensures you dedicate focused attention to each task.

This was touched on a little in the previous tip but I will elaborate further.

Again with exercise as an example, block out time to go to the gym or do a dance class or whatever it is.

If you want a stronger relationship with your partner, block out time for activities together, counselling if you need it, connection etc.

When growing your business, review all the things you need to do, allocate specific time for each one and delegate or outsource what you can.

Continue to outsource as you grow so you are making the most of the time you have.

Time blocking was harder for me in the past few years because of young kids, no daycare and no extra support.

So to make it work, I wrote lists of things I could accomplish in set timeframes and when I got a small chunk of time, I’d do something relevant to the time I guessed I had.

It was not as effective as being able to time block a day properly because I have childcare but it was all I could do.

Now my toddlers are in daycare a few days a week and my teens are capable of getting themselves to most places on their own.

Having this extra kid-free time has enabled me to schedule, time block and allocate tasks based on my energy to maximise my productivity.

5. Get Regular Exercise

Physical activity can boost your energy levels, improve concentration, and reduce stress, all of which contribute to better productivity.

Too often making time for exercise is one of the first things people cut when they feel time-poor.

Yet, the research shows the boost in productivity, dopamine and of course, your health, means you should make exercise a priority.

Going for a quick walk between big tasks, getting a proper workout first thing in the morning, stretching or yoga before bed, all these things can make a significant difference to your day.

Buy a walking pad to use with a standing desk if you have a desk job.

Small changes such as this add up and can improve your focus, productivity and health.

For me, when I get stuck, overwhelmed, tired or bored, I do some quick exercises and it helps snap me back to where I need to be to get things done.

The mental clarity and focus from exercise have been crucial to my success.

6. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation

Practising mindfulness helps clear your mind, improves focus, and reduces stress, allowing you to work more effectively.

Mindfulness and meditation are two things people often roll their eyes at, yet more research shows how beneficial both these things are.

Meditation isn’t simply about sitting there, clearing your head of all thoughts and chanting or sitting in silence.

There are numerous ways to meditate, the important thing is to find a practice that works for you and be consistent.

Guided meditations are one option that helps many people get into the habit.

As for mindfulness, it’s an ongoing practice, of being aware of your thoughts.

Learning how to do this helps you overcome obstacles, clear negative thinking, and be more grateful and productive.

7. Plan Properly

Spending a few minutes each day planning your tasks helps you stay organized and ensures you’re working on the right things at the right time.

Planning and preparing meals ahead of time makes life easier and ensures we all eat well plus there is less cleaning up.

Automating anything I can such as bills, savings, investing etc saves time and mental energy.

Plan and take the action to prepare anything you can, create systems and simplify your life.

I break my planning up into segments where once a month I look at the entire month and check with my kids.

On Sundays, I check the upcoming week and make sure everything is scheduled and everyone is aware.

Around 4:30 pm I like to review and plan for the next day because if I wait until the evening, I won’t do it.

Once 5 pm rolls around and I pick up my kids from daycare on their 3 days and my teens are home, my thoughts are no longer mine.

There is so much happening and asked of me that getting a few minutes to plan the following day clearly and sort tasks for work is impossible.

Taking time before my kids are all home is the best approach for me.

On a day I have not planned the night before, I tend to waste time trying to work out what to prioritise or I easily let other errands and things use my time because I am not focused.

We prepare meals on Sunday and Wednesday so we don’t have to think about dinner every night and lunches are sorted too which makes mornings easier.

Utilise tools to help you plan and execute those plans too.

I used some time hacking tips from books such as Life Admin Hacks to help plan my life better.

For example, we use a digital calendar so my teens can see what is happening and when.

Also have a look at 11 changes we made to our home due to ADHD and autism to make life easier.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, look at how others plan things and see what works for you.

8. Limit Distractions

Identifying and minimizing distractions, such as phone notifications or unnecessary meetings, allows you to maintain focus and work more efficiently.

I can be hyperfocused and achieve a lot in a short period of time but I am also easily distracted.

One of the best things I did to curb this was to set up my office so I could close the door on the rest of the house.

Previously, I did my work anywhere and no one respected my need to work because I wasn’t respecting it either.

Turning my phone off or putting it on do not disturb, placing it in another room, removing notifications and deleting apps all helped with the phone distractions.

Allocating a specific time each week with my kids to clean the house and designating Wednesday plus a weekend day for washing reduced household chores creeping into my work time.

Playing music that I deem my ‘work music’ to get me focused also helped minimise distractions because it helped me get focused.

What distractions are you spending too much time on that need to be eliminated or at least reduced?

9. Set and Stick to Boundaries

Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time helps you avoid burnout and maintain a balanced, productive life.

Setting and sticking to boundaries when it came to work time vs the time I am available for my kids was difficult for me.

Autism, ADHD, PTSD and other matters meant I have almost always been completely available and the lines between work and life were blurred.

With young kids and limited time to do anything, I had to get stricter.

I have 3 days a week now where my toddlers are in daycare which means I have 3 days to fit in work and anything I want/need to do without kids.

On those days, I was working anywhere in the house, my teens would get home and chat or expect me to do things at that time.

Even if I told them I had work I needed to complete, rarely did I get the time fully.

While I love that we are close and they open up to me, it was 6 hours a week I was losing when I only had around 24 hours.

Once I set up my office and shut the door, this reduced drastically and my teens say they don’t feel they are missing out.

My door being shut signals to them I am working and they respect it.

We are still close but they wait until I have finished work and then they’ll come with me to pick up the toddlers so they can chat or they will do it at dinner or they ask for a private conversation if needed.

Occasionally, they have needed me but we have been clear on what is an emergency and they can interrupt.

Learn to set and stick to boundaries.

10. Delegate

Knowing when and how to delegate tasks frees up your time for more critical activities and leverages others’ strengths to achieve better outcomes.

When I first started delegating in my business, it was difficult because I expected someone to step in and be as fast as I was/do things exactly how I wanted/simply know etc.

Learning to delegate is a skill worth learning both for your professional and personal life.

Delegating in my personal life is easier because it’s teaching my kids life skills too such as getting them to clean or cook dinner.

You cannot and should not do everything yourself so you need to learn to delegate.

Start by making a list of all the things you are doing.

Which things could be done by others?

What are the tasks you dislike the most or are not worth your time?

Choose something and start delegating to free up your time.

As you have more time and increase your income, increase what you delegate too.

Harvard has tips on how to delegate and so does Forbes.

11. Reflect on Progress

Regularly reviewing what you’ve accomplished and what can be improved helps you stay on track, make necessary adjustments, and continuously enhance your productivity.

Small changes over time can make a significant difference to the final outcome, both good and bad.

By reviewing regularly, you can make simple adjustments to ensure you meet your goals.

Acknowledging your progress and achievements also helps with motivation.

Often people forget to review and either end up going quite a way in the wrong direction or they can miss opportunities or they lose motivation because they feel as if they are going nowhere.

Reflect at the end of your day, end of the week and end of the month plus quarterly or annual reflections to see what’s working, what’s not and what to do next.

Resources

Here are the articles, books, apps and other resources mentioned in the article.