Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.” –Thomas Edison
When it comes to productivity, it’s the same challenge for all of us — we have only 24 hours in a day. Yet some people seem to have twice the time; they have an uncanny ability to get things done. Even when juggling multiple projects, they reach their goals without fail.
 
We all want to get more out of life. There’s arguably no better way to accomplish this than by finding ways to do more with the precious time you’ve been given. The good news is, you don’t need to work longer or push yourself harder — you just need to work smarter. Ultra-productive people know this. As they move through their days, they rely on productivity hacks that make them far more efficient. They squeeze every drop out of every hour without expending any extra effort. Here’s how they do it…
 
1. They Say No:
 
No is a powerful word that ultra-productive people are not afraid to wield. When it’s time to say no, they avoid phrases such as I don’t think I can or I’m not certain. Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments and gives you the opportunity to successfully fulfill them.
 
Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco shows that the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression. Learn to use no, and it will lift your mood, as well as your productivity.
 
2. They Get Ready for Tomorrow Before It Comes:
 
Productive people end each day by preparing for the next. This practice accomplishes two things: it helps you solidify what you’ve accomplished today, and it ensures you’ll have a productive tomorrow. It only takes a few minutes and it’s a great way to end your workday.
 
“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.” –Benjamin Franklin
 
 
3. They Never Touch Things Twice:
 
Productive people never put anything on hold; because touching things twice is a huge time-waster. Don’t save an email or a phone call to deal with later. As soon as something gets your attention you should act on it, delegate it or delete it.
 
4. They Eat Frogs:
 
“Eating a frog” is the best antidote for procrastination, and ultra-productive people start each morning with this tasty treat. In other words, they do the least appetizing, most dreaded item on their to-do list before they do anything else. After that, they’re freed up to tackle the stuff that excites and inspires them.
 
5. They Don’t Multitask
 
Ultra-productive people know that multitasking is a real productivity killer. Research conducted at Stanford University confirms that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. The researchers found that people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time.
 
But what if some people have a special gift for multitasking? The Stanford researchers compared groups of people based on their tendency to multitask and their belief that it helps their performance. They found that heavy multitaskers — those who multitask a lot and feel that it boosts their performance were actually worse at multitasking than those who like to do a single thing at a time. The frequent multitaskers performed worse because they had more trouble organizing their thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information, and they were slower at switching from one task to another.
 
Multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance because your brain can only focus on one thing at a time. When you try to do two things at once, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully.
 
 
We’re all searching for ways to be more efficient and productive. I hope these strategies help you to find that extra edge.
 
 
Question: How do you juggle multiple projects, squeeze every minute out of every hour and reach your goals without fail? Share your strategies in the comment box below.
 

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