I kind of pride myself on somehow being kinda lazy, but still having most of my shit together. And I think it’s just the ability to be productive and organized, and to prioritize self-care. But, yes, also being a childless Millennial helps.
But even if you do have kids, or not, or whatever, I think there are times you can make your life feel a bit more productive, even if you only have a short window to do so. You may feel like you’re always working but still not getting anything done. And we’re going to change that.
Because honestly, it doesn’t have to be that way. A few simple changes can help you achieve more in less time without working harder. So let’s dive into my lazy person’s guide to a more productive life.
14 Simple Habits to Help You Be More Productive
I’m notoriously someone who likes to be efficient but also wants to be as lazy as possible. I have fine-tuned my habits and shortcuts that actually move the needle for me while not feeling overwhelmed. These are some of my favorite simple productivity habits that will have you feeling like you have your life together.
1. Prioritize Your Goals
First and foremost, you have to decide what’s a priority. By wasting time on smaller tasks, or ones that don’t really move the needle, you’ll be doing more work with fewer results in life.
When you focus on the most important goals, you’ll automatically feel more productive. And once that goal has finally been achieved, you’ll feel like a million bucks. You’ll feel more accomplished, and honestly, you may start the snowball effect where you get on a roll. And then you can go back to being lazy.
2. Break Tasks Into Smaller Pieces
If large projects feel too overwhelming making you lazy and not productive, then break them into smaller tasks. By breaking a large project down into smaller more manageable tasks you’ll feel more confident in knocking them out. And again, after you knock off one thing from your to-do list, you’re more inclined to knock another out, and so on.
I do this a lot with my Asana tasks. If I have a big project I need to work on, I am bound to be overwhelmed by it and just avoid it all. Instead, I break the project into small tasks and assign them to myself to knock out. And without fail, every time, I end up getting through MANY of the smaller tasks making my way through these projects more easily.
3. Eliminate Distractions
If you want to boost your productivity, you better eliminate distractions. This may mean putting your phone on Do Not Disturb so you can focus on whatever task is at hand. Or maybe it’s turning off the TV to get some work done. If there are distractions keeping you from your optimal productivity so you can more quickly get things done and embrace your lazy, eliminate them!
4. Automate Whenever Possible
The key to being lazy and productive? Automate. Whenever possible, automate whatever you can. This can be from bill pay to subscribing to the things you buy all the time on repeat, to meal planning and grocery shopping, and so on.
5. Delegate Tasks
Delegating tasks is key to offloading things from your to-do list. Whether it’s home chores that you offload to your kids or partner, or start to flex your manager muscles at work and delegate more tasks to your team because you’ve been taking on more than you need to, it’s time to delegate.
I think some of us (hi, it’s me) tend to be control freaks and want to do all the things. I do this a lot in literally everything and anything I do in life. So this is a good reminder for me.
6. Outsource Tasks
After you automate and delegate what you can, then you outsource. While this is a privilege to be able to do, I do think it’s also important to look at the cost-benefit. Analyzing what you can get done in an hour versus hiring a task out instead, is a good way to see what’s worth it. If you can work for an hour and make $100, then maybe it’s worth hiring someone to help with something for $50 to take it off your plate.
There are also things like meal planning that can be outsourced with meal delivery, so it’s one less thing you’re doing. Again, many of these are a privilege to have access to, but if you have the means, they can allow you to open up your schedule and free up more time.
7. Optimize Your Environment
If you want to knock out some productivity, you should probably find your optimal productivity settings. Everyone may be different, but whatever it is that you find helps to get you into the zone, make sure you do that EVERY time.
For me, when I know I need to get into a work groove, it’s my office vibes Spotify playlist that instantly gets me there. I can zone out and knock out work like a mad woman.
Maybe it’s plugging in some AirPods and listening to a book or podcast, or 90’s hip hop. Whatever it is, know that if it’s time to be productive, you must set the mood in a sense.
8. Optimize Your Tasks And Routine
I think one of the things I pride myself on is problem solving and being efficient. I think it may be the waitress in me and working in a restaurant for 15 years. But we were required to manage a lot at once and be as efficient as possible. And this is something I try to do at all times in my life.
Whether it’s running errands in an efficient manner, or optimizing my routine, these are ways to be super productive and then allow you to embrace your lazy moments. Take running errands as an example. There’s no need to run all over town to do all your errands in one single day just because you want to knock it out. Break up your errands based on location and priority. If you’re going to be near XYZ later this week for something else, do it then! Saving time where you can will result in ultimate lazy gains.
9. Embrace Your Lazy
Sometimes you just need to be lazy so you can be your best self. This is the recharging that we need and it means we can be a better version of ourselves. And usually a more productive one. Plus, I think it’s important to recognize when you need to be lazy and just be. Rest is important!
10. Try Setting A Timer
Setting a timer to knock things out can be a great way to be productive. Set a timer for an hour and get to cleaning and tidying the house. Or set a timer and work on the project you’ve been procrastinating on.
I like using the Pomodoro Technique, which is a productivity method that involves breaking work into intervals, usually 25 minutes long. This allows me to have bursts of productivity which I think is necessary and most beneficial to us lazy people.
11. Trim The Fat
If you want to live your optimal lazy life, while still being productive, you have to get rid of the unnecessary crap in your life. That may mean saying no to things, turning down social invites or obligations that you don’t really need to go to. It may also mean getting rid of the people in your life who are taking up valuable time or energy who don’t deserve it.
When you just keep people in your life who are VIPs, you may free up some time while also offloading unnecessary drama and negative energy.
12. Create A Lazy To Do List
There’s no reason to make a massive to-do list that will overwhelm you. Look at your week, and choose the 3 things that are top priority for today, or this week, that are non-negotiables. This will help you focus on the most important tasks, and you’re bound to add another couple automatically just because you’re on a roll.
13. Done Is Better Than Perfect
A rule I like to live by, even as a perfectionist, is that done is better than perfect. You can always come back to things when you have time to really make them perfect. But if you’re going to really get anything done, you need to look at things as not always being perfect.
14. Make Decisions Once
I love the idea of this, make decisions once. This means having things ready to pull from whether it’s go-to dinners, a cleaning routine that feels like you’re doing enough and know you can knock it out, to even go-to outfits you can rely on. If you have 2-3 dinners you can always rely on that are easy and you know you like, lean on that when you’re feeling lazy. The same goes for outfits, your workouts, breakfast, whatever. Making fewer decisions takes away the decision fatigue and saves you time.
How to Be More Productive at Work
When at the office, being more productive while not adding more stress or work to your plate is key. Here are a few of my favorite tips to be more productive at work.
- Protect Your First Hour. Don’t open email or slack first thing, instead use the start of your day for the most important task you need to do. This keeps you from getting sidetracked. This will also set the tone for the day.
- Delegate more than feels comfortable. If there’s someone else on your team who do something just as well as you, it’s time to hand it off. Done is better than perfect.
- Batch your tasks that are similar. Instead of having email open all day where you feel inclined to answer as things come in, batch tasks. Do email three times a day so you can focus on it, then move onto what you really need to work on. Switching between different types of skills can half your momentum.
- Use a project management tool. I love using Asana to break down big projects and is one of my favorite productive habits. I like to assign tasks to myself, especially recurring ones so I’m always keeping the ball moving forward. I like to think this is the best way to work smarter and is one of my go to ways on how to stop procrastinating on a task.
- Make a 3 item to do list. At the end of your work day, make a list of 3 essential things you must do the next day. This can then be what you focus on in that first hour. A long list will feel overwhelming. A shorter one is manageable and you’ll definitely do more once you cross off your 3.
How To Be More Productive At Home
- Meal plan once a week, not daily. Decide what you’ll eat for the week, and where you may be eating out so you can plan accordingly. This will reduce food waste, and eliminate decision fatigue halfway through the week.
- Outsource what drains you. If cleaning, or home maintenance is overwhelming, figure out the hourly rate for what it takes to do, if it’s less than what you earn in an hour, time to outsource it. Always start with the tasks that drain you.
- Keep a running house list. In one place, and shared with others in the house, create a list of errands, household tasks and any to-dos you need to accomplish. You’ll actually get things done this way, and it relieves the mental load of trying to remember it all.
- Automate what you can. From bills to grocery subscriptions and anything else you buy or do monthly, set it and forget it. The same goes for any services. Schedule and automate your home services so they’re ready to go.
Productivity isn’t about working harder, it’s about working smarter. By following these tips for the lazy person’s guide to a more productive life, you can eliminate wasted time and focus on what really matters. So go ahead, take the first step towards a more productive life today and then you can fully embrace your lazy, guilt free.
