How to Think to Be More Productive

We all want and need to be more productive, but the huge array of distractions at our disposal are unlimited, therefore the closest result is a failure if we give in to instant gratification.

The cause of our failed results, or lack of positive outcomes, stems from impulsivity.

I got my domain on June 30th, and impulsivity got a hold of me. I didn't think it through; I just wanted to launch my website...

The result of not planning and just wanting instant gratification was disastrous. Sometimes it is best to stop, think, and plan before taking action. But I entered in a frozen state of mind, I simply couldn't come up with any ideas to fix the mess I've created, until I decided to let go of control, and I hired a professional web designer.

During the time my website was being re-designed, I learned a few things that I would like to share with you.

First of all, is to stop impulsivity by letting go of the urge for instant gratification. There are two types of impulsivity: one is the fact that we want to do things fast, without planning through, therefore, failing to plan is planning to fail.

Second, the habit of procrastination. To attack this type of impulsivity, which leads us to check our phones instead of writing the article, or to eat the bag of chips instead of the apple; the best we can do is to combine the hard things on our list with something pleasurable. For example; Read while drinking coffee or tea, or watching television, while running on the treadmill; this makes our minds relax while taking positive actions towards our goals.

When we combine temptations with hard work, we are most likely to start doing important projects like homework, studying for the final tests, writing, or preparing the work presentation, you get the idea. Combine a pleasurable activity with hard tasks to make the hard work more attractive to your mind.

Another thing I've learned is to reward myself every time I finish something really important but hard to do. I personally love to watch a Colombian novella, after a hard day of work to unwind and relax my mind.

And last but not least, I stopped creating immense to-do lists, that I could never finish, instead, I am focusing on the final goal, and once I define what it is that I want to get done, I take only the necessary steps to reach that goal. If we are not sure of what exactly we want to accomplish, we wand up taking extra steps that are unnecessary and make us waste time and energy.

There is nothing better than to have a sense of accomplishment every day by having a defined daily goal, which in turn permit us to take the steps needed to check off that day to day list, even if it takes just one step at a time, it doesn't matter, what really matters is to be able to complete it.

Sometimes it is hard to start doing something, so the best technique to follow is to identify the smallest and most obvious step. This is called"Minimum Viable Action" which requires little effort and avoids us to think too much.

Taking action, even if it is the smallest one, is the answer to get over our productivity woes, and get us further toward reaching our long-term goals, and creating a lifestyle worth living.

What are your go-to productivity steps?

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