6 Things Super Productive People Do Every Day -- and It Doesn't Involve Checklists

It's all about mind over matter.

by Stacy Adimondo, for Rodale's Organic Life

Where there's a will, there's a way, but that's just half the battle. Research shows that true and sustained productivity means staying the course to accomplish goals, and it takes more than just having the desire to do so. Instead of willing your landlord to introduce composting to the building, a results-oriented person will do the research and present a solution so that all their landlord has to do is say yes. Now, that's what we call efficient. Luckily, the holistic habits that productive people share can be learned.

1. They Get Outside First Thing in the Morning

We know getting outside can soothe and de-stress us. But Mother Nature's superpowers don't stop there. A number of studies show that people feel alert, more focused, and more energized when exposed to the bright light of sunshine, especially right after waking up. So start taking your prework sun salutations out to the lawn.

2. They Exercise Regularly

Whether it's hiking, trail running, or practicing hatha yoga, doing even a small amount of exercise on the regular can have a ripple effect on other areas of productivity and success. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg says that working out habitually, even as infrequently as once a week, can make you more productive at accomplishing other goals in your life, be they work-related, spiritual, or personal. Consider this yet another reason to plan a weekend hike or start biking to work with a co-worker.

3. They Make Up Personal Mantras

Visualizing goals and writing them down has been shown to affect productivity. Super productive people go one step further and turn these goals into personal mantras (I will finish planting this organic garden by the end of the month) that they repeat to themselves daily. Researchers who had students jot down positive ideas found that after three months, the students recorded more positive attitudes toward their goals and greater success at accomplishing tasks.

4. They Face Challenges--Like Launching A Solar Power Startup --Headfirst

So often the biggest hurdle to success is getting started. According to Daniel Akst, author of Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess, many of us turn to procrastination as an escape hatch or mood management technique when a task seems daunting. "We seem to think procrastination will make us feel better," he writes. "But putting off the job usually makes us feel more anxious and depressed." Starting with a small action, like signing up for a course on solar energy, will grease a path towards success.

5. They Know When To Take A Walk

Research gathered last year by a time-tracking productivity app called DeskTime showed that the most productive employees worked for 52 minutes straight, then took 17-minute breaks. During those breaks, they stepped away from their computers to do de-stressing activities--such as stretching, taking deep breaths, and walking around the block to recalibrate.

6. They Welcome Occasional Interruptions

When you're in the zone canning all your late-summer produce, the sound of the doorbell or phone ringing may seem like productivity deterrents. Turns out, interruptions like this can actually help you get your work done more successfully. Prolonged, uninterrupted focus on one single task can actually cause our brains to stop being stimulated by what we're doing. Brief interruptions that stop and start our attention can enable us to stay focused longer.

This article was originally published on Rodale's Organic Life .

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