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Are you a Productivity Hero?

A productivity hero gets his job done in the most efficient manner possible and enjoys his free time.

A productivity hero fights time and uses elite time-saving techniques that only a few have mastered.

Today is your lucky day.

The Productivity Hero has released some of his most powerful techniques just for you.

1. Break your tasks into chunks. Let’s face it, some of us can’t clear a building in a single bound. Don’t try to be super-human. Trying to get a HUGE job done in a single sitting is one of the leading causes of procrastination. Instead, break your task or project into smaller, more feasible tasks. You will gain momentum and the rest of the tasks will seem less daunting.

2. Get organized. Heroes, for the most part, are not slobs. You’ll find that they keep their gear neatly packed away and easily accessible so they can get to it when they need it. Look at Batman and his damn Batcave! Or how Superman takes care of his outfit and has it nice and folded up when he needs it. Keep all of your gear in order and make it easily accessible. You will be more productive as a result.

3. Perfect is for perfectionists. Most heroes are not perfect and they know it. Every hero has a weakness or vulnerability. They have come to terms with the fact that they are not perfect. If they had not, there would be a whole lot more crime in this world. You don’t have to be perfect either. Do the best that you can do at your job, but don’t hold off on starting it or finishing it because it’s not perfect.

4. Chase one thing at a time. Think about Spiderman and how he swings around the city while fighting crime. It would be impossible for him to fight two bad guys in two different places at once. When you are doing your own job, focus on one task at a time. Forget thinking you are the multitasking hero. Multitasking dissipates energy and keeps you from giving all of your effort to getting one thing done.

5. Try pen and paper. Think about some of your favorite heroes. What tools or weapons did they have at their disposal? Typically, it wasn’t much. Ok, you’re right… Batman had a belt full of gadgets. What about Superman? All he had was a skin tight suit and red boots. Listen, my point is forget about all the productivity gadgets you think you need. Write down what you need to do with a pen and paper and cross it off when you are done. It’s an amazing feeling.

6. Do what you do. Batman knew he had limitations. He knew that he couldn’t just burst into flight and fly to space if he wanted to. In your own situation, if you want to be wildly successful, focus on doing what you do best. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.

7. Avoid distractions. Imagine what would happen if our heroes were constantly distracted by Facebook, Twitter, cell phones, email, tv, kids… I think you get the picture. If you want to get stuff done you have to shut things off and set expectations with who might be trying to contact you to save the world.

If you follow these seven techniques, you too could be a productivity hero.

Photo credit ultravioletmonkeysons @ flickr

Stop Procrastination Tip #1: Get quality sleep

Quality sleep leads to focused attention. When you get a good night of uninterrupted sleep, you’ll find daily tasks the following day much easier to get done. Personally, I think you can avoid many bad habits with a good night of quality sleep.

Stop Procrastination Tip #2: Make a list

Make a list of everything you have to get done personally and professionally. Rate each item on the list using a 1 – 10 scale. Each number that you go up represents 10 minutes of work that needs to be done. If you have items on your list that exceeds 30 to 40 minutes, you may need to break that item down into smaller portions. Here’s an example from my own life.

Change the oil: 6 – Wow, better break that one down.

• Buy oil and filter: 1
• Change oil: 4
• Dispose of oil: 1

When you break items down like this you realize that your task isn’t as daunting as you might have originally thought and it makes it easier for you to build up momentum towards the next task on the list.

Stop Procrastination Tip #3 Avoid distractions

Our lives are FULL of distractions. Make sure you have a nice quiet area where you can do your work. I recently move my operations from a hot, upstairs office downstairs into the cool basement. I’ve been much more productive and have had fewer reasons to procrastinate since. The hot inferno of an office was a definite distraction for me.

Many of us have been caught up into the time sucker of social media. Facebook, Twitter, etc. has made it sooo easy to waste time. If you HAVE to get on these websites, limit yourself to 10-15 minutes during a lunch break or after your work is complete.

Other huge distractions are email and the cell phone. How can you possibly get any work done if the cell phone is constantly buzzing from Facebook updates or texts or if your new email message indicator is dinging every minute or two.

Stop Procrastination Tip #4 Challenge yourself

Challenging myself has been the biggest help for me in trying to stop procrastination. When I set a goal like “lose 10 pounds”, I go into a mode that forces me to realize how I am going to achieve that goal. This begins a routine that will eventually turn into a habit if I keep it going. I believe that routines help you build momentum. Routines create positive energy and will help you in other areas of your life. It’s like you psyche yourself up to do better for yourself.

Follow these four tips and you will be on your way to stop procrastination in its tracks!