Have you ever wished that there were more hours in the day? Do you ever find yourself having so much to do that you just don’t know what to tackle first? If you are a person who leads a productive, active lifestyle then this may be the case. You have work, kids, chores, bills to pay, exercise, relationships to maintain, and you also have to find time for yourself every now and then.

This article may help you. It’s about achieving goals and increasing your personal productivity by scheduling your tasks in line with the best mental and physical state required for the task. If you find this to be a mouthful, don’t worry, I can explain.

Peak Efficiency

By improving your productivity you can spend less time working and more time doing the things you love. There are a number of ways you can do this. You can gain more skills and knowledge. You can exercise and get more physical energy. You can focus more and try to rush through things. But ultimately your goal is always to operate at peak efficiency in order to get these tasks done.

As a human being, we have a problem though. We aren’t always operating at peak efficiency. Sometimes we are tired. Other times we are more energetic. Sometimes we are thinking better, and other times we are moving around better.

Instead of trying to fight this, and stay at peak efficiency all the time, why don’t you just go with the flow? Instead of trying to do homework while you’re tired, why don’t you do it when you’re wide awake? Instead of reading and doing other leisure activities when you are thinking your best, why don’t you do these things when you are mentally exhausted?

In this manner, instead of trying to fight against how you feel, and fight against external circumstances, you can just adjust your tasks around them. Instead of trying to work harder and longer, you can work shorter and smarter.

But of course, there are requirements for how to do this. Nothing seems to just happen on its own, it seems.

Observing Yourself Throughout The day

A person’s energy level and mental state tend to fluctuate throughout the day. Some people are more energetic in the morning. Others are more energetic at night. Some people get tired right after lunch. Other people get tired right after dinner.

In order to improve how efficient you are at accomplishing tasks, you have to get to know yourself throughout the day. You have to spend some time observing your physical and mental state. How do you feel when you wake up? In the morning? After lunch? How do you feel in the evenings?

If you watch yourself enough, you begin to recognize subtle patterns. In the morning you may always be alert and thinking clearly. In the afternoon you may not be thinking as clearly, but you may have more physical energy. And at night you may be more creative, or you may be more relaxed, etc.

For example, I know that my highest mental energy levels are always in the morning. This is also when I can solve problems the easiest, when I think the clearest, and when I can accomplish the most mental tasks.

After I eat lunch, my mental energy level drops off some, but my physical energy level picks up. This is when I try to do the most physically demanding tasks, such as exercising.

In the evening both my physical and mental energy usually drop, as my body prepares for sleep. Interestingly enough, however, my creativity level begins to go up late at night, and it seems to soar during the sleeping hours. Some of my best ideas come to me when I wake up in the middle of the night for one reason or another.

Scheduling Tasks to Promote Productivity

There are some tasks that can be done easier when you are full of physical energy, such as moving things around, lifting weights, exercising, etc. Other tasks are easier to do when you are full of mental energy, such as problem solving and solving physics and chemistry problems.

If you know when you will be in a certain physical and mental state and if you can schedule your tasks accordingly, you can drastically increase your personal productivity level.

For example, as a software developer and college student, I try to write my code, or do tough homework assignments, in the morning when I’m thinking more clearly. If I’m writing code when I’m overly tired, I’ll actually comment this in the section of code that I’m writing. Almost every time that I go back to fix bugs, most of the bugs are found in these “tired” sections of code. Thus, not only can I write more code in the morning, but the quality of the code I write is drastically improved versus trying to program while tired in the afternoon.

When the afternoon rolls around, my mental energy drops off some, but my physical energy picks up. So I will usually exercise some right after lunch. Then I may help out in the laboratory area (I work in an R&D lab), or I may respond to emails and support requests for our software. These are all things that don’t require very much mental focus.

In the evening my mental and physical energy levels drop, but my creativity level rises, so I like to brainstorm and do leisurely activities. For example, I like to read in the evenings. I also brainstorm new ideas and blueprints for articles in the evening, and I like to write as well. Coincidentally, this could explain much of the grammatical and spelling mistakes I make in these articles.

Of course, this isn’t the whole story of how I use this strategy. I don’t just monitor my energy levels throughout the day, I monitor them all the time. I’m still noticing subtle shifts in things that effect my energy levels, especially in the area of my diet and thought patters. As I notice these shifts, I schedule my tasks and goals accordingly. By following this simple strategy, I estimate that my personal productivity level is increased by 160%.

How much more productive do you think you would be if you applied this strategy to your life?

Nice people finish last.

When they are looking for a parking spot, they will deliberately take a spot further in the back, so as not to take any of the good spots. They wouldn’t want to offend another driver, looking for a good spot, would they?

At work, they won’t ask for a promotion. Instead, they just work harder, and hope that their boss notices them. Why ask for a promotion? Why ask to be noticed or recognized? Certainly, someone else could use that money more, right?

At home they’re even worse. Cook. Clean. Do dishes. Take out trash. Give everyone nice gifts. Work hard. Make sure spouse is happy. Make sure kids are happy. Make sure Grandma is happy. Make sure everyone else is happy…except for yourself.

…

If you’re a ‘nice person’, or if you’re someone who only thinks about everyone else, I have a message for you. Try being selfish for once.

Yes, I know, it’s hard to do. Everyone told you that you should always be nice to everyone, do what you’re told, follow the rules, etc, etc. Maybe your church told you this. Or maybe it was your parents, or you spouse. Perhaps your company, or your boss.

Regardless of who told you this, you have been lied to. Someone has lied to you. And they’re probably screwing you in the process as well. Especially if that person is your spouse.

Don’t let this happen to you (unless you enjoy it ). Think about it this way. You like making other people happy, right? You like being nice to people.

Well, aren’t you a person also? Why don’t you try being nice to yourself? Why don’t you try making yourself happy? Factor yourself into the equation of happiness, and see what happens. You spend all of you’re time making other people happy, don’t you deserve to be happy as well?

Think about it. Try it out. Don’t be afraid, just try it and see for yourself. Try asking for that promotion and seeing what happens. Maybe you’re boss will recognize that you do good work, and pay you accordingly.

Try asking your spouse for some help around the house. This way, you’re not completely exhausted all the time, and they get some much needed exercise. It’s a win win situation (unless you’re spouse happens to be a very fit professional athlete).

Of course, there is a good way to do this, and there is a bad way to do this. It’s all about…

Finding the balance

If you’re too selfish, you’ll wind up making everyone else miserable. And in the process, you’ll probably become miserable yourself. On the flip side, if you’re too selfless, you may make everyone else happy. But in the process, you will probably become miserable yourself. So you have to find that balance, between thinking of other people and thinking of yourself, so that everyone is equally happy.

The balance is different for different people. If you’re healthy wealthy and wise because of the time you go to bed at night and the time you wake up in the morning, you may be able to spend a lot of time helping other people while still being happy yourself.

On the flip side of course if you’re unhealthy poor and stupid, you may want to consider improving your own situation before you go out and try to play superman.