10 Fresh Mindset Habits to Boost Your Productivity and Achieve More

We all have the same 24 hours—no secret bonus rounds, no hidden extra minutes. Unless you’ve got a time machine, you can’t stretch time. The trick? Make it work for you.

Humans have been obsessed with productivity since, well, forever. We’ve written books, built apps, and attended way too many webinars, all in the hope of finally conquering our to-do lists. And yet, no matter how hard we try, that list just keeps growing. Check off one task, and three more grow in its place, like that stubborn weed in your garden.

But then, there’s the flip side. There’s nothing better than that sweet moment of inbox zero or the victory of finishing a big task. Productivity isn’t about doing more stuff just for the sake of it. It’s about feeling in control of your time.

What is the key, you may ask? It’s not just about working harder—it’s about working smarter. We have all heard this before, and I’m sure it appears on the first page of everyone’s website, or it is our unwritten motto. Shit, I reckon someone has this tattooed on their arm.

More hours don’t always mean better results. Staying busy isn’t the same as being productive. There is no award for the hardest-working, most burnt-out person who still failed to achieve anything. Real productivity is about focusing on what actually matters, not just what’s screaming for your attention.

Now, that also means prioritizing what we need to do because not all tasks deserve VIP treatment. It means streamlining. We love to overcomplicate things. How many times can you see a straight path from point A to B, but somehow someone complicates it and adds more letters than an alphabet soup?

So let’s keep this simple. Cut the fluff, focus on what counts, and give yourself permission to recharge. You don’t need a time machine, you just need a smarter game plan.

Here are 10 simple but effective ways to boost your productivity and improve your life.

1. Set Clear Goals

Everything and everyone needs direction. You can’t drive a car with no plan of which roads to take and just hope you will end up in the right spot. All this results in is you driving around, hopefully going from street to street, and your anger and frustration build.

You need to have an endpoint in mind and a plan for how to get there.

We all have heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Well, this is very true. Yes, we can swan around hoping the right path will come our way, but how much needless effort have we wasted in the meantime?

Setting clear and achievable goals is the foundation of any productive day. Without a clear target, it’s easy to drift aimlessly or get sidetracked by distractions. Think about both your short-term and long-term goals.

Short-term goals could be tasks you want to accomplish today or this week, while long-term ones might be projects you hope to finish this year. They can be interrelated or separate in nature, but by defining them, we can start to see what needs to be done in their sequential order and then start to map out efficiencies that can be applied to make it more streamlined.

Writing these goals down gives them weight and makes them feel real. It isn’t just random pie-in-the-sky thoughts anymore. It is real, clear and concrete. Plus, every time you tick something off your list, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and push yourself closer to your bigger dreams.

2. Prioritize Tasks

At times, with life rushing at us from all directions, we often feel like a dartboard, taking hits from all directions. Our attention is focused on the closest incoming dart, instead of taking the time to work out which dart is the most important. Ok, this is a shit analogy, but what I am trying to get at is that we don’t just have to focus on the immediate demand in front of us all the time. We need to work out which is more important and do that first.

If you're like me, you often think the most enjoyable task is the priority, and you put off things you hate doing. Look, it is human nature, but not always the best course of action.

Not every task on your to-do list is equally important. So, prioritizing is key to making sure you spend your time on the right things. Start by figuring out which tasks are urgent and which ones can wait.

You can use tools like the Eisenhower Box, which divides tasks into four categories: urgent, not urgent, important, and not important. This helps you focus on what matters most and avoid wasting energy on low-priority tasks.

When you tackle your most important jobs first, you’ll feel more accomplished and less stressed as the day goes on, instead of leaving tasks that really are important sitting on the edge of your desk, just staring at you.

3. Use a Planner

Whilst we all like to think we are the smartest person alive and we can keep every thought in our mind, perfectly placed in logical order and ready for immediate access, there is simply too much going on in our lives to keep all this shit randomly floating in our heads.

It's time to bring in the big guns—a planner! I'm not saying you need to employ an elite team of professional planners. It can be as simple as using a diary or notepad.

If you haven’t used a planner yet, it’s time to give one a try. Whether you prefer a digital planner or a traditional paper one, scheduling your tasks helps you manage your time more effectively.

With a planner, you can lay out your entire day or week ahead, seeing exactly what needs to be done. This way, you won’t miss any deadlines or important appointments. Plus, crossing off tasks feels so satisfying!

Now, like any instrument, to get the most from it, you need to use it correctly. So, instead of just writing everything and anything down, take a few minutes each morning to plan your day. By doing this, you can see what priorities may have changed, and you’ll set yourself up for success and avoid last-minute scrambling.

4. Eliminate Distractions

Distractions – our mortal enemy.

We have all been there, where we are working hard on an important task, and then our phone beeps to let us know that some crazy lunatic has posted themselves jumping off a 50-metre bridge into a 3cm bucket of water. Shit, that must be more important than what I am doing now. Right?

Distractions are like experts. They are everywhere. Simple Google how to do anything, and 100 people are telling you the right way to do it for the low cost of… you get the picture. Oh, no. I am doing this now! Oops.

But let's get back on course. Distractions are the nemesis of productivity, and they come in many forms: social media, noisy environments, or even that pile of laundry staring at you from the corner. The list is endless.

The first step is identifying what’s distracting you the most and then taking action to minimize it or, if possible, eliminate it completely. Maybe it means turning your phone off, moving it to another room, finding a quiet place to work, or clearing up the clutter on your desk.

When I am working hard on something that requires maximum concentration, I close my emails so I don’t hear the constant incoming alert.

Cutting out distractions makes it easier to stay in the zone, and you’ll be surprised at how much more you can get done when you’re not constantly interrupted.

5. Take Breaks

It might sound like the opposite of productivity, but taking regular breaks actually helps you work better in the long run. Unless you're Forrest Gump, you can’t keep running forever. Like a car, we eventually run out of fuel and will simply stop.

Whilst you can push yourself to work non-stop for hours, just how productive are we at the end of the session? Your brain can only stay focused for so long before it starts to lose steam, so giving it a rest is crucial. This doesn’t mean you take a two-week cruise, but a quick change of scenery or taking a moment to tune out and have a cup of coffee can do the trick.

Try taking a 5-minute break every 25 minutes or so—just enough time to stretch, grab a snack or take a quick walk.

These mini breaks give your mind a chance to recharge and prevent burnout. Quite often, it gives you time to think of things or approaches that may be different. Plus, you’ll come back to your tasks feeling refreshed and ready to crush the next task on your list.

6. Practice Time Blocking

Unless we block time, we don’t allocate time for what is important. Now, if you are like me, every day I intend to go for a run or hit the gym for an hour. But before you know it, you have become so engrossed in a task that you realize you don’t have time for the gym anymore. Before you know it, you have missed a week of exercise, and the jeans are a bit tighter for some unexplained reason.

Time blocking is a game-changer for anyone looking to boost productivity. This method involves setting specific blocks of time for different tasks throughout your day and consciously allocating time for important tasks on your dance card.

For example, you could block out 9-11 AM for focused work, 11 AM-12 PM for emails, and 12-1 PM for lunch.

Everyone has the best time of day when they are most productive. Some of us are morning people, and that is the best time to complete complex tasks. Some prefer to do these in the quiet of the late evening.

This structured approach not only helps you stay organized but also gives you a sense of urgency to complete each task within its allotted time. Time blocking makes your day feel less overwhelming and ensures you’re always making progress toward your goals.

7. Limit Multitasking

We all like to think we can do everything all at once. Even the experts are not great at this. Have you ever seen someone successfully juggle three live chainsaws, six flaming torches, and a little kitten? Sorry about that if you are a cat lover or love power tools, but I hope you get the message.

Let’s look at it a bit more sensibly. You can keep adding water to a bucket, but eventually, it will overflow. Or, like a juggler, at some stage, there are simply too many balls, and they will drop some.

Multitasking might seem like a superpower, but research shows it actually reduces efficiency. When you try to do multiple things at once, your brain has to constantly switch between tasks, breaking your concentration and train of thought. This leads to mistakes and slower work. Instead of doing one thing well, we do a few things poorly.

Instead of juggling everything, focus on completing one task at a time. Not only will you do a better job, but you’ll also get more done overall.

So, next time you feel the urge to multitask, remind yourself that focus is the real key to productivity—and you’ll be amazed at how much more you accomplish.

8. Stay Organized

Some people work in a state of messiness and chaos, but in most circumstances, we work better when our minds and environment are in a clean and organized state. An organized workspace is the secret to an organized mind. If you’re working in a cluttered environment, it’s easy to feel distracted and overwhelmed. I’m sure we all know someone whose desk is full of crap where even the fucking Da Vinci Code is safe from prying eyes. When you ask them to find something, the task seems harder than climbing Mt Everest. They often get there in the end, but it has wasted too much time and effort.

Now, I’m not saying we need to live in a museum or a room free of bacteria, but start by keeping your physical space tidy, using folders, labels, and storage solutions to keep everything in its place. It’s the same with your digital space—clear out your inbox and organize your files so you can easily find what you need.

A clutter-free environment helps reduce stress and allows you to focus on what really matters, making your workday much more productive.

9. Keep a Healthy Lifestyle

Your productivity is closely tied to your physical and mental health. If you’re tired, stressed, or not feeling your best, it’s much harder to focus and stay motivated.

Unfortunately, you can’t separate them. If you are running on zero sleep, your brain is about as useful as a broken kettle. They work together as a dream team, and they are only as strong as their weakest link. So, let’s look after ourselves and give ourselves the best fighting chance.

Prioritizing sleep, eating healthy meals, and staying active can give you the energy and focus you need to be productive. When your body feels good, your mind can do its best work. Think about the last time you exercised; how much better did you feel afterwards? Wasn’t your mental clarity and focus much better?

I don’t think I need to remind the adults in the room how productive we were the day after a long night with a few too many celebratory drinks. Our general will to live was set to a very low setting.

So, don’t underestimate the power of a healthy lifestyle. A good night’s sleep, a balanced diet, and regular exercise are all part of the productivity equation.

10. Reflect and Adjust

Life can feel like a constant race—go, go, go—leaving no space to pause, look back, or think about all the things that might have been unintentionally left behind. It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of responsibilities and tasks, moving forward without ever truly assessing if we’re heading in the right direction. Have we been using the best strategies? Is there a more effective way to go about things? All too often, we don't make the time to check in with ourselves to see if we are actually making progress or if we're just busy for the sake of being busy.

It’s easy to fall into a routine and keep pushing forward without ever taking a step back to assess how things are going. However, taking time to reflect on your productivity is crucial for continuous improvement. This one hour of reflection may save you days in the future.

At the end of the week, ask yourself what worked well and what didn’t. Did your time management improve? Did you hit your goals? Use this reflection time to adjust your approach and try new strategies.

Productivity isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, so don’t be afraid to tweak your methods to find what works best for you