Minimalism And Productivity: 27 Powerful Tips To Help You End Your Procrastination Habit

Like many of you reading this today, I had/struggle with procrastination and getting tasks done in a timely manner!

Some of you may even be better with productivity than I but have come to see my tips. However, I doubt you would be a productivity master if you were looking up tips!

But maybe you are and are looking for some extra advice…

If so, welcome!!

I am in no way a productivity master, however, I have plenty of experience playing the role of a procrastination champ! Lol

I know some of you are giggling..sigh

Anyway…

The purpose of this post is to share some helpful tips that I’ve learned and implemented into my productivity routine that have helped me focus consistently and get more quality work done on my blog!

These tips have helped me write nearly 30 posts on this blog having previously no experience with blog writing or any type of article-type writing.

I highly recommend this book if you’re looking to get started with writing blog posts and don’t quite know what to include in each one.

If you’re interested in taking it a step further and are looking to create your own blog that can potentially make you income in the future, I recommend checking out my Recommendations Page to see my favorite blogging courses that have helped me get my blog to wear it is now.

There are TONS of benefits to starting a blog and I highly recommend anyone give it a try! Here are some of the benefits!:

Make full-time income (some passively)
Work from anywhere
Make enough money to quit your day job
Write about a topic you’re passionate about that brings a positive impact on others

[Let me be fully transparent, my blog is yet to make any income yet. Yes $0, but I’m confident that it will! My priority is creating good posts that are very helpful to my audience and any type of monetary reward will come with time. Yes, I would like to make income blogging talking about some of my passions, but it’s equally as important that I provide great value to my readers and anyone who visits this website!]

Update: As of today, 12/17/2022, my blog has now made $14.09!! This is the beginning of my blogging journey as a business and marks the first income that it has generated!

Here is the screenshot below!:

So even if you’re skeptical like I was and thought it was “too much work” don’t worry! It is a lot of work and takes a lot of time, but it will be worth it!

YOU CAN DO THIS!

To get started you’ll need website hosting and can get it for as little as $3.99/month!

You’ll want to have a self-hosted site that way you can have full control over how it operates:

Do: Get a self-hosted site and download WordPress.org

Don’t: Sign up for WordPress.com

I repeat Do NOT use WordPress.com if you are looking to be serious with your blog and potentially create a business and make money on the side!

You will thank me later 🙂

Anyway, if blogging doesn’t interest you then ignore all that other stuff above and enjoy the rest of the post!

Minimalism plays a big role in productivity because a cleaner space creates an atmosphere of peace. Peace gives you peace of mind and less distraction. This overall can significantly improve how you work and get sh** done! Lol

Along with organization, I have a ton of different productivity tips that you will have heard of, and some may not!

So I’m super excited to share these productivity tips with you and have been planning this post for ages.

I hope these productivity tips are helpful and provide some antidote to your procrastination!

In this post, we’ll cover minimalism and productivity: tips that will help you master your work!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.

Related Posts:

Table of Contents

How Does Minimalism Affect Work?

Minimalism may not directly affect your work in an obvious way, however, minimalism and productivity are all about removing distractions and improving your focus.

First: Imagine yourself sitting down to work in a cluttered environment.

Next: Imagine yourself working in a nice clean and orderly workspace.

Can you guess which work space you may be more productive in?

Now you could just say this isn’t necessarily minimalism, it’s just glorified decluttering and tidying up…

Well yes, and no…

Yes, keeping the area neat and decluttered is a part of it, but keeping things minimal and having that mindset can help overall productivity because not only will your workspace be void of clutter and distraction, but also your other living spaces.

This leads to less distraction/less on your mind, thus increasing your ability to focus on what matters and the important tasks you need to complete.

Does Minimalism Make You More Productive?

While minimalism may not guarantee that you’re more productive, it can certainly help with keeping your workspace neat and organized.

What do these two things help with?

Answer: Focus and eliminating distractions

Along with other productivity tips, I hope that simplicity can improve your ability to get tasks done efficiently and effectively even if you’re prone to serious procrastination like me haha.

Minimalism And Productivity: How to Use Simplicity to Be More Productive

To use simplicity to increase your productivity, you’ll need to change your mindset and embrace simple practical tips and simple practical habits.

This combined with following some of the simple productivity tips found in this post can potentially help you become more productive.

Minimalism And Productivity: 27 Easy Tips to Help You Master Your Productivity

Use Music to Be More Productive

1. Listen to Instrumental Music

Listening to music is one of the best ways you can get goin and flowin especially if you’re writing!

This is one of my favorite ways to work and be productive! It keeps my mind distracted enough and allows me to work without wanting some sort of entertainment/video playing simultaneously.

Here are some of the reasons listening to music can help you get more done:

It increases your heart rate if you listen to uptempo instrumental music (my favorite is movie soundtrack: Interstellar and Oblivion)
It keeps your mind occupied instead of wanting to watch tv, videos, or shows in the background
Helps you focus: increases your heart rate, kinda wakes you up, and gets you into gear. This keeps you focused and not lethargic and sleepy.
Music can put you in a flow state and inspire you as you write

2. Listen To A Movie Soundtrack

This is one of the best things you can do for productivity! Upbeat and inspirational movie soundtrack music is great for productivity because it speeds up your heart rate and gets you in the flow! (As mentioned above)

It’s also great for long work sessions because a music soundtrack can last up to an hour or more.

I’ve written posts while listening to Interstellar’s and Oblivion’s soundtracks.

This is one of my favorite productivity tips/methods and it’s great for writing if ya find the right type of soundtrack.

3. Listen to One Song On Repeat To Hack Your Productivity

This may be one of the biggest hacks on this list that you’ve probably never heard of! It’s the hack I used to write some of this post!

Seriously do some research and look this one up and give it a try!

Here’s my song of choice for this awesome productivity tip 🙂

4. Use Wireless Earbuds

Wireless earbuds are something I never really would have thought of in terms of productivity but check out why they are pretty great:

Make it quieter for working in silence (noise canceling)
They help me focus by drowning out the sound
Great for playing music and getting up from your desk without unplugging your earbuds to keep the flow going

This is one of the main tips I highly recommend for any type of task. It’s great for writing and helps with your focus.

Practical Productivity Tips to Use Today

5. Tackle Your Easy/Small Tasks First

This is one of the best productivity tips when you’ve got multiple things that need to be done at a time in one sitting.

This is similar to our school days when we work on the easy homework first and then the harder stuff later.

The thing is sometimes the advice would be to work on the homework that would take you the longest first, (which kinda makes sense) and then work on the easy stuff last.

This sorta kinda makes sense in theory, but in action, our minds work differently.

Our minds can get easily overwhelmed and the best way to get “started” when we need to be productive is to break things down into small tasks and start with the easiest tasks FIRST to build up that momentum!

Recap: Start small/easy and just get started!

6. Set A Timer

This is one of the most powerful techniques to use to beat procrastination!

This can almost be a sort of competition type thing with yourself to see if you can get what you needed to get done in the amount of time.

Tip: Try setting a timer for 30 minutes and just play a game with yourself by setting a goal to get x done in that amount of time when you’re at your desk.

This can be a really powerful way to just get started! And I’ve found that it helps me when I’m simply not in “work mode”.

This is GREAT on its own but relates to the next tip as well!

7. Try The Pomodoro Technique

This is by far the best tool for writing or any type of task that seems like it may be unpleasant!

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management tool/system that is very effective for productivity and sustained focus.

Essentially with this method, the idea is that you work for short intervals and then break.

This is repeated as you work. I find that this helps with getting started with work and helps with sustained productivity instead of burnout.

How it works: Set a timer for 25 minutes and work for the timeframe

Next: Rest for 5-10 minutes

This allows the mind to realize it’s not doing something unpleasant for a terribly long time, it’s got a set time for such a task.

And once the mind realizes it only has that small amount of time and gets a break, it suddenly feels like what your doing is achievable and less overwhelming.

Plus it’s not about how long you’re working on a task, it’s about how productive you are when working on that task.

This means that you could be sitting at your desk for 3 hours thinking you’re getting so much work done, but in reality, you’re getting distracted on your phone and maybe even getting distracted on a YouTube rabbit hole.

Contrast this to setting a timer and maxing your productivity for 25-30 minutes and you complete most of your tasks.

See the difference!?

It’s not about how much time, it’s about the quality of use that time.

This can also be compared to school work in which we procrastinate until the last day and complete the paper the night before…

We spent maybe two hours writing the paper, but why couldn’t we have just set aside multiple 30-minute windows to work on it over the past 2 weeks before it was due?

Do ya see how much easier it sounds when breaking up the work time into 30 minutes??

It’s almost like telling your mind the limitation of the jail sentence or unpleasant time compared to sitting to work on something with no planned timetable for when you want to break or stop. It seems way more daunting and overwhelming.

Here’s the secret: The magic in this technique, at least from when I use it, is the fact that when you just get started and get that timer going, you’ll be in such a zone that you just end up working through that 25-minute mark and don’t even want to break because you’ll find that you’re just in too much of a groove to stop!

This productivity technique is great overall for focus and avoiding burnout, but its real magic is the fact that it helps you just GET STARTED.

Which for most procrastinators is the biggest obstacle.

Trust me I know!!!

Save the Pomodoro Technique to your bookmark bar like me and thank me later! 🙂

8. Practice Moving on to The Next Task

Look we all know getting stuck when trying to be productive is one of the worst feelings.

Try your best to skip tasks and move on if you feel yourself getting stuck for more than 5-10 minutes. It’s not worth your time to stay stagnant.

Just move on and come back to the previous task at a later time!

9. Try Batching Your Tasks

This can be beneficial if you like doing similar tasks all at once.

Batching tasks is a practice of completing similar and grouping them all at once instead of switching between individual tasks.

For blogging, this would manifest by outlining your posts for the month all at once instead of outlining a post and then writing it on the same day.

This way you’re keeping the same flow of the same task and you’re not switching up your task load which can take different types of focus.

Example: Writing is more of a flow type of task where you just go. Makes sense? Now outlining and content planning are more strategic and require some extra thought to brainstorm and create good ideas. These two tasks require different types of thinking and splitting them up and batching them can make you more productive.

Plus batching can get you more done at one time with:

Pinterest pins
blog content
Social media posts

Batching can be great for anyone, however, I prefer to work one blog post at a time start to finish.

I just find it too distracting to batch my content and I get way more done by just finishing a single post than working on multiple at a time.

But give it a try! 🙂

Create Better Habits For Productivity

10. Write a To-Do List The Day Before

To-do lists can be very powerful for organizing and minimizing the burden on your mind.

Instead of trying to remember everything that needs to be done the night before, this allows you to set the intention for the next day and create a plan.

This type of planning is great for exercise or any type of activity that may be unpleasant.

This is a great tool for many reasons:

If you’re naturally disorganized
If you’re organized but want an easy way to keep track of your tasks
Great for visually seeing your tasks instead of trying to remember
Great for building momentum when checking off items on the list
Awesome for getting things done with a plan the night before

11. Make A Schedule

Similar to the tip above, making a schedule gives a similar type of organization to your life and lessens stress knowing which day you’re gonna tackle specific tasks.

The cons: while this is a helpful tip, I find that if I make my schedule too cluttered, then I usually just ignore it.

But that’s just me. I like having a plan but the schedule just becomes distracting.

My preference: Instead I prefer to just make a to-do list and complete certain tasks for the day that I need to get done.

I experimented with making certain days set for certain tasks, but for what I do now, it’s pretty simple: write posts and work on Pinterest. And that’s about it lol.

12. Develop A Routine

Developing a routine can be a great way to automate your tasks and build good habits.

This is extremely important to your productivity because it lessens the resistance and allows us to easily get into a flow with minimal thought or effort.

13. Get Up Earlier

This is one of the best tips yet one of the hardest for obvious reasons.

Waking up earlier is a high-reward task that although can be challenging to be consistent with, is possible and gives tons of benefits.

Use these facts about early rising to inspire a new wake-up schedule:

The next day starts the night before not in the morning
Waking up at 5 am is pointless if bedtime is at 2 am
Be realistic and get your rest consistently (I struggle with this lol)
Going to bed earlier is the key (also the hardest part aside from waking up early lol)
Waking up earlier gives you more time than you thought you had

Overall, this is one of the most well-known productivity and life-changing tips!

Find a balance and find a system/sleep schedule that works best for you!

14. Give Yourself A Break

One of the problems with being productive is we try to cram everything and get tons of stuff done at one time, but u need to utilize breaks to be more productive.

It’s not about spending hours working on your projects, it’s about being the most productive in that time.

And in some cases more productive in less time.

Breaking tasks into smaller pieces helps because the overwhelm causes that initial procrastination.

The fear with taking a break is that you’re “wasting productive time” but you need the mental rest.

Plus if you’re feeling focused you might not need a long break and thats okay!

Keep working if you’re in the flow!

15. Try Working in Silence

I find that I do some of my best work in silence when I’m in the grove.

The problem is sometimes it’s hard to just “start” working in silence. That’s why I like using music first and then if I’m in the flow I can turn it off.

But usually, our minds like to be distracted and want stimulation, that’s why sometimes going to work on something like homework feels unpleasant.

Remember to find which way is most effective for you to work, and don’t be afraid to try working in silence or try mixing it up with music and without.

16. Try to Read More

Recommendation: Try to read more instead of watching all the time.

Note: This doesn’t mean don’t watch any TV, it just means adding some more reading to your daily life can help you focus better on certain tasks!

This will help to improve your focus and help you when you go to sit down and be productive.

Other Tips That May Improve Your Productivity

17. Plan to Be Productive Right After a Shower

Being productive right out of the shower may sound silly, however, I’d like you to give it a try!

Each time I write in the evening after getting out of the shower I seem to be productive!

That is of course because I use other methods (mentioned later) that help me to stay on task.

But the key with showers before work is the fact that your body and most importantly your mind is clear and fresh.

This is something you can’t always plan for especially if you’re short on time and need to get crackin on your side business immediately.

18. Avoid TV (Unless it doesn’t stop your productivity)

We all know tv is a HUGEEE distraction so this one is pretty obvious!

But trust me, if you’ve ever worked on stuff outside of regular work, you want some sort of entertainment going on in the background.

I do this when working on Pinterest or other blogging tasks that don’t require too much focus.

But for writing, it would be wayyyy harder to do with all those commercials distracting me.

Here are some other reasons to avoid tv when trying to be productive:

Negatively affects brainwaves
Incredibly distracting
Can produce poor work with poor focus

Note: However, if TV is your thing and you can work with it, then go for it. (I finished the rest of this post on the couch watching Sunday Football)

Tip: Try using a timer and schedule breaks to watch in between, but if ya need it on then try music or some type of long YouTube video running in the background so that it’s less distracting.

19. Complete an Unrelated Task Beforehand

Okay, this one may seem kinda silly, but if you’re really in a rut, this may be the perfect thing to get your mind off of what you’re doing and into “work mode”.

Here are some things that you can do to get in the work mindset before sitting down at your desk:

Do laundry
Cut grass
Clean your room
Take out the trash
Exercise

As I said this may seem odd or even distracting, but sometimes you just need to get up from your desk and get your mind on something else.

Hopefully, this can help and get you into a groove of a “work now” mindset.

Tip: Try mixing in pleasant tasks with unpleasant:

Clean your room while listening to podcasts, music, or video
Watch tv or an episode of a show you like while folding laundry

20. Go Out Into Nature

This simple tip can be helpful to clear your mind if you’re stuck and just help you to relax.

21. Work On an Empty Stomach

The main point of this tip is to reduce lethargy.

Digestion can take a lot of energy from you and this negatively affects your productivity.

That’s why your productivity drops after lunch.

Tip: Try fasting or eating light before working on your tasks.

22. Plan A Reward For Yourself

This is a great motivating factor for productivity!

This can make your work faster in some cases and help you get out of a productivity rut.

23. Simplify Your Work/Processes

For this tip, I recommend creating processes or “systems” for the repeated tasks that you do.

For my blog post writing process, I’ll usually copy and paste my post outline and then complete the outline on a separate day that I write.

Next, I’ll write my post, edit it in Grammarly, and add it to WordPress.

This is my blog post-writing process.

I have simplified this process by making blog post outlines that I use for every post that I write.

This way my posts always have a specific structure, length, and depth.

Find ways to simplify your regular process and create steps and systems that allow you to automate and streamline your tasks.

24. Reorganize Your Bookmarks Bar

This is another way to help you get organized for when it’s time to work and be productive.

Check out my post and scroll down to the section where I show you how to organize your bookmarks bar!

25. Switch Up Your Work Area

Tip: Move to work in a different area if you feel stuck.

This can be effective because it gives you a change of scenery and allows you to get a fresh start if you feel stuck.

Know Yourself and Where You Work Best

This is another super important thing to keep in mind. This has become more evident as I’ve continued to finish this post.

I’ve found that I write well and get a lot done when I’m on the couch and typing on my laptop.

Normally when I work on my blog I’m at my desk and using a keyboard, but for some reason, I just get in the flow when I have my feet up and I’m “lounging”.

Who woulda thought right?!

But basically, the point is to find a place that is optimal for YOUR productivity.

26. Delete Your YouTube App

Deleting your YouTube App can help eliminate distractions. This can be extreme, but apps like YouTube can be very addicting.

I force myself to search for YouTube on Chrome on my phone that way I can’t just access it so easily.

Nevertheless, I still find myself watching YouTube on my laptop when I’m at my desk sigh lol…

But deleting it from your phone can help eliminate the extra distractions.

27. Set Your Phone to Do-Not-Disturb Mode

This is another basic productivity tip that helps eliminate distractions.

Most of the time I have my phone right next to me either with my to-do list up or closed with music playing, but this can help reduce the distractions from notifications.

My Favorite Productivity Hacks to Use While I Work On My Blog:

Listen to movie soundtracks
Listen to one song on repeat
Pomodoro technique
Setting a timer
To-Do Lists
Taking breaks
Working in silence
Using wireless earbuds

Now, these are my favorite productivity tips that I use when I’m working on my blog, but the magic with these tips is using them in combination!

My main setup consists of wireless earbuds with either a movie soundtrack playing or the ultimate hack same song on repeat.

While listening to the music, I’ll have the timer or Pomodoro timer going and end up working past the timer.

This usually puts me right into writing mode and helps me focus and get on a roll!

Final Thoughts

Have these tips helped give you a better idea of how to be productive with a more simplistic approach? Give any of these tips a try and let me know if they help!

I’m sure a combination of them will give you some sort of boost in completing your tasks effectively.

Did you find this post helpful!?

Leave any comments or questions you have below and let me know if there’s anything I may have missed!

Good luck on your productivity journey! 🙂