3 Work Habits That Are Productivity Game Changers

Forget about productivity hacks - these habits will actually change the way you feel about work.

Productivity may sound simple in concept, but in this day and age, more than ever before, we struggle to keep it consistent. We’re constantly getting distracted or interrupted, everyone is a text message away, and updates from around the world never stop coming our way at the speed of light. It seems like either the world is too fast, or we’re too slow.

The truth is that productivity is different for everybody. Some people can just sit down and work, while others (such as myself) need a routine and consistent habits to maintain a nice workflow.

The habits described below are the ones I believe get little attention compared to the ones you hear about all the time, some of which simply don’t work for everybody.

These are habits anyone can start doing right away and that will dramatically increase your productivity by creating a healthy routine and changing the way you feel about work on the process.

Brain Association

Brain association is simply linking certain habits to your work routine, in a way both your mind and body will feel more prepared to face the day.

A perfect example for people who work from home is dressing up just like if you’re going to the office. Groom yourself just as if you’re getting ready to go out, and your mind and body will feel like you’ve just arrived at the office when you sit down to work.

It may be tempting to work on your pajamas, but by getting dressed, you’ll feel more prepared for a busy workday. If you want some extra knowledge, we recommend watching TED’s Work Smarter playlist, where some speakers directly refer to brain association.

Brain association will change the way you feel about work.

Here are some examples of brain association:

Get ready after waking up, even if you work from home and aren’t planning on seeing anyone. Having this routine helps you feel more prepared for work.
Have a “work uniform.” Not literally, just select a combination of clothes you can use solely to work. This way, after dressing up, you’ll know it’s work time - and at the end of the day, you can change clothes and feel truly off work.
Chew gum. Great for brain association and for anxiety.
Have a work lamp. Of course you want your work area to be well lit, but the association here is turning the lamp on. As you press the switch, you know it’s work time. Turn it off, and you know you’re done.

Repetition

Repetition is the continuation of brain association. It may come without saying, but actually committing to these simple actions and repeating them to the point of creating habits is where you want to be.

If you enjoy drinking coffee while working, have a “work coffee mug.” During your work hours, you’ll only use that mug for your coffee, and when your work is done, you don’t take that mug to the living room with you - you retire it until the next work day.

One example from my own routine: I have a work desk in my room. I don’t use that desk for playing video games, watching videos, or personal projects. When I’m sitting there, it’s work time. Likewise, I never take my laptop to bed. Sure, I can sit on my bed and work from there, but my bed is where I sleep.

Repetition goes a long way on helping you to stay focused, because it creates routines that give you a sense of familiarity and consistency.

Some other examples of repetition:

Create an instrumental music playlist for work. Whenever you start working, play it right away. These association triggers will get you into “work mode” faster.
Meditate. It wouldn’t be a cliché if it didn’t work - meditating for a few minutes before starting work is the perfect way to rest your mind, especially if you have trouble sleeping or suffer with anxiety.
Take some time off. You can do this deliberately during the day, or set a time to take a quick break. No human brain can work for hours and hours without serious consequences, one of them being the decrease of productivity over time. If you feel tired or unfocused, just take a quick break. Get away from your desk, drink some water, and then come back. You’ll feel much better and more productive in return.

Let Go of Perfectionism

I’m sure we all enjoy delivering good work, but more often than not, we’re guilty of taking a little longer than we should when writing an article because we’re rethinking that one sentence, cutting down that one paragraph, changing that one image…

And then hours have passed you feel like you did negative progress. There’s only one way of fixing that, and that is to let of perfectionism once and for all. Here’s a great article on how to identify the downsides of perfectionism in your daily life.

Perfectionism in itself is a vague statement - one more reason why you shouldn’t let it get over your head. Doing good work has nothing to do with being perfect. The clock never waits for “perfect.”

Don’t over-think small details. Only fix what really needs fixing, and move on. Focus on moving forwards, not backwards.

Set a timer to work with. If you notice you’re taking longer than usual on small details, respect the timer and keep moving forward. This will train you to finish consistently good work on time. The more you do it, the better you get at it.

If you don’t know what to do, just ask for feedback. It’s the fastest way to know what really needs changing and what doesn’t, and it prevents you from hitting a road block.

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