How to be productive

December 1, 2014

As a full-time graduate student with a part-time job and my blog, it is essential that I stay productive and focused. I literally cannot afford to fall behind and sometimes that pressure can be really overwhelming!

I thought it would be fun to share my top 5 productivity essentials to help any of you who are feeling overwhelmed by a million and one demands and to let you know that it is possible to balanced a hectic schedule.

1. Wake up early

Okay, so although this doesn’t apply to everyone, it definitely works for me. I have always been a morning person and cannot stand working at night. Why? I like to work when the sun is out as this keeps me feeling happy and energized, and I have a lot more concentration in the morning. Plus, I like to be able to work into the morning and into the afternoon (if needed) so I can relax a bit at night, go out for a nice meal or watch a movie. I find that waking up early has always enabled me to be my most productive, so why not give it a go yourself?

2. Organize yourself

I am not the type of person to carry around a planner with me and make to do lists, but I DO make a mental to do list and input important events (such as essay deadlines and etc) into my iPhone. Organizing yourself by seeing what needs to be prioritized is so important in being productive. Why waste 5 hours on something that is not actually that important?

If one of your goals is to start a small business, you can turn to Kabbage, an online provider of small business loans (and one of Forbe’s most promising companies), and get a loan to get started. Definitely high on the priority list! Kabbage also posted a great article on how small business owners can be productive which you can read by clicking here.

3. Stop with the excuses & negativity

Your mental state of being is critical to being successful and productive. Think about the last time you felt sad and negative. Be honest, how much did you get done? Instead of dwelling on how hard life seems and how much you have to do, try and turn those thoughts into positives.

“I will NEVER get this all done by next week” can be turned into —> “Let’s see how quickly I can get all this finished, and then I can kick back with the girls!”

Never underestimate the power of positive thinking 🙂

4. Don’t skip out on nutrition

Please, pleaaase do not feed your body with high-sugar and high-fat foods that only serve to make you feel sluggish! Make sure you get in meals and snacks that are rich with complex carbohydrates, lean protein, healthy fats and lots of fiber to keep you feeling full. Having a latte is an awesome kickstart whenever I need an extra boost and having energy rich snack on hand helps me get through the busy days.

For meal and snack idea’s, click here to get a whole selection!

5. Get some sleep!

Sleep; something so overlooked but so incredibly critical for being productive and efficient. A lack of sleep can result in a very cranky, tired and inefficient individual! Everyone is unique in how much sleep they need although 7 hours is usually recommended. For me, I need about 8-9 hours of sleep to have a really productive and efficient day. And no, catching up on sleep doesn’t work 😛

[Tweet “5 top tips on how to be your most productive by Honestly Fitness”]

Honestly yours,
Alice

About Me

Genesis

January 14, 2014

Welcome to Honestly Fitness!

Before I launch into an introduction, let me take a moment to thank you all so much for visiting Honestly Fitness!

This blog was created with a vision to share the knowledge that I have gained over the years regarding health, fitness and everything in between. The majority of what I post will focus on health and fitness, but I play around a lot with beauty products (who doesn’t want soft and smooth skin?) so there will be the occasional beauty and lifestyle post.

Most of us, myself included, are not blessed with a super fast metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want and stay in great shape. I started getting serious about fitness when I was about 16 and have been on that journey ever since. The keyword here is journey. The majority of people have the notion that once you achieve whatever you started out to achieve (such as losing 10 pounds), you can go back to your old habits and let loose so to speak. Unfortunately this is not the case – once you have achieved a particular goal, it is up to you to maintain that goal and to develop healthy and sustainable habits that will keep you in shape forever, and not just for 6 months. I will be on this journey for the rest of my life and I am so excited to share my thoughts and experience with you all!

My hope is that this blog will allow you to develop and maintain these habits. Fad diets, starvation and deprivation of any kind DO NOT work. For example, diets such as low-carbohydrate diets may work well in the short term, but your body thrives off of carbohydrates, and there is no way you can have a healthy and functioning body on such a diet. Be good to yourself and nourish your body with the correct nutrition and your body will thank you. Exercise for your goals, do not just blindly follow a ‘Drop 10 pounds fast!’ diet from a magazine.

I truly hope that you find this blog helpful, and please feel free to leave comments suggesting how I could improve the blog. Video editing advice would be much appreciated as I am a complete beginner!