Today is National Work Like a Dog Day! BUT raise your hand paw if you have ever worked your tail off only to look back and feel like you accomplished nothing.
Don’t worry; we have all been there! That is why we have gathered some of the top hacks for productivity. Check them out below! 
1. Time Blocking & the Pomodoro Technique: Time blocking for specific tasks is an excellent way to up your productivity. It allows you to focus your time on one task and eliminate distractions while doing so. The Pomodoro technique takes this idea to the next level. This technique has a 25 minute on and 5 minutes off schedule. You set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on one task. When the timer goes off, you give yourself a 5-minute break, then dive into the next job for 25 minutes. Once this hack becomes a habit, it boosts your ability to focus and get things done.
2. Prioritize & Daily Top 3: Ambiguity is the easiest way to kill productivity. Every morning when creating your to-do list, be sure to be specific and prioritize. Give yourself the top three tasks you would like to accomplish and go after those first.
3. Manage Emails: Your email inbox makes it easy to *SQUIRREL* and get distracted. What starts with one notification turns into 30 minutes. An excellent hack is to set specific times to check your email. You could check your email two times a day or once an hour. Choose what will be best for you but limit your time in your inbox.
4. Use the Two-Minute Rule: This goes hand in hand with your emails. No matter how well you fine-tune your schedule, you will still have small tasks pop-up throughout the day. As these tasks roll in, ask yourself, “will it take longer than 2 minutes?” if the answer is no, complete the task and move on. If the answer is yes, add it to your to-do list/schedule and stay focused on your current job.
5. Site Blockers & Phone Usage: It’s no secret, in today’s day and age, technology is constantly begging for our attention. Use site blockers on your computer and mute app notifications (like Facebook and Instagram) on your phone. Limit these distractions as much as possible. It is also smart to not look at your phone for the first and last hour of the day. Limiting screen time allows you to not be reactive to your phone but to start and end the day with your essential rituals. The Moment App is a great tool to use that can help you track your phone usage and set goals for yourself.
6. Use Templates: If you find yourself having a similar response to emails and messages, set up templates. Using templates makes responding to emails and requests a breeze all while making you an expert at communicating.
7. Set Deadlines and Write Them Down: Caffeine, motivational quotes, and business books will only get you so far. Writing down your goals makes them real, planning them out with tasks makes them achievable, and setting deadlines for yourself makes them happen! Make sure you get all your essential tasks completed by adding them to your to-do list and setting a deadline. Because saying “I’ll take care of it later..” is the easiest way to never take care of it.
8. Smile: It may sound silly, but a quick way to boost productivity is to pause and smile. There are many scientific reasons why smiling is good for us. For starters, you are less likely to be stressed if you are smiling. That is why it is important to add fun to your workplace. Add fun to your day with music, humor, or random acts of kindness! Whatever it is, be sure to find a reason to smile today!
If you are looking for more fun tips, like waking up early or singing in the shower, you can keep reading here and here! In the meantime, we would love to hear YOUR hacks! Hit us with your favorite tips to stay productive. At Pioneer Title Agency, we aim to be productive in our goal to help make Arizona a better place – because it is where we live and work!