#BEDN: Top Ten Tips to Get S*it Done!

This might just be me, but when I have a huge amount of things to do, I tend to just bury my head in the sand a la the ostrich and hope that the To Do List Fairy comes along and does it all for me.
She doesn’t.

So, then, it is my task to catch up on all of the things and as something of a bit of a last-minute-Minnie, I feel that I’ve managed to try and test a whole host of ways to get my focus on. As a way of procrastinating from the things in my life that need doing, I figured I would share my tips with you. You’re welcome.

1. Tidy your workspace. Although it will feel like procrastinating (& technically, it kinda is…) it will make you way more productive in the long run. You can at least kid yourself that you’ve got your life together.
2. Write a list. Whether you use a super cute list pad, like these, an old receipt, or an app on your phone, seeing all your tasks in one place, and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with ticking them off will hopefully motivate you.
3. Block social media. I know, I know. You just go on to check something and two hours later you’re stalking your ex boyfriend’s new girlfriend’s uncle with no idea how you got there. The very best thing you can do is use something like Strict Workflow, which blocks all fun sites for 25 minutes and then gives you 5 minutes of access as a ‘break’. This got me through endless essays at uni!
4. I cannot recommend the 30/30 app enough. It’s beautifully designed and allows you to allocate a set amount of time for your activities, giving you an alarm when it’s time to move on. I like to treat it like a game and try to beat the amount of time I set myself – it also stops me spending hours on fun tasks and ending up hating myself when I’ve not achieved a whole lot…
5. I’m not even ashamed to say that I have the mentality of a small child at times. I like to promise myself a reward if I complete certain tasks, whether that is a snack, a nap, a hot bath or a glass of wine. (The latter of which you probably shouldn’t be offering your toddler…) Do whatever works for you, and keep striving to the reward!
6. Keep snacks and drinks around you. Perhaps try some semi-healthy snacky foods, I happen to love berries and grapes for when I’m working… and biscuits but I do try to limit those (sometimes!). Try to keep stocked up on juice or squash or water rather than many cans of energy drink – they won’t help as much as you think. Which leads me on to my next point…
7. Drink Berocca! I wasn’t a fan at first but now I love the taste and I save Berocca Boost for particularly important or busy days. It makes me feel good and pumped and ready to focus – Yay!
8. Find yourself a good playlist. This is my favourite for listening to whilst I’m working as it’s all pretty chilled and doesn’t distract me too much. I like to listen to it with headphones so I’m in my own little bubble.
9. Work when you work best. For example, Steven works really well early in the morning and will often get up before 6am and crack on like an annoyingly chipper productivity train. I, on the other hand, work best either on public transport or late at night with wine and candles (like I’m seducing my writing…) so I don’t ever try to work in the early hours.
10. Finally, in the words of Shia LeBeouf…

via GIPHY

Good luck! What are your top tips for getting stuff done?