The more you get done each day, the more success you can experience. You also give yourself the opportunity to have more free time, too. Time always seems to be in short supply. If you get more out of your day, you’re making better use of your time. Increasing your productivity can have a positive effect on your professional and personal life.

Use these tips to get more done in less time:

1. Plan. To get the most out of any day, it’s important to know what you’re going to do before the day begins. Decide how you're going to spend your day the night before. That way, you can get busy accomplishing things first thing in the morning.

2. Get up earlier. You'll be surprised how much more you can accomplish and how much better you feel about the day if you start your day a little bit earlier. Many of the most productive and successful people in the world share the habit of rising early.

3. Turn off social media. Social media is a time-waster. Set aside a time in the evening to catch up with your friends and family, but avoid wasting too much time on this type of activity. It's a huge mistake to engage in social media during work hours. You have more productive things to spend your time on.

4. Say, “no” more often. It's easier to be productive in a meaningful way if you're attempting to do fewer things each day. Be willing to say no to tasks, obligations, and people that get in the way of your productivity. Make it a point to leverage your time as well as you can.

• Make a list of how you actually spend your time in an average day. Do you see any activities you can eliminate? Saying “no” can also mean refusing yourself the opportunity to waste your time on meaningless activities.
  
  

5. Get as much done as possible early in the day.  If you can get a lot done in the morning, the rest of the day will go well, too. However, if you struggle to accomplish anything early in the day, the rest of the day usually goes poorly also. This is part of the reason why it's so important to have a plan and to get up early.

6. Stick to one task at a time.  Multitasking is for people that don't want to be productive. Choose one task, complete it, and then move on to a new task. Many studies have shown that multitasking is ineffective.

7. Focus on the most important task or steps. Avoid just doing the easiest or most enjoyable tasks. Focus on completing the most important tasks, and you'll be much more productive.

8. Take regular breaks.You might get less done in the short-term, but you'll undoubtedly accomplish a lot more over a long day of work. Taking regular breaks refreshes your brain and makes it easier to focus. You'll be much more effective in the afternoon if you've been taking breaks earlier in the day.

How productive are you? How would your life improve if you got more done each day?

Most of us could use a couple more hours each day. Unfortunately, no one has found a practical way to alter time. However, you can learn to make better use of the time you have. You’re probably not as productive as you could be. Spend a month being more productive and see how it changes your life.