How to Get Shit Done: 8 Productivity Hacks

Exhausted by that ever-growing to-do list? These productivity hacks from Sonia Vadlamani will teach you how to get shit done by avoiding distractions and improving your ability to focus.

 

Life can get overwhelmingly busy as we navigate a whirlwind of jobs and responsibilities each day, often leaving us feeling stretched too thin. Indeed, the daily grind can be exhausting, especially in a challenging economy, wherein many of us are forced to juggle multiple jobs just to stay afloat.

Adding to this strain is the constant deluge of notifications on your phone and laptop – often distracting us from the task at hand and ultimately leaving us feeling guilty about our mounting workload. Reclaiming your focus back to your goals, responsibilities, and pending tasks can be the biggest hurdle to, well, getting shit done and feeling a feeling of achievement. 

 

The benefits of productivity hacks

Most of us wish to be more productive, given that our list of to-dos and pending tasks often feels never-ending. With this in mind, productivity hacks are reliable and easily applicable methods to help us get more done in a day. 

 

What’s more, finding the right productivity tool that works for you can foster a sense of accomplishment, and the autonomy resulting from this can enhance your overall well-being and happiness levels.

 

Productivity hacks: firstly, clear the clutter!

Indeed, figuring out the right productivity hacks to bring some order to chaos can seem challenging. The answer lies in self-awareness and a bit of experimentation until you find the approach that suits you best.

 

How to get shit done: 8 tips to boost productivity

Boosting productivity doesn’t have to be complicated: it’s often about making intentional, small changes repeatedly. So, here are eight productivity hacks that can work wonders if applied to your daily life.

 

1. Organize your day into time blocks

A study that researched over 100 productivity hacks declared time-blocking as one of the most effective. That’s because this technique helps you prfioritize your daily tasks with intention, enabling you to choose clarity over chaos. Most of us juggle different roles – such as worker, parent, carer – each day, which is exactly why dividing the day into multiple time blocks can aid us in getting shit done at a more efficient pace.
 

“Use the time-blocking method to allocate specific slots and then batch all the similar or connected tasks together to make it easier to get shit done.”

For instance, I currently balance blogging and creating food content part-time with freelance writing. I also volunteer at a local non-profit, take care of household chores, and try to exercise daily. To manage everything better, I use time blocking, dividing my week into manageable slots for personal and work-related tasks. This helps me stay organized, and I find that I’m able to tackle tasks without burnout, context-switching, or guilt about what's left undone.

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In addition to simply getting my shit done, time-blocking also allows me to slot in some ‘me-time,’ which usually involves playing with my pets, catching up with a friend, reading a book or working on a jigsaw puzzle.

 

2. Plan your day the night before

Deciding which tasks to tackle for the day and in what order can turn out to be a dreaded procrastination trap best avoided. In contrast, planning your day in advance enables you to get stuff done with intention and efficiency, eliminating any scope for decision fatigue and impulsiveness.


Overwhelmed? Solid organization is crucial to get shit done
 

Spend around 15 minutes each night planning your schedule for the next day. If appropriate, use the time-blocking method to allocate specific slots and then batch all the similar or connected tasks together to make it easier to get shit done. Known as task batching, this approach can help you stay focused, minimizing time wasted on unplanned activities.

 

3. Maintain a backlog of to-dos

For long-term tasks or ideas you plan to work on in the foreseeable future, keep a backlog list. Instead of mindlessly inundating this backlog to-do list with tasks in a random manner, organize them by projects and sub-projects to manage your list with greater ease. 

 

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Alternatively, you can also prioritize tasks daily, weekly, monthly, or beyond. Then each new week, bring forward tasks from your long-list into the daily or weekly one so you can focus on those. Make it a habit to review these projects and track their progress while planning your schedule for the next day. Adjust and revise as needed. As you may already know, getting things crossed off your to-do list creates a feeling of intense satisfaction! 

 

4. Eliminate distractions

Dstractions can be costly, especially if you’re trying to get stuff done on a tight schedule. Observe your surroundings and list out the usual disruptors that prevent you from getting shit done more often than you like. Research implies that in addition to killing the momentum and hampering our progress, frequent interruptions can be exhausting, stress-inducing, and increase the chances of you making errors with your work.

 

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For example, simple changes like putting your phone on silent, disabling notifications to avoid constant distraction, avoiding places with noise and movement etc., can improve your ability to concentrate entirely on the present task and head into that flow state – essential for getting shit done.

 

5. Declutter your workspace

Whether you work from home or the office, excessive clutter can indisputably hinder your performance, thus impacting your ability to complete your tasks. In addition to boosting your productivity, decluttering your workspace can improve your mood, lower stress levels, and combat anxiety. If you do work from home, maintaining a designated workspace can help create a clear boundary between work and personal life.
 

Home workers should create a designed workspace

 

6. Get a quick start with the 2-Minute rule

The 2-minute rule is a simple technique to essentially stave off procrastination by reducing the decision-making time toward an important goal, action or milestone by just springing into action. In his renowned book Getting Things Done, David Allen suggests the underlying principle for the 2-Minute Rule: “If an action will take less than two minutes, it should be done at the moment it’s defined.”

 

“In our fast-paced world, productivity hacks are a game-changer. Organizing your day and planning effectively are key drivers to getting more done.”

Allen rationalizes the first two minutes as the ‘efficiency cutoff’ for the pile of small tasks that all of us often find piled up on our to-do list. So, instead of putting off these small tasks, simply switch into 'action' mode and address them head-on. You will notice the difference. 

 

7. Utilize the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro technique is a useful time-management system if you – like myself – find yourself getting derailed by small distractions throughout the day, or feel overwhelmed by the amount of work still pending. It involves setting a timer to alternate focused time sessions with frequent microbreaks to enable prolonged concentration and keep mental exhaustion at bay.
 

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Set your timer to 25 minutes and start working on the tasks you’ve set for the day, allowing yourself a 5-minute productive break. Repeat this cycle four times, or ‘Pomodoro’ rounds, to earn a longer restorative break lasting 15-30 minutes. You can use the breaks to get a snack, take a short stroll, or refresh with a brief meditation session.

 

8. Take ample breaks

While productivity hacks work wonders and can be the key to getting shit done, as the Pomodoro technique suggests, the importance of taking breaks in between cannot be ignored. A survey study by Sooyeol Kim et al found that engaging in microbreaks can boost productivity significantly by improving work engagement and lowering fatigue rates in employees.
 

So, whether you're implementing the Pomodoro technique or not, be sure to include plenty of breaks, with the goal of disconnecting briefly from work and returning refreshed to tackle the work head-on.

Instead of planning a specific activity for the break time, follow your instinct and indulge in whatever feels right in that moment: listen to music, work on your knitting project, or simply practise Niksen, the art of doing nothing, and stare out the window! 

 

The takeaway: how to get shit done

Productivity hacks are a game-changer, especially in today’s fast-paced world. Organizing your day and planning effectively are key drivers to getting stuff done. However, resist the urge to over-plan or schedule each activity down to every minute, as this can lead to further procrastination, stress, and burnout.

 

By gauging your needs carefully and testing out different approaches, you can identify the ideal productivity hacks to help you regain control of your time and get shit done! •
Images: shutterstock/Cardlrin, shutterstock/PeopleImages.com - Yuri A, shutterstock/Stokkete
 

 

Written by Sonia Vadlamani

Fitness and healthy food blogger, food photographer and stylist, travel-addict and future self journaler. Sonia loves to write and has resolved to dedicate her life to revealing how easy and important it is to be happier, stronger and fitter each day. Follow her daily pursuits at FitFoodieDiary or on Instagram.