This article was written just for you. Yes, you! I want you to think back; how have you developed yourself over these past few weeks? Have you accomplished as much as you would have loved to? Do you feel fulfilled/satisfied with what you have been doing? Be honest with yourself: If your answers to these questions seem unpleasant – even annoying, then you are in for a wonderful treat. What I have here will not only drive you to continue pursuing your passion, but also leave you with practical tips that you can use to enhance your productivity. Let’s get to it!

Develop a Morning Personality.

If you are like me, you probably hate mornings as much as I do. But believe me – there is no better way of making your day productive than making sure you start your morning on a good tone.

 Let’s get practical – Consider the 5 times 50 formula as given by Brendon Burchard. Now this is something you would like: Sleep 50 minutes more than you do right now. Interesting right? Whichever way you like to do it, sleeping 50 minutes earlier or waking up 50 minutes later; having a refreshing sleep qualifies you for sharper thinking, clearer conversations and higher energies.

 Next on the list is to set your alarm the night before. This will give you a sense of purpose, a determination; that you know what you are doing. This is what you need driving you as you wake up. Don’t forget to consider the above formula when setting that time!

The last but not the least practical step to developing a morning personality is to take a nice, refreshing shower as soon as you wake up. Do this before starting anything you have planned for the day.

 Andrew Ferebee, high performance coach and speaker, commented “… it changed my whole life.”

Set Goals.

Once your morning personality is put in place, you have to set your goals for the day. Now, one of the things you really need at this point is a diary/ journal.

Writing things down helps in remembering them – talk less of the joy you feel when you cross an item off the list as done! Wouldn’t that be beautiful?

A simple advice from a trusted mentor: Start by doing those things that you love, or are relatively simple to do – compared to others. Doing these first gives you a sense of accomplishment and a drive to do the harder/ energy consuming tasks as well.

If you can only accomplish two tasks conveniently in a day, start there. Do that for a week, two weeks maximum. Then check how much you have accomplished. It will set the pace for creating the kind of habits that will ensure you live a fulfilled life.

Be Disciplined.

All these will not be complete without this vital ingredient to your productivity. Discipline is more like giving yourself an order and following it. In other words, the ability to control yourself when you are clearly not sticking to the goals you have set.

One way to achieve this is by evaluating whatever you are doing currently. The question you should ask is “Does this have any future benefit?” If what you are doing will not benefit you any time within the nearest future – my advice – stop!

Also, there will come a time in the day where your productivity is less than expected. These periods are normal and will require you to take a break for a while. During this time, termed “Mental Slump Time”, engage in activities that require less mental energy like taking a walk, riding a bike – you can even see a movie. This, on the other hand, is no excuse for laziness, or slacking. That is where discipline comes in!

The funny thing is, I am writing this for you, as well as for myself. Living a productive life does not come while you are sitting on your bum. No! It comes by taking that step, that one step, which will lead to progress – and eventually productivity. Apart from all the tips I have given you, none of them will work if you refuse to take that step. Do whatever it is you have been postponing (or avoiding), and start living the life you are built for.