The Internet and technology is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it has created great opportunities for anyone to start a business, develop different projects and make a living from the comfort of their home with their laptop.
But the other side of the coin shows a decreasing attention rate, distractions, addictions and dysfunctions of many types. In addition to possible side effects we do not know how far they can go as everything grows even more.
Working on the Internet implies a challenge today. In addition to the need for great discipline and willpower, it is necessary to know what to do and fight different obstacles that prevent us from achieving good results and reaching the established goals.
If you want to be more productive and achieve more in less time, good news: you are about to learn techniques, principles and tips to move to the next level in all your projects and what you do on the Internet.
Productivity Online
In this online productivity guide I will share with you some tips and strategies that have worked for me in these last months and weeks. Putting them into practice I have been able to increase my productivity a lot, be more disciplined and greatly improve the way I work every day.
I do not consider myself the most productive person or an expert in the subject, however, based on my personal experience I can contribute this content that I am sure will help you a lot.
Obstacles that prevent us from being productive
Let's first see what are the main obstacles that prevent us from having productivity online. I'm sure you'll identify with (almost) everyone. The best comes in the next section where we will see what to do to increase our effectiveness and do more in less time.
1. Distractions and interruptions
The number one enemy of online productivity is the distractions and interruptions that arise at all times.
On many occasions it has happened to me that I am ready to do something important and productive on the Internet. I open my browser to start and 40 minutes later the only thing I have done is surf the Internet, see Twitter and review Facebook photos.
Has it happened to you too? I'm sure if
If it is not something in our computer, it can be a call, a message on the mobile phone, a person entering our workplace asking for attention or any other type of distraction and / or interruption.
What we can do in 1 hour can be extended to 2, 3 or more hours if we neglect and do not do something to avoid being distracted.
It is very important to try to be proactive, take the initiative and have control of all our activities to try to focus 100% on the task.
2. Try to do everything at once
With so many things that must be done, it is very easy to think that we can do "multi-tasking" or many tasks at the same time and in this way be productive. But the reality is very different.
When many things are done at the same time you lose focus, you are "jumping" from one thing to another and the effectiveness and percentage of finished tasks drops drastically.
What is the best? Focus 100% of our attention on a single task for a certain time. Let's see more of this right away
3. Lack of clarity
Has it happened to you that you are ready to work, but you do not know exactly what you have to do and what is the next step to take? Me too.
The lack of clarity is one of the great obstacles to online productivity that we face every day. There are so many things we can do that we do not know where to start or where to focus first.
4. Lack of discipline and commitment
We all want to achieve many things, earn more money, grow and other similar goals. However, how much do you want it?
Many people want to improve but at the same time they are in their comfort zone, a comfortable and very dangerous place that causes some conformism for not wanting to advance or achieve important challenges.
I have realized that to really progress and achieve the goals that we set, it is necessary to first acquire a commitment with oneself and EVERY DAY to act with discipline.
Personal discipline is like a muscle that we train. Like when we go to the gym; the more we exercise it and put it into practice, the bigger it becomes.
Tips to overcome the obstacles of productivity
Now that we have seen 4 obstacles to online productivity, let's see what we can do to overcome them and thus be more effective on the Internet. This is where valuable information comes from, so take notes
Each of these tips helps to avoid one or more of the obstacles we saw in the previous section.
If you put all into practice, much better.
Set goals
Before sitting at the computer to do things, the first thing we should ask ourselves is:
What do I want to achieve? o What is my main priority today?
Setting goals is very important to have clarity, know what to do and not get so distracted.
What you want to achieve in your day will depend a lot on the most important projects or priorities you are working on. If you have bigger goals to accomplish in 3, 6 or 12 months, then your goals for the day will be focused on progress in order to achieve what you are looking for in the long term.
Everything depends on your personal situation. Even if you have traditional work in a company (either part time or full time), ask yourself what you need to accomplish at the end of your day.
Plan your day
Once you have established objectives and you know what you have to do, plan each and every one of the activities you need to do to make your day a success. For this you have different options:
- Use a simple paper and pen and write down the entire list of tasks and activities
- Use an online document such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs
- Some Android or iOS application
- Any other method of your choice
The most important thing is to know what you have to do, write it down and sort it by priorities.
Many times there are urgent things that need to be completed but that are not the most important thing or what better results are going to give us. Identify those urgent tasks and assign them a special time to be able to then focus on what matters most.
One thing at a time
As we have already seen, writing a post for your blog, answering mails and eating at the same time does not work. Our brain is much more effective when we focus on a single activity or task at the same time, with 100% of attention and concentration.
Do an experiment and you will see the excellent results. It is very easy to think that we can do multitasking and be productive until we really see all that can be achieved by doing one thing at a time.
Pomodoro Technique
To have more focus, avoid multitasking and eliminate distractions completely, I invite you to try the Pomodoro technique, which has helped me a lot in recent months and I recommend it to everyone I know who works on the Internet or uses a computer in their daily routine.
To use it, complete the following steps:
- Choose a task or activity you want to complete or complete
- Put a countdown clock for 25 minutes
- Do this activity (and only that activity) during the 25 minutes
- When you finish the clock, rest 5 minutes and go back to do another 25 minutes
- Every 3 blocks of 25 minutes you can take a break longer than 15 minutes
If you did not finish what you had to do in the 25 minutes, still take the rest and continue in the next block.
During each 25-minute "pomodoro", the goal is NOT to get distracted and focus on a single task or activity. This involves closing Facebook, Twitter, email, putting the phone in silence and everything necessary to not be distracted or interrupted.
In the 5 minute breaks you can check your social networks, mobile phone or email
This technique is becoming very popular and since I discovered and implemented it, I have had excellent results in my personal productivity.
Plan your distractions
It sounds a bit out of place or weird, but planning your distractions is an excellent strategy. Using the Pomodoro technique you can plan to check your mail, Facebook, make calls, Whatsapp or check how much Barcelona goes in the Champions in the 5 minutes between each block.
Even when you already have 4 or 5 blocks of 25 minutes finished, you can dedicate the next to rest and review all your social networks, entertainment pages and messages.
Once you get back to work, you will not (so) be tempted to check these sites.
Rest, food and health.
We are human, not machines. That's why we also need moments of relaxation and rest to recharge energy and return with more motivation and desire than before.
Try to also have moments of rest, sleep at least 7 hours every day and give priority to your well-being.
Food also has a lot of influence on the mood and how we feel in the day. Eat nutritious foods, avoid "junk" food, sugar and processed foods that do not contribute anything positive.
How I started and finished a video course of 50 videos in 10 days
In this section I am going to give you a strategy that allowed me to start and finish from zero a course of 50 videos about WordPress in 10 exact days. I know that maybe it does not sound as spectacular as saying that I wrote a book in 2 days or something like that, but I assure you it works very well.
To ensure 100% that we will meet and finish with an important project or goal, it is much better to establish conditions in our environment so that everything can be finished with time and success.
That is, to condition oneself by means of some external factor.
I give you the example of my case.
To make sure I was going to finish recording the 50 videos of the course, I came to an agreement with my best friend: If I did not finish by the set date (August 31), I had to pay him $ 300 USD.
In this way I have a consequence and a motivation to finish that prompted me to meet this challenge successfully.
It's like school. When we do not do the homework we know that we will have a low grade and a punishment from the teacher.
When we work on our own on the Internet, it is easy not to do things because we know that there are no consequences and that nothing will happen if we do not comply.
With this strategy we "force" ourselves to finish yes or yes. It can be another type of challenge. The one you want.
In addition to having the motivation to finish my course, I knew that I could not afford to pay my friend those $ 300 dollars and lose the challenge, so the motivation and determination to finish were on top. The result was successful and I was able to record all the videos in 10 exact days
I'll tell you later about this course.
Combine this strategy with the ones I shared in the previous section and you will become unstoppable.
11 Laws of Online Productivity
The last section of this guide is focused on 11 laws of online productivity that I learned from an Eben Pagan course called "Wake Up Productive."
Use them as a reference and as principles to base your daily performance.
1. We are all can be productive
No matter what you do, your skills, your background or any other factor, you can be productive and creative.
The definition of being productive can vary depending on the person. Some work better in a more rigid work structure, with established schedules and constant monitoring; while others are more efficient without much control, with more freedom and working in a random way following the "flow".
The important thing is to find what works for you and get the most out of that method of work.
2. Managing time actually involves managing oneself
Time is an external factor that can not really be controlled or managed, rather, we manage ourselves to use time in the best possible way.
When the mentality of managing oneself is practiced, we do it from an internal focus where responsibility for the results and everything that happens in the day is assumed.
Stephen Covey said: "Time management is an inappropriate concept, the real challenge is to manage oneself".
3. We have three brains instead of one.
Paul Maclean developed the theory that the human being has 3 brains instead of just one, which are:
- Reptilian brain. It is the oldest of all and deals with things like survival, basic instincts, essential needs, etc.
- Emotional brain . When this part of the brain is stimulated, emotional reactions take place. It is based on avoiding pain or seeking pleasure.
- Brain Neocortex. Related to the use of reason, logic, speech and all the advanced thinking of the human.
It is not that we actually have 3 separate brains, rather, our brain is divided into these three parts, which work very well individually but when working together there is a lot of conflict.
Knowing this helps a lot to understand why many times we have so much internal conflict when making decisions, fulfill what we promise and have more willpower.
For example, when we are on a diet, we know that we have to eat well (neocortex), but as soon as a temptation or some junk food presents itself, the reptilian brain seeks immediate satisfaction.
Once we finish that delicious slice of pizza, we begin to feel guilty (emotional brain) because we do not comply with the proper eating plan.
In this way it also applies in other areas of our life. We must constantly strive to align our actions with what we think and desire . It is not easy, but it is possible.
4. Habits are our destiny
Habits are "automatic" behaviors that we perform effortlessly and to which the body is already accustomed and adapted.
As the title says, our destiny and results that we obtain depend in large part on the habits that we carry out continuously.
What are your habits?
Do an internal evaluation and start slowly to eliminate the negatives to be able to replace them with new behaviors that allow you to be more productive and achieve your goals.
It is important to go little by little. It is easy to say:
- I will read 1 hour every day
- I will write a thousand words a day
- I'm going to create 1 product a week ...
It sounds excellent, but if we almost do not read, we are not used to writing and we have never created a product, these new habits can be too much at the same time.
Start by creating one habit at a time. It can be a simple thing to exercise every day for 30 minutes. The important thing is to comply.
Forming a habit takes around 21 to 30 days.
5. Internal chaos causes external chaos
As the title says, if there is no control and order in the thoughts and emotions, neither will there be in the external part such as personal life, work, projects, etc.
In order to be productive and efficient, it is important to align our way of thinking, increase emotional intelligence, control impulses, increase strength of will and control ourselves as best as possible so that all this is reflected in the most important: our actions and results.
6. Use your strengths and talents in your best opportunities
We all have unique talents, abilities and strengths.
Identify your best opportunities or projects and focus all those qualities on it.
Simple but very powerful.
7. The future can be an extension of the past or something totally new
Many people think automatically that the past is the future. That is to say, if something has already happened in your life, it is likely that everything will be the same again in the future.
It is amazing to realize how everyone has control over what happens in their life and their destiny.
By being proactive, with initiative and always looking to improve with new challenges, the future becomes something totally new . This is where personal growth and evolution take place.
Everyone has the control to decide what the future will be, never forget it
8. Focus on what you want to create, not on what you want to avoid
Each person knows what he wants in his life and what he does NOT want in his life.
Define what you want to achieve and focus all your effort on it. Otherwise, we automatically seek to avoid what we do not want and this certainly does not give us the desired results.
Avoiding pain is much more motivating than seeking pleasure. That is why having clarity is fundamental.
9. Choose, do not decide
What is the difference between choosing and deciding?
When we decide something, we discard one or more options in favor of another. When we choose, we have many options and we simply choose the one we want without eliminating the others and with the option to change our opinion or direction for a future .
It sounds like something without much importance, but it can be decisive.
Example: There are multiple business models on the Internet. If we choose one, we develop it and then we know if it does not work or it is not what is expected, we can choose another one again.
If we decide in this same situation, it is possible that unknowingly eliminate the other options completely and not consider another option that is not the model that was decided to develop, which may not give good results or delay much progress.
This also applies in situations of learning and personal development.
By choosing, you always have a more open and adaptable mentality and perspective to change.
10. Find a balance between organization and creativity
As we have already seen, there are people who work and are more productive within a more rigid and controlled system , while others find harmony in a more liberal, creative environment, without rules and with more spontaneity.
Regardless of your case, try to integrate a bit of other work methods and find a balance between organization and creativity or freedom.
There will be many cases in which more than one is needed than the other, knowing how to adapt to different circumstances is key.
11. If we want to be more productive, we must move to the next level.
If we really want to be more productive, we must become the best version of ourselves and move on to the next level.
Have a clear vision of how you want to be, what your ideal day would be like and what your activities would be.
From there, create goals and plans to grow every day and move to the next level of effectiveness, productivity and personal development.
We can all achieve it. Is not easy. You have to enjoy the road and never give up.
conclusion
Being productive is a challenge, especially in this era where technology has given us so many good things and opportunities but at the same time distractions, interruptions and attention problems.
We all have the ability to be more productive. I do not think there is a limit where we reach perfection, rather, it is a process of constant growth and development.
I hope all these tips that I just shared with you will help you and make a difference in your personal and professional life.
It is possible that someone does not go with your way of working or your personality. Identify the ones that work for you and put them into practice since not everything works for everyone.
Always take into account the 11 principles of online productivity and daily do something to move to the next level in all aspects.
What are your online productivity tips that have given you the best result? How do you think you can be more productive?
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