Ever found yourself meticulously alphabetising your spice rack instead of tackling the important tasks on your to-do list, only to end up feeling completely paralysed with overwhelm and stress?

Me too. That’s why I’m here to share practical tips to help you combat procrastination.

Understanding The Procrastination Cycle

It might sound hard to believe, but the internet and technology are not the main driving factors of procrastination (although cat-video rabbit holes do make it a lot more fun).

We’ve been dodging to-do lists long before Wi-Fi. Accounts of procrastination go as far back as ancient Greece.

In Plato’s dialogue Protagoras, Socrates famously questions why someone would choose to act contrary to what they believe is best.

A generation later, Aristotle named that paradox ‘akrasia,’ meaning ‘weakness of will,’ to describe this puzzling behaviour of acting against one’s better judgment.

To overcome this deeply human tendency, we first need to understand it. According to the University of Manchester, procrastination tends toward a cyclical pattern which can be hard to break.

So, how do we stop procrastinating?

Strategies to Overcome Procrastination

Studies have shown that procrastination is linked to higher stress and a decline in mental health, which can have negative consequences on your physical health in the long term. Here are some effective strategies to conquer procrastination:

1. Minimising Distractions

Studies have shown that on average, we experience an interruption every 8 minutes, often taking a few minutes to get back into the task at hand. The compounding effect of that can be catastrophic on your productivity; that’s 60 interruptions in an 8-hour work day.

Here are some steps to take to minimise interruptions and distractions:

Identify and Eliminate Distractions

You can’t eliminate distractions if you don’t know what’s distracting you. Start taking note of all the things that pull your attention away. Become mindful of the thoughts and feelings, like stress or fatigue, that lead you to distraction. It can be as simple as writing it down on a piece of paper or journaling at the end of the day.

Designate Distraction Free Zones

Set a time and place where you focus on deep work without distractions. This means setting up a dedicated workspace, with minimal noise, and turning off all notifications to focus on one task. Using organising methods or a planner like ZenDays can help you set intentions for the time you want to spend on deep work and on smaller tasks.

Set Boundaries

Tell friends, family and coworkers that you will be unreachable for a set amount of time. Setting these boundaries also means learning to say no to unexpected conversations or tasks that can wait, protecting your focus and energy for what truly matters in the moment.

2. Break Free from Tech Addiction

We’re experiencing a tech addiction epidemic. Research shows that the more time we spend on our phones, the more likely we are to put off real-world tasks. A 2023 meta-analysis of 26 studies found a positive link between smartphone addiction and procrastination tendencies in students.

Here are some tips to reclaim your focus in a digital world:

• Turn off non-essential notifications or put your phone on do-not-disturb mode to avoid micro-procrastination.
• Turning your phone to greyscale makes it far less stimulating and can reduce the urge to scroll endlessly.
• Create screen-free zones. This could involve setting designated times that are screen-free, or designating specific areas in your home, such as the bedroom or living room.

3. Time Management Tools

Time management techniques are the antidote to procrastination; they transform vague intentions into achievable goals. It works because it reduces perfectionism and the all-or-nothing mindset that often pushes people into the procrastination cycle in the first place.

It starts with setting clear priorities, building a realistic schedule, and setting realistic deadlines.

Using a planner is a game-changer for managing your time more effectively. Digital planners like ZenDays are a great tool for creating and customising weekly templates, prioritising tasks, and providing feedback to hold you accountable.

As motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said, ‘Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.’

Here are some benefits of using a planner to manage your time:

• Boosts productivity, organising your day into focused blocks reduces decision fatigue and mentally prepares you for deep focus.
• Reduces stress by making your workload feel structured and achievable.
• Improves time awareness, being able to visualise how long tasks take makes it much easier to plan accordingly.
• Helps you build habits, enables you to break up big goals into daily, weekly or monthly milestones.
• Holds you accountable, tracking your progress helps you identify areas where you’re falling behind and adjust your plan accordingly. Seeing positive progress also keeps you motivated.
  
  

4. Prioritise Tasks

Categorising tasks helps you step back to identify what’s truly important. This helps structure your day more intentionally, and therefore, you feel less overwhelmed by the number of tasks competing for your attention. 

There are many categorising methods, such as the Eisenhower Matrix or the ABCD method, where you split tasks into categories according to urgency.

Here’s how:

1. Make a task list of everything you have to do.

2 Assign categories by using a method like the Eisenhower Matrix (Do, Schedule, Delegate, or Eliminate), the ABC method (A = must-do, B = should-do, C = nice-to-do), or your custom labels.

3. Group tasks visually by using a digital planner, colour codes, or separate lists for each category to make your plan easy to follow.

4. Review and update your categories at the end of each day according to shifting priorities.

5. Break Tasks Into Manageable Steps.

5. Break Tasks Into Manageable Steps

Often, a task is so big and overwhelming, we don’t know where to start. The Swiss Cheese Method is all about making incremental progress. It works by breaking large, daunting tasks into smaller steps you can complete over time.

Here’s how:

1. Choose the big task you’re avoiding. For example, writing a large report.
2. Break it into small, low-resistance tasks. For example, starting an outline or adding headings for each section.
3. Pick one ‘cheese hole’ and chip away at the task in short, manageable bursts throughout the day or week, until the project is finished.
4. (Bonus tip: using a planner to break tasks up and visualise your progress can help you stay on track.)

6. Practice Self-Compassion

As mentioned above in the procrastination cycle, perfectionism and other negative emotions are major drivers of procrastination. These negative feelings drive you further into the procrastination cycle as a coping mechanism.

Here are some ways to combat negative self-talk:

Many people procrastinate because they’re afraid of failure or feel incapable. Approach yourself with kindness instead of judgment by reminding yourself that it’s okay if the outcome isn’t perfect and that setbacks are a normal part of life.

The pressure of overwhelming tasks can send you into analysis paralysis. Remind yourself that one step at a time is okay; often, you’ll build momentum after taking that first step.

One Last Thought

Whether it’s breaking a task into smaller steps, using time management techniques, or simply practising self-compassion, you have more control than you think. The key is to start small, poke a hole in that cheese and let momentum do the rest. 

Remember that perfection is the enemy of progress. Small, consistent actions are a powerful way to build lasting habits. So next time you catch yourself alphabetising the spice rack, take a breath, pick one thing, and start there. And if you need a little help getting started, ZenDays is here to guide you in the right direction.

“In the future, a time machine will be built; but no one will have time to use it.” – George Carlin

We all have the same 24 hours a day. Yet somehow, some people glide through life like task-slaying gladiators while the rest of us feel like we’re living Groundhog Day, featuring emails and mild to moderate existential dread.

The secret is not having more time; it’s managing it better. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in today’s fast-paced world, with endless to-do lists, work responsibilities, family obligations, and unexpected life events.

The good news is that studies have shown that effective time management boosts productivity, reduces stress, and achieves a better work-life balance. Our top time management hacks are easy to implement. Whether you’re tackling work tasks, managing household responsibilities, or working toward personal goals, we’ve got you covered.

1. Time Audit

Examining your current situation is the first step to better time management. The audit involves logging all your activities and your spending on each. This will give you a clear picture of where you can make improvements.

Step 1: Decide how you will track your activities. You can do this on paper, a productivity app, or a digital planner. ZenDays templating feature is ideal for recording your week and creating a template for your ideal week.

Step 2: Record everything you do for a week. Include admin tasks, work-related activities, and personal activities such as going to the gym, walking the dog, or watching Netflix.

Step 3: Visualise your perfect day, write down everything you see yourself doing.

Step 4: Compare your perfect day with your recorded week. Label the tasks aligned to your values as high-priority in your recorded week. For example, your exercise routine should be a top priority if you value your health. Identify the areas you want to spend less time on.

Step 5: Create an action plan to prioritise important tasks that align with your values and a plan to eliminate the ones that don’t.

Once you can identify where you are compared to where you want to be, it’s easy to implement one of the time management strategies below, such as time-blocking, the two-list strategy, and others.

2. Two-list Strategy

Popularised by Warren Buffett, arguably one of the most successful figures of our century, his ‘two-list strategy’ is a time management and goal-setting hack he uses to help his employees prioritise.

In a conversation with his longtime pilot, Mike Flint, Buffett shared this approach to help Flint think through his career goals. He asked Flint to write down his top 25 goals and then highlight the 5 that were most important.

When Flint said he’d focus on those top 5 but still work on the rest occasionally, Buffett corrected him. He explained that the other 20 should become an ‘avoid at all costs’ list. The reason for this was not because they weren’t worthwhile, but because they would distract him from what truly matters.

It’s often the tasks you care about but lack fundamental importance that pose the most risk of distracting you. That’s why Buffett’s two-list strategy is so powerful: it helps you avoid ending up with 20 half-finished projects and keeps your focus on the ones that truly matter.

Here’s a quick look at the steps needed for this strategy:

Step 1: Make a list of 25 goals; these can be for your entire career, the year, or a shorter time frame.

Step 2: Highlight the 5 goals that are most important to you.

Step 3: Dedicate all your focus to these 5 goals, and make the rest your ‘avoid at all costs’ list until the 5 top ones are completed.

Time management solutions like ZenDays are not only helpful for planning out your weeks, but also for focusing on goal setting and holding you accountable for them.

3. Time Blocking

Time blocking is a popular time management hack. It is particularly helpful for managing shorter time frames, such as the workday or week ahead.

Step 1: List everything you need to accomplish in the set timeframe. Include administrative tasks, meetings, personal appointments, and even breaks.

Step 2: Prioritise tasks from the most important with tight deadlines to the least important.

Step 3: Decide how long to put aside for each task.

Step 4: Create time blocks on your calendar for the day/week. When the time block is complete, move on to the next block. If you don’t complete a block, keep moving and return to it when you can. At the end of the day, when you review your time blocks, adjust your future blocks to accommodate any unfinished ones.

Time blocking is an effective way to visualise your day, structure it, and stick to it. However, for it to be truly effective, it’s vital to only focus on the tasks in your current block. Grouping similar tasks such as checking email notifications, instant messaging, and calls into one time-block to limit distractions while focusing on tasks.

4. Deep work

On average, people check their phones 58 times per day, which is almost 5 times per hour. This simple statistic shows just how distracted we are as a society. Chances are high that you checked your phone before getting to the end of this blog. That’s why best-selling author Cal Newport’s philosophy on deep work is the ultimate hack for making the most out of your valuable time. His theory is that distraction-free deep work is key to mastering new skills and creating high-quality work.

To help people incorporate deep work into their lives, Newport outlines four philosophies for scheduling and organizing deep work:

The Monastic Philosophy is a period of focused, uninterrupted work where distractions and shallow work are eliminated for at least one full day, but can be set for however long is needed to finish a project.

The Bimodal Philosophy consists of blocking dedicated periods to deep work and leaving the rest for shallow work. For instance, setting 4 days per week aside for deep work, and doing admin/ shallow work activities on the last day of the week.

The Rhythmic Philosophy is scheduling a daily time segment to do deep work. This creates deep work as part of the daily routine.

And the Journalistic Philosophy is to fit deep work in whenever possible. This philosophy is likely suitable for people with flexible work schedules who can easily transition into focused states.

5. Time Management Planners

Using a planner can be a helpful hack if you’re looking to improve your time management skills. Both digital and traditional planners have their advantages. For example, people who use paper planners may prefer having their calendar on their wall or where they can be reminded of their to-do list. Others may prefer a digital planner because of its customizability and the ability to access it on the go via their mobile device or laptop.

Some questions to consider when choosing which planner suits you best:

Lifestyle: Do you prefer daily, weekly, or longer-term planning? Digital planners are great for long-term planning. They are easily customisable to move things around as things change.

Sharing: Will you be sharing your planner with your work team, family, or for individual use? Some digital planners offer enhanced collaboration features, allowing team members to assign tasks, track progress, and communicate. Printable or paper planners may be more suitable for a family environment to keep track of appointments, sports matches and to-do lists.

Task management efficiency: Which planner would best complement your time management strategies? Digital planners are fantastic for time allocation, allowing you to adjust blocks and add new ones easily. Some also have enhanced features like automated reminders, priority levels, and progress tracking.

The Common Denominator

Although each hack has slightly different methods, they share a common goal: helping you eliminate distractions, avoid procrastination, and stay focused on the task at hand. Don’t forget to take regular breaks and make time for relaxation to prevent burnout.

Pairing one of these strategies with incorporating a weekly planner like ZenDays into your daily routine will equip you to focus on what truly matters, whether that’s boosting your productivity at work, personal responsibilities, or simply creating a more balanced life.

Today’s day and age is so fast-paced that it often feels like you need an extra few hours to get through the day. With so many things happening at the same time, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why having a set of productivity hacks can make all the difference. 

In this article, we will discuss eleven of the best productivity hacks that will not only help you get more done, but also reclaim some of your valuable time so you can focus on what really matters. Let’s dive in!

1. Start with Weekly Goals

You can’t have a productive week without clear goals. Make time at the beginning of each week to set goals you want to achieve. Focus on what is top priority and what needs to be done immediately. 

By setting goals at the beginning of each week, it provides you with a roadmap of everything that is still on the horizon. Consider using project management tools like ZenDays to help plan your objectives. 

Using productivity apps also means tasks are less likely to fall through the cracks and be left incomplete. By starting your week this way you set the tone and the intention for the week ahead. 

2. Practice the Two-Minute Rule

This is a game changer in the world of productivity. The rule is as follows: If something takes less than two minutes to complete, do it immediately without delay. This can range from answering an email to unpacking the dishwasher. By completing these small routine tasks in the moment, it prevents them from piling up and remaining one of the many unfinished tasks on your to-do list. 

The true power of this hack lies in its simplicity. By doing this regularly you free up mental space to focus on more important tasks. Over time, these small actions lead to big results. 

3. Leverage the Power of Morning Routines

Never underestimate the power of a good morning routine. How your morning starts determines the tone for the rest of the day. If you jump out of bed thirty minutes late, rush through the shower, all the while trying to find your keys you can bet you’re probably not going to have the best day. 

First, let’s clear up a common misconception about morning routines. You do not need to have an elaborate, long regime for it to be effective. In fact, sometimes keeping it simple is best. A structured morning routine should boost your energy, laser your focus and motivate you. 

Try and get up at the same time each morning as this helps to build a habit. Start your mornings with mood energisers — whether that is a quick exercising session, meditation, journaling or quiet time with your first cup of coffee. 

Incorporate 5-10 minutes each morning to review your daily tasks and how they align with your weekly goals. These few minutes just after waking up are vital and how you start your day can make a world of difference in how productive you are. 

4. Use Time Blocking for Deep Work

Time blocking is probably one of the most effective ways to ensure you stay on track and maintain focus. By dedicating specific blocks of time to focused work, you minimise the chance of procrastination and distractions. 

When used effectively, time blocking helps you to laser focus on specific things that need to get done. You could potentially use your mornings for tasks that require the most attention and keep afternoons for meetings. 

You can further perfect this method with the help of a digital planner app. Some apps even allow you to set reminders. This ensures that you don’t forget about what needs to be done. Additionally, a lot of people find it beneficial to see their weekly tasks mapped out in front of them so that they know what to expect. 

5. Follow the “Eat the Frog” Technique

“Eat the frog” is a productivity concept introduced by Brian Tracy — the author of Eat That Frog. This technique requires you to tackle the most difficult and important task on your to-do list first thing in the morning. Once that “frog” is out of the way, the rest of your day will feel lighter and more manageable. 

This method is especially helpful if you are a master procrastinator. It creates momentum at the start of your day and ensures that you tackle what truly matters first thing in the morning. 

6. Minimise Multitasking

The truth is that although multitasking feels productive at the moment, it often has the opposite effect. The truth is that multitasking splits your focus, which can lead to you making more mistakes and feeling wrung out. 

When you multitask your brain needs time to switch and focus between tasks. This can actually lead to things taking longer than they should. Think of it as opening multiple tabs within your internet browser. The more windows you have open, the slower your computer starts to run as it requires more processing power. 

According to research, only 2.5% of people can multitask effectively. This further supports the notion that single-tasking leads to better results and peak productivity. Whenever you have a list of multiple tasks that require your attention, focus on one individual task at a time and see what a difference it makes in your productivity.

7. Schedule Regular Breaks

Powering through a four-hour work session might seem like the quickest way to get the most things done, but in reality, it is a recipe for disaster. Your brain needs time to rest, reset and refresh. By incorporating regular breaks into your daily routine, you can significantly boost your productivity. 

Consider implementing the Pomodoro Method. With this technique, you work for 25 minutes nonstop and then take a 5-minute break. During your breaks intentionally get up from your desk and walk away. Do a quick stretch or grab a glass of water. These small pauses give your brain time to recharge for the work that is still ahead. 

8. Declutter Your Environment

We’ve all heard the saying “A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind”. While this is a cliche, it is completely true. It doesn’t matter if you work from home or if you work in an office, if the space is messy chances are it is affecting your mental clarity.  

Take a few minutes at the start and end of each day to tidy your office space. Organise stationery, throw out the overflowing bin in the corner and put away those unnecessary papers. Your space should create an environment that fosters concentration and productivity. 

The ‘declutter your environment’ rule also applies to your digital space. While it is important to declutter your physical environment, you can’t neglect your digital one. In other words, delete junk mail, sort old files, organise your desktop and put documents in the folders where they belong. A clean, organised space — both physical and digital — contribute greatly to a clear and productive mind. 

9. The Power of Templates

Planning sessions can feel extremely overwhelming. However, a few well-crafted templates can make the process so much easier. Use a project management tool, such as ZenDays, that allows you to create and customise your own templates. 

By incorporating templates, you can structure your week in a way that reduces decision fatigue and can save time in the long run. Consider creating your own schedule template that blocks out time for meetings, deep work and personal appointments. This hack helps streamline your planning process while ensuring you stay consistent. 

10. Group Similar/Small Tasks Together

Task batching is a technique where you group similar tasks together to minimise context-switching. In layman’s terms, this saves your brain the energy of actively switching from one task to the next. This in turn reduces brain fatigue and decreases wasted time. 

For example, instead of answering emails and text messages throughout the day, block out a specific time to answer all of them at once. The same can be said for house tasks like washing and doing the dishes. This hack allows you to stay focused for longer periods of time.

11. Reflect & Adjust Accordingly

Aim to have reflection sessions at the end of each day, or at the least, at the end of each week. Pay special attention to what went well and what needs improvement. Ask yourself about the obstacles you encountered and mark off which goals you reached. 

This weekly reflection helps you to celebrate your wins and provides valuable insights for your future planning sessions. Use this time to adjust any strategies that didn’t work well in order to set yourself up for a more productive week ahead. 

Super Charge Your Week

Working smarter, not harder is the main objective of any productivity hack. By implementing some of the abovementioned tips, you can help take control of your schedule, reduce stress and reach your goals more effectively. These hacks are meant to help you create a healthy work-life balance while helping enhance productivity in your everyday life.

Remember, consistency is key. Try a few of these hacks this coming week and see how they impact not only your workflow but your personal life as well. If you still don’t know where to start, consider using a planner app or simply a piece of paper to better manage your workload. It might just become your secret productivity weapon.