This week has been a big one for me as I’ve been catching up for being out of the loop so long with a nasty bug. And amazingly, I find that I’m getting it all done!

Here are some of the techniques I’ve been using that I hope will be helpful for you, too.

1. Get up early. 

I know it seems obvious, but the earlier you get up, the longer you have to get stuff done during the day. And I don’t mean that you need to beat the roosters to work. Just set your alarm and get yo’ butt out of bed. Make hay while the sun shines and all that. I get up every day between 7 and 8 depending on what I had going on the night before.

2. Create a routine for yourself.

After my alarm goes off, I let the dogs jump on me for a few minutes before I put them in the yard so I can get dressed. Then, I meet them by the gate and we go for a 30 minute walk during which I think about what I need to get done during the day and make a tentative game plan. I make them breakfast when we get back, and while they eat, I go through my e-mail and get started.

3. Make a to-do list.

If you’ve been reading the last couple of days, you’ll notice that I’ve posted a to-do list and then recapped what I accomplished and what I’m carrying over. (And I’ll do it again once I finish this post.) Writing down what I need to get done helps me compartmentalize so I’m not stressing over forgetting something and I can just systematically work my way through the list.

4. Find an accountability system.

By sharing my productivity goals for the day on my blog, I’m making a promise to myself and to my readers that I’m going to get stuff done today and stay focused on my tasks. You don’t have to go as public with your stuff if you don’t want to, but consider checking in with an accountability partner by phone, e-mail, or IM each day to help each other prioritize and stay on track.

5. Take breaks and reward yourself.

The dogs stay sleepy for only so long, so about halfway through the day, I take them outside and throw the ball for them for about 20 minutes. We run around like idiots, which gets them all tuckered out again and revs me back up. I also take a mid-afternoon break with Pickles to walk to the end of the driveway and get the mail. And at the end of the day, when I’ve put in my time and crossed off the items on my list, I put my feet up with a glass of wine, get out my guitar and play for 30 minutes, or practice the piano as a treat.

6. Clock out at the end of the day.

If you give yourself a specific cut-off time to be done for the day (and especially if there’s a treat on the other side of the closing bell), you’re much more likely to meet your deadline simply because you have one. If you tend to draw everything out because you’re used to working into the night, it will take you longer to get things done because you give yourself that extra time that you don’t really need.

7. Get enough sleep.

It is not easy to be productive when you’re tired. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep every night so you can maintain your focus and keep up your high level of quality — and so you can actually enjoy your work instead of it feeling like a chore. You’ll find that the day goes by much more quickly and you have a lot more fun when you’re well rested.

Those are my tips for increasing your productivity.

What are yours?

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More on Productivity from yours truly:

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