Akash DevHello readers, 👋 In this blog, I'll be sharing some tips that I've been using for a while, and you should also use them to increase your productivity in anything you do. But before jumping in, let me tell you one important thing. Life isn't always about being productive. It's alright to enjoy a bit. After all, that's what makes life beautiful. Taking regular breaks and enjoying instead of always being productive is totally fine, and you should do that too. Now let's start with our tips.
Consistency is the foundation of Productivity
I know you might have heard this many times, but I'll repeat it once again. If you are consistent, it helps maintain a steady workflow. You could stick to any task like coding, debugging, meetings, personal projects, etc. You don't have to sit the whole day on your couch and stare at the computer screen. Just 1 hour each day is more than enough. It's always better to train for 1 hour every day for the week than training for 7 hours at a go. If you are unable to maintain consistency in your tasks, the next tip is for you. 😉
100 days challenge
Commit to a challenge. 🚀 It's said that it takes 21 days to build a habit and 90 days to build a lifestyle. But I believe that you should at least do something for 30 days to make it a habit and 100 days for it to become a lifestyle. Why do I think so? No, it doesn't have any scientific reason. 30 and 90 just feel easy to remember. 😅
Now, you might have a question in your mind: Why am I recommending you take a 100-day challenge instead of 30 days? The answer is quite simple. Learning coding is a difficult task and it isn't something repetitive. Every day, you need to think, code, fail, etc. It's a lot more challenging (That's probably the reason software engineers are paid a lot). Jokes aside, when you start with 30 days, there's a high chance that you'll spend the whole month just figuring things out and not doing hands-on practice. On the other hand, with 100 days, you get ample time to figure things out.
I've used this technique in many areas, like going to the gym, getting enough sleep, studying a new subject, practicing speaking English, etc. Currently, I'm using it for learning Python. Here are a few ways by which you can benefit from this:
Learn in public
Here I'm talking about coding, but you can apply this approach to any task you want to maintain consistency. Create a Twitter account if you're not on it yet (You can connect with me by clicking here). Start learning the skill you desire and post daily updates on Twitter. You can use hashtags like #100DaysofCode or #100DaysofGym, etc.—whatever suits your goal. Many people are already practicing this, and it can prove beneficial in numerous ways. 👍
Connect with a Tribe: It will help you connect with like-minded individuals—people who are pursuing similar goals.
Social Media Boost: You could see growth in your social media presence. 😃
Credibility Enhancement: It builds your credibility. (A very important point)
Public Journaling: It assists you in maintaining a public journal. 📔
📈 Track Your Daily Progress
Download this image, print it, and stick it in your room.
I recommend placing it where no one else can view it (so that you won't feel uncomfortable). Now, write your goal or the target you want to achieve by the end of this challenge and darken one square every day (just like we did on OMR sheets in our childhood). In the notes section, you could write down things you want to avoid—your distractions. For example, you could write something like "switch off your phone while studying" or anything else that you prefer. This is a highly effective way to maintain consistency.
Journal Every Day
You might be journaling on Twitter, but here I mean something different. Take a diary and document your progress, challenges, and solutions. This will help you identify patterns and easily reference past solutions when similar issues arise.
Here you can write everything that happened in your day—some stories, etc. This will make your mind light after a bad day and will record a story for a good day. Jotting down thoughts helps clarify your goals and priorities.
While writing, you could also plan your next day.
Prioritize tasks
You might feel like you were busy the whole day, yet you can't see anything done. Ever wondered where all your time went? This is when you need to realize how important it is to prioritize tasks. To keep things simple, I divide tasks into three categories: tasks that bring you happiness, tasks with short-term impact, and tasks with long-term impact.
Engaging in activities like eating, watching movies, spending time with friends, and indulging in leisure pursuits offers instant gratification—a quick dose of joy. Conversely, tasks like studying, acquiring new skills, regular exercise, and dedicating time to relationships and networking yield growth in the long run. While both categories are significant, it's wise to give precedence to tasks that contribute to your long-term journey. Strive to strike a balance between these two realms. Cherishing moments with loved ones and enjoying chats with friends is pivotal, yet it's vital to ensure they don't dominate the lion's share of your time.
Time Allocation⏳
This is something I learned the hard way, and I want all of you to learn from my blog. We often underestimate our tasks and allocate very little time to tasks that may actually take longer. For example, today I allocated 2 hours to write this blog, but as I sit down to write, it's already been more than 3 hours.
When I write, it's not like I know everything and just write it all down. I write, then think, then do some research, and then write again. I create images to make them visually appealing (Yes, I made them using Canva. How do they look?). Then I notice things that might not be suitable and correct them, making sure to reduce grammatical errors. Well, that's not much of an issue now thanks to Grammarly, but it still took a lot of time. It's crucial that we give appropriate and proper time to tasks.
I allocated one hour after the gym to practice data structures and algorithms (DSA), but every day after the gym, I found myself so exhausted that my brain wasn't functioning properly. I kept wondering why this was happening. So now, I focus on all the small tasks and tasks that don't require much thinking or creativity during this time—tasks like copying assignments, checking emails, replying on social media, etc. You get the idea. I would say that, according to me, this is the most important productivity tip that all of you should follow.
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