Hustle culture has us all thinking that we need to put our every last second into work if we want to achieve our financial (or self-improvement) goals. Not only is it detrimental to our mental and physical health, but it’s also counter-productive.

When the only thing on your mind is to “get more done,” you often miss efficiency and accuracy. Even though you’re putting in more hours, you’re not getting as much work done. That’s because you’re not planning.

All of us are aware of the importance of planning for the success of any project, but when it comes to productivity, we jump right into it without much thought. That is exactly why we often fail at our productivity goals.

What Is a Productivity Plan, and Why Is It Important to Have One?

Illustration of a person with glasses working on a laptop

While the term “productivity plan” is self-explanatory, it’s vital to give it a clear and concise definition to know exactly what the term entails:

A productivity plan outlines your goals (both short-term and long-term) and strategically schedules them throughout your days, weeks, or months to increase your productivity while addressing key impediments to productivity.

Have you ever wondered why watching YouTube videos on productivity hacks late at night or reading articles on improving your productivity haven’t been fruitful? It’s not because all those articles and videos provide the wrong tips and strategies.

We all have different mindsets, goals, and problems; each of us has a different working style and comes from different backgrounds. These internet articles and videos are generalized and don’t address our unique set of problems and impediments to productivity.

With a proper productivity plan at your disposal, you won’t have to jump blindly from one task to the next. You’ll have a proper roadmap of the day (week or month), making you more focused on your goals and less likely to get distracted. Planning for productivity gives you a sense of control, making you less likely to feel overwhelmed or stressed.

How to Create a Productivity Plan

Productivity planning is not rocket science. All you need is to get into the right attitude, remember your goals, and set out with an open mind. You need to throw all the productivity dogmas of “waking up at 4 am” or “taking cold showers” out of the window and see what works for you.

Since a productivity plan is unique to your goals, temperament, and mindset, there are no strict guidelines on how to make one. However, the following steps provide a flexible roadmap of the process that you can use:

1. Set SMART Goals

Aimless walking will get you nowhere. Having a record of your goals and tasks makes going from one task to the next easier. That is why it’s important to set SMART goals, as they help you track progress, improve motivation, and increase productivity.

Once you have your goals on paper, think of everything you need to do to achieve them. This may include tasks about your job or business goals, habits for self-improvement, personal projects, or daily responsibilities. Start with anything that comes to mind, no matter how trivial it seems, and group them under relevant goals.

2. Keep Track of Time

Photo of an alarm clock

Track how you spend your time throughout the day to get an idea of your average day. How many productive hours are you managing per day? What activities consume most of your time? Do this for a few days, and you’ll be amazed at how much time is going into distractions or trivial activities such as checking your emails or social media feeds.

You can use TimeCamp to track your computer time automatically. All you need is to register on their website and download the computer app, and it’ll start tracking your time.

3. Analyze Your Timesheet and Note Down the Challenges You’re Currently Facing

After tracking your time for a few days, you’ll have enough data to garner valuable insights. If you’ve been using TimeCamp, access its time log, and you’ll have a detailed account of your days.

While analyzing your time log, ask yourself the following questions:

  • How many hours per day are you working?
  • How much time goes into social media?
  • What activities take up most of your time?
  • How much time did it take for you to complete a particular task?

Answering these questions will help you notice the hurdles that are preventing you from becoming more productive. Once you know the problems, you can start thinking about their solutions.

Apart from the common distractions such as social media, you should note down other, seemingly irrelevant, things that might prevent you from becoming more productive. Ask yourself:

  • Do you find it hard to work late in the afternoon?
  • Do you feel lethargic most of the time?
  • Are you not sleeping properly?

While noting down the challenges, you should stay true to yourself. Try not to tell yourself excuses for your unproductive behaviors.

4. Create and Follow a Schedule

Coffee cup placed on a calendar

Using the insights from your analysis, create a schedule while considering your goals. While Google Calendar is great for scheduling, if it isn’t working, consider using free Google Calendar alternatives to schedule your day.

Depending upon your goals and peak productivity hours, assign appropriate daily or weekly hours to work, fitness, leisure, family, or personal projects. There’s no right or wrong; it all depends upon your goals and personal preferences.

For example, if you want to start a new business, you should assign a few hours a week to work on your business. But if your goal is to get a great summer bod, reduce the time spent on your phone and schedule more weekly gym sessions.

Regardless of what your goals are, it’s important to keep a realistic schedule. You don’t want to schedule every last second of the day. Your schedule should be flexible enough to accommodate sudden plans. And don’t forget to incorporate well-earned breaks. The goal is not to stay busy but to increase productivity.

5. Find Your Ideal Productivity Strategy and Stick To It

Productivity doesn’t come naturally to most of us. However, using tried and tested methods can help make the process easier. Here are a few productivity strategies that you can use in your schedule:

The Ivy Lee Method

The Ivy Lee method is a simple yet efficient strategy to incorporate into your schedule. Make a list of 6 tasks you need to complete each day. Rank them in order of importance and start with the most important task. The goal is to finish one task at a time.

Once you’re done with the first task, move on to the next one, then the next, until you’re done with your list. If you’re not able to complete all six tasks, simply move them to the next day.

If you want to learn more, here’s a detailed guide on how to use the Ivy Lee method for stress-free productivity.

The Pareto Principle

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a famous productivity strategy that emphasizes focusing on the most important tasks. According to the Pareto principle, 20% of the (most important) tasks yield 80% of the results.

Use the 80/20 rule to prioritize your tasks while focusing on the desired results. Identify the key tasks that’ll yield the most of those results and focus on completing those tasks first.

The Pomodoro Technique

Increase your productivity with the Pomodoro method by focusing on a single task for 25 minutes and then taking a short break. The Pomodoro method is perfect for completing large, daunting tasks. It becomes much easier to commit and complete when you break down the task into several smaller tasks (that you can complete in 25 minutes).

6. Reanalyze Your Performance & Experiment

Planning for productivity isn’t a one-time thing. Your first productivity plan might not be as detailed or effective as you hope. That is why it’s important to review your weekly and monthly progress.

See how well your productivity plan is working. Identify any obstacles you might have missed and adjust your plan to address them. If a particular strategy isn’t giving results, try a different one and note the results.

Boost Your Productivity With a Productivity Plan

If the internet productivity tips aren't working, it's time to create a personalized productivity plan. Your plan should address all the hurdles that have been keeping you from reaching your maximum potential. When creating the plan, make sure to schedule your high-priority tasks to leverage your peak performance hours.

While a productivity plan is sure to help, it's important that you follow it through. That means creating a work environment free from distractions, including your phone. But if having your smartphone close is important, you should follow good smartphone habits.