Okay so you won’t become a guru just by using these tips and they probably aren’t all that secret. But you did use the secret handshake on the way in… didn’t you?

False advertising and unreal expectations aside, here’s some ideas that could help you become just a little more productive and a little less frustrated.

Remember… a tip is only valuable in the application thereof.

Plan the night before

Such a simple non-unique tip. It was probably stolen from some other productivity guru in the past but it works. When you plan the night before, you sleep better and you wake up focussed rather than discombobulated (I’ve been trying to use that word for weeks). Without a clear plan, it may take several hours to really get on track in the morning. Make a list before you sleep.

Reward yourself

For every task, or at least those that require some motivation there should be a reward. The reverse would be a punishment (I don’t know what else to call it) for an unfinished task. Wendy Piersall implements that idea in her monday motivation posts.

Leave the office

Sometimes the most distracting place in the universe is where you are working. At your desk or home office, with the phone ringing, people stopping by and all the other things you need to do just sitting there and staring at you. Simply changing your enviroment will take you away from a lot of the things that distract. Although it may not be for everyone, working in a local cafe helps me to focus and I get much more done there than in the home office. You go wherever you won’t be distracted. Does an office phone make a sound when you are not there to hear it??

Rest

One majorly underappreciated productivity tip is the ability to rest. A proper resting routine keeps your mind clear, helps reduce stress and promotes better health. If you are rested you will be able to concentrate better and be more productive. Although it is counter-intuitive, taking a needed break just works.

Smart Mailboxes

Use software features that help you focus. Setup your email client so that incoming emails are automatically sorted into relevant mailbox folders. Only check the folder of the project you are currently working on. So junk mail, goes into the junk folder, blog mail into the blog folder, cool news into the cool news folder and so on.

Want more productivity tips? Do you dare?

Ben Yoskovitz is collecting the ultimate guide to productivity and by the looks of the tips already submitted it’s going to be a great collection.

Oh yeah.. I tag Mark W. Shead

So what do you think? What’s your best tip for getting more productive? Let’s talk!