5 Brain Hacks to Increase Your Productivity

In this article, I’ll show you 5 brain hacks to increase your productivity

So far, one thing I’ve learned about self-help is that our brains are not at all made for success.

Our brains aren’t made to be productive. Our brains love the comfort and easy things, which makes us lazy and satisfied with what we have.

What I found wasn’t a system for being productive. Instead, it was ways to mess with the ways our brains are naturally wired to keep us comfortable and lazy.

And I’m going to tell you about that. No matter how lazy you are, here are 5 tricks you can use to get more done:

1. Start out very small with no drive

One of the most important things I’ve learned in my life is this trick: start so small that you can’t say no.

A lot of people believe in this popular idea, so if I want to start something, I need motivation.

Why do you ask? Most people think they need to start big to feel like they’re doing something worthwhile, and if they don’t, they don’t feel the need to do anything. Which is a bad thought.

If you want to keep up a habit or learn a skill, you need to lay the groundwork first. This will pay off in the long run. Here are some examples:

• You want to make reading a habit: Start by reading a page a day.
• You want to start going to the gym regularly: Just show up for five minutes every day for a month.
• You want to make flossing a habit: Floss one tooth.
• You want to start posting on your blog: Start by writing one paragraph per day.

2. Prime your environment for productivity

Our environment has a huge effect on how we act. Most people make a big mistake when they try to be productive in the wrong setting.

I learned that if you want to be more productive, you need to change your environment. To be productive, you don’t have to put any thought into it. Here are some things you should think about:

How could you be focused if you were watching trashy news on TV or on your phone?

How could you get anything done if all your friends have nothing to do and keep asking you for things?

How could you be productive if you were working in a room that was messy or somewhere that was loud?

3. Do exercises for your breathing

To be more productive, you can also train your brain to be calm and focused on the present.

All of us have busy minds. Learning how to make your brain work for you will help you stay on task and get things done for a long time.

So make it a habit to breathe each and every day. You can do it in the morning or before going to bed at night.

Just start with one minute.

The goal is to learn how to show up before setting a higher bar.

4. Use a to-do list

Use a to-do list. This is the fourth way to get things done and keep your mind very focused.

The list of things to do is like a map for the day. If you have a big project, break it up into small tasks and write at least three of them on paper or in your phone every day.

Cross out the task when it’s done.

By doing this simple thing, you tell your brain, “I stand for my thing,” and you build your identity as someone who does what he tells himself to do, which is the most important part of being productive.

Further Reading: How To Write a To-Do List For Maximum Productivity

5. Reward yourself

What gets rewarded happens again. Keep doing what you care about, fool your brain, and use your dopamine system.

We all want a little dopamine every now and then, and that’s what keeps us going in life.

Give yourself a reward to get back into your old routine. It doesn’t have to be something big. It could be anything. The point is to feel good about what you’ve done.

Bonus Tips

Bonus Tip 1: When things get tough, have a plan.

One thing that is often overlooked, but is important if you want to stay productive and get things done, is to have a plan for when things go wrong.

A bad mood is something that everyone has to deal with. Sometimes we just feel slow and tired for no reason.

Most people don’t do that thing, makeup reasons not to do it, and go with how they feel anyway.

So we let ourselves be controlled by our feelings and moods, and we put things off until a date we don’t know. That wastes a lot of time.

Tip 2: Get rid of distractions.

Without a doubt, distractions are messing with your mind and sending it all over the place.

All of us have 24 hours. Why does it seem like some people have more time and get more done than others?

They don’t waste their time, which is the main reason. They know how important time is and make sure it is used in a useful way.

So, it all comes down to concentrating. The only way to keep your mind clear and on task is to stop doing things that take away your time.

My process is to write down what activities I need to stop doing right now because they are taking my attention away from my goals.

Once it’s done, I think you should start working on just one. Make a plan, figure out why this time-wasting thing keeps happening, and get rid of it.

Further Reading: How To Eliminate Distractions And Boost Your Productivity