10 ways to increase your productivity right now

10 ways to increase yur productivity right now10 ways to increase your productivity right nowAs someone diagnosed with ADD who, without medication, has been able to accomplish some truly focus-dependent projects (like writing a 250-page book, for example), here are 10 ways I have found to increase productivityFollow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more1. Prepare before you getstartedProductivity doesnt just happen in the moment.It happens long before you even sit down and get to work. The more you prepare ahead of time, and get clear on exactly what it is you want, need, or should do, the easier and faster you will move once you start.The reason why so many people struggle with being productive is because they skip this step, and when they sit down, they expect to start flying even though they havent even decided where it is they want to fly to.2. Turn off all distractionsIt doesnt take a genius to realize that every time your phone buzzes, your e-mail pops up on your screen, your schreibstube door opens, your train of thought is ruined.We like to believe we can both participate in a group chat via text and write our best-selling novel, but the truth is, we cant - and to think we can is wishful and naive.Your best work comes insilence.Its why people retreat and take vacations away from the busyness of life - to distance themselves from distraction.3. Make your expectations flexibleThe hardest part about productivity is that we want it to exist on a static playing field.We want there to be one formal definition for being productive and we want that definition to mean we got from point A to point B. But, depending on what youre working on, sometimes you have to take the scenic route.Sometimes the most productive thing you could possibly do right now is to brainstorm a million random ideas, play with a few of them, watch them fail before your eyes, and then come to a more refined conclusion of what it is youre actually trying to build or get done. In many cases, people would see this as an afternoon failure. But on the contrary, it is necessary in order to better understand whatever it is youre doing.Dont fight yourself when that happens.4. Measure, measure,measureIf you cant measure it, dont do it.This is something my own mentors have gone to great lengths to teach me, and rightfully so. If you cant measure it, you dont know how to improve it - or worse, you spend too much time on the scenic road and you never actually reach a point of conclusion. Measurement doesnt always have to do with time, or money, or something tangible.Sometimes, the best way to measure is to simply look back at old pieces of work and see how and where youve improved stylistically. But be conscious of measurement, so that you can tweak as you go along and see where you can become more efficient.5. Share what youre working on - for feedbackFor the longest time, I never wanted to share or talk about anything I was working on.I thought it was bad luck or would take me out of my flow. And Ill admit, there are those moments when your ideas are best left to ruminate in your own head, but you should not be hesitant to share what youre working on. Feedback is extremely important, and a lot of time can be saved by a single conversation where someone points out, very clearly, something that isnt working.It might not be easy to hear in the moment, but you will be thankful for it later.6. Practice InpublicWhen we talk about productivity, we often think of ways to seclude ourselves in our bedroom or office, alone, in the dark, with only the light of our laptop to keep us illuminated.But sometimes that approach actually ends up netting a poor return on your time investment because you arent getting outside feedback. Find ways to practice in public.Use the digital tools we have access to, like social media, to release test versions of whatever it is youre worki ng on Whether thats a book, an album, a startup, a comedy sketch, anything.Practicing in public gives you feedback, and feedback speeds up the learning and development process.7. CaffeineNeed we really explain the productivity benefits of a black coffee with an extra shot of espresso?8. MusicTo some, this would be a distraction, but I have always found light instrumental music in the background (Beethoven and Mozart, especially)to be quite the productivity booster.As long as it isnt filled with catchy melodies that take you out of the task at hand, music can be like that whirring fan in the background that acts as a subtle cue to your subconscious to stay on the task at hand.9. TakeBreaksAgain, being productive does not necessarily mean sitting still for eight straight hours.You might be able to swing that for a day or two, but you are not a robot. You will burn out. Productivity is all about flow. Its about knowing your limits and being conscious of how to move within your own cons traints.Maybe you need to take 10-minute breaks after every 50 minutes of focusGreat. Do that.Or maybe you can work for four hours no problem, but then you need to take the afternoon before diving into another four-hour work session at night.Great. Do that.Do what works for you, and you only.This isnt about being productive based on someone elses habits or way of doing things.This is about knowing yourself, and using your habits to your advantage.10. Create aroutineIt is said the best musicians, athletes, innovators, etc., follow a daily routine that trains their subconscious to know when it is time to work and when it is time to relax.There is absolutely something to be said for always practicing at the same time, or always going to the gym at the same time, or always writing at the same time, every day. You train yourself to know, as soon as that hour strikes, to fall into that mode of focus required to do your best work.Trying to be productive when one day you are working in the morning, the next day youre working at night, the next day youre working in the middle of the day, it gets exhausting. Routine is extremely helpful, and inherently removes the distraction of adjustment to something new.Consistency is what youre after.This article originally appeared on Inc Magazine.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people