There are people who tirelessly and unstoppably complete one task after another. Their days seem to have considerably more than 24 hours. Have they sold their soul in a deal with the devil? Or do they simply know something I don't? My best tips to help you work more productively.

This or something similar goes through my mind when I see highly productive people. And what they can achieve. In the meantime, I've learned a lot more about what makes me more productive - and what doesn't. I would like to share some of this with you here. Do you know any more tricks and tips? Then I'd love to hear about them and discuss them with you in the comments.

Productivity vs. busyness

I'm sure this sounds familiar: You've been "busy" all day, but in the end you don't feel like you've accomplished anything. You hardly know what you've been working on at all. Some jobs are just like that. Then you have lots of tasks that are never really completed. So you don't get the satisfying feeling of having ticked something off.

Or you have been busy, but not with the important things. And that's the difference between productivity and busyness: in the one case, we get things done and complete projects. In the other, we mainly make sure that we have something to do - to feel better or to have something to show off.

Therefore, consciously ask yourself throughout the day whether you have used the last half hour productively, i.e. whether you have worked on important projects and tasks. Or did you really just make sure that your brain had something to do? One key to more productivity is to realize that some tasks are important but not urgent. Others are both important and urgent. And still others are neither.

You should organize your time accordingly. And if you are easily distracted, you should consciously switch off the usual distractions. For example, by setting your smartphone to "Do not disturb". See also our tips on working remotely.

Prioritize: The biggest toad comes first

Sometimes there are tasks that are important and urgent, but that you don't actually want to do. For some people, tax returns fall into this category.

I have found a simple trick for more productivity: The greater my resistance to a task, the earlier in the day I need to complete it. This is because we only have a limited supply of resistance and "bite" each day. In the morning, we are still fresh and full of energy. By the afternoon, things can look very different.

There are two advantages to completing unpleasant tasks immediately:

• Because I'm still mentally fresh, I tackle these to-dos with maximum energy. This means they are done much faster than in the afternoon. Because then my brain is constantly looking for excuses to do something else.
• I immediately have a sense of achievement during the day because I have successfully overcome my inner bastard. Ideally, this momentum helps me with the other to-dos of the day.

Long projects, short sprints

Many of my tasks are manageable in scope. They are measured in hours or days, but rarely in weeks or even months. If I have a longer-term project, I schedule a clearly defined period of time for it each working day.

If it needs my full attention and creativity, I do it in the morning. If it's more of a busy job that doesn't require a creative masterpiece, I do it in the afternoon. But in both cases, the important thing is that I try to keep the timing and length constant. It's always amazing how much I can get done if I just work on it consistently for an hour every day. This also gives me a direct visualization of my productivity.

Work lasts as long as you give it

In general, it's a good idea to think about how much time you want to spend on a to-do before you start. You've probably already experienced this: A task usually costs you an hour, but if you only have half an hour for it, you'll get it done.

Tip: Do you work as a freelancer? Then there are a number of stress factors that don't have to be. In this article, I'll tell you how to avoid typical freelancer mistakes.

Of course, it is important to set the right priorities here: It's about clearly limiting precisely those tasks that contribute little to our productivity. Or that are not really important.

The wonderful world of time recording

This also includes learning more about how you actually spend your time. Time tracking is also something that some people fight tooth and nail against. There are tools for this, but sometimes a simple tally sheet is enough.

By tracking your time, you can quickly and clearly learn which black holes your productivity is disappearing into. After all, we are surrounded by distractions. And many digital devices and services deliberately use the same tricks as casinos. We're already checking our email inbox or "just a quick look" on Twitter. We are often not aware of this.

No tension without relaxation

At the same time, you will not become more productive by concentrating solely on work without breaks and distractions. Your brain also needs moments of rest. Sometimes we need to recharge our batteries. Boredom is valuable!

The important thing is that everything has its time. As the German saying goes: work is work and schnapps is schnapps. In other words: complete your task and then consciously reward yourself with a break.

The almost magical "flow"

Sometimes you will have experienced that you work productively and time flies by. You're practically flying towards your goal in a warp tunnel. Or to put it another way: you are "in the flow". This feeling arises when we can devote ourselves undisturbed to a task that interests and challenges us.

Every now and then this flow needs a little nudge. Here's a tip that works well for me: Only give this to-do a limited period of time at first, for example 30 minutes. With a bit of luck, I'll be in the flow before then. And then maybe I'll have done in an hour what I've been putting off for days. And if not, at least I've worked on it for 30 minutes - that's better than nothing!

Well planned is half done

It is often recommended to plan the next working day in advance - either at the end of the current working day or in the evening. The argument: you know immediately in the morning what you have to do. And you use your fresh energy immediately for productive work.

Another point: never plan your entire working day. Something always comes up. Or your tasks take longer than you initially thought. If you get significantly less done each day than you planned, you will frustrate yourself. The rule of thumb is: you can plan two thirds of your time, no more.

Bonus tip: the "Pomodoro technique"

As you've noticed, I'm not discussing a single productivity system like Getting Things Done (GTD) in this post. Some people swear by it. It doesn't work so well for me: I feel like I manage and sort my to-dos more than I actually work through them. Of course, this may be completely different for you.

Either way, it is a good idea to adopt good elements from systems that work for you. For example, a fundamental idea of GTD is to create a fixed place for tasks and ideas instead of trying to keep everything in your head. The advantage: the brain spends less computing power on not forgetting to-dos. Instead, it can concentrate on important tasks or recover without being burdened. For me, this storage space is Todoist. There are dozens of alternatives.

One productivity aid that I have personally learned a lot from is the "Pomodoro technique". It goes back to Francesco Cirillo, who used a kitchen alarm clock to divide his work into clear time segments. The basic idea: you work in 25-minute sections, followed by a 5-minute break. Once you have completed four such sections, you take a longer break, for example 20 minutes. You can of course adjust these values. However, it should remain manageable sections with regular breaks - because that's where the real power lies.

Also important: each section is dedicated to exactly one predefined task. Make a note of internal or external distractions and move them to the break or include them in the planning for a later time.

At the beginning of the day (or the day before, as mentioned above), you plan your to-dos. At the same time, you define how much time (how many sections/pomodoros) you plan for each one. After each section, check the box next to your to-do to see how long you have worked on it.

More structure for your tasks

This approach combines many of the tips I have written about here:

• Large tasks are broken down into manageable smaller sections, which makes them more digestible.
• It is easier to concentrate on a single task for 25 minutes, even if you are easily distracted.
• At the same time, you will learn how long certain activities take. Then you can either optimize them or at least estimate them more realistically. This kind of time calculation is particularly important for the self-employed, where time is quite literally money.
• By planning ahead, including time management, you ensure that you don't take on more than you can actually manage.
• Last but not least, the system ensures that you take breaks to recover. Admittedly: I sometimes ignore them when I'm in the flow.

In general, I don't use this technique to the letter either, because it doesn't suit me personally. At the same time, however, many elements have become second nature to me over time. For example, I now automatically know in my head how long I want to work on a task.

My conclusion

One thing I have barely mentioned in this article: Tools. Of course, there are dozens, hundreds of productivity apps and services. See our article Tools for WordPress professionals.

Tools can be very helpful. However, they are also an excellent way to distract yourself from the important and urgent things. Yes, I use Todoist as mentioned above. Others have a text file on their computer for the same purpose. Some use calendar entries. Still others rely on pen and paper. Or a whiteboard.

All of this is secondary. The important thing is that you first realize what helps and what hinders your productivity. Once you have done this, you will find the right tools and aids all by yourself.

Pictures: Carl Heyerdahl, Javier Quesada, Kaleidico