7 Daily Habits That Transformed My Productivity (Or At Least Made Me Feel Productive)
I have spent most of my adult life looking for the holy grail of productivity—that secret trick that would magically make me a focused, efficient, and successful person. I wanted to be one of those people who wake up at 5 AM, drink some kind of green sludge that allegedly increases brainpower, and finish an entire day’s work before the rest of the world has had their coffee.
Spoiler: That did not happen.
What I did find, however, were seven habits that made me feel like a productive person, even if they mostly just tricked my brain into thinking I had my life together. And honestly? That’s half the battle.
1. Waking Up Early (And Staring at the Wall for 30 Minutes)
Successful people always talk about waking up early like it’s some kind of life hack. “Wake up at 5 AM, and you’ll be unstoppable!” they say.
So, I tried it.
The reality? I woke up at 5 AM, sat in bed questioning my existence, and accomplished nothing until a reasonable hour. I did not suddenly become a CEO or discover the secret to happiness. What I did learn, though, is that waking up earlier does give you more time to procrastinate, which I guess is something.
What actually helped was waking up just 30 minutes earlier than usual—not at some ungodly hour when birds aren’t even awake, but just enough time to drink coffee before panic-scrolling through emails. That small change made mornings less chaotic, and therefore, slightly more productive.
2. Making a To-Do List (That I Will Never Complete)
There is something deeply satisfying about making a to-do list. Nothing makes me feel more in control than writing down all the tasks I will later avoid doing.
At first, I made lists that were way too ambitious—“Write a book, run five miles, learn French.” None of that happened. Now, I create realistic to-do lists that include tasks like:
- Drink coffee
- Answer at least one email
- Pretend to be busy for two hours
The trick is to start the list with things I’ve already done, so I get the dopamine hit of crossing them off immediately. It’s psychological manipulation, but it works.
3. Drinking 8 Glasses of Water (And Spending Half the Day Peeing)
Apparently, dehydration is the reason I was always exhausted, irritable, and unable to focus. Who knew?
So, I started drinking a lot of water. The good news? I had more energy. The bad news? I spent half my workday walking to the bathroom. My productivity did not necessarily improve, but my step count did.
Eventually, I found a balance—drinking enough water to stay hydrated, but not so much that I spend my life in a restroom stall. It’s a fine line.
4. Using the Pomodoro Technique (Or Just Taking a 25-Minute Break Every 5 Minutes)
The Pomodoro Technique is a system where you work for 25 minutes, then take a break. Sounds great, right? Focused work in short bursts!
Unfortunately, my brain interpreted this as:
- Work for five minutes
- Stare into space for twenty
- Take a break as a reward for those five minutes of effort
Shockingly, this was not the intended use of the system.
Once I actually used it correctly—committing to real, uninterrupted 25-minute sessions—I was amazed at how much I could get done. Turns out, focusing without checking my phone is kind of a game-changer.
5. Meal Prepping So I Can Eat the Same Sad Lunch All Week
I used to think meal prepping was for people who had their lives together. Then I realized it was actually for lazy people who don’t want to think about food every day.
At first, I went all in—Pinterest recipes, perfectly portioned meals, the works. By day three, I was tired of eating the same thing, but I had already spent money on ingredients, so I was forced to suffer through it.
Now, I take a half-hearted approach: I make one big meal on Sunday that I will tolerate for three days, then let Future Me figure out the rest. It’s not gourmet, but it’s better than eating cereal for dinner (which was my previous plan).
6. Limiting Screen Time (While Staring at a Smaller Screen Instead)
I once made a grand declaration that I would spend less time on screens. I turned off my phone, closed my laptop, and felt proud of myself for about four minutes before I remembered that I have nothing to do without technology.
I sat in silence, horrified.
Since I refuse to give up the internet entirely, I compromised:
- No social media before work (otherwise, I lose an hour to nonsense).
- Airplane mode at night so I stop doom-scrolling at 2 AM.
- Hiding my phone in a drawer when I need to actually focus.
This didn’t completely eliminate distractions, but it stopped me from watching six hours of cat videos instead of doing actual work. Small victories.
7. Journaling My Thoughts (And Realizing They’re Mostly Nonsense)
I heard that journaling helps with productivity and clarity, so I decided to give it a try. I envisioned myself writing deep, meaningful reflections on life and work.
What actually happened?
I opened my notebook and wrote:
- “I’m tired.”
- “I should drink more coffee.”
- “Do birds ever get bored?”
Deep. Insightful. Life-changing.
Even though my journaling is mostly nonsense, I kept at it, and it weirdly helped. Something about writing things down made my brain feel less cluttered. Plus, it stopped me from ranting about everything to my friends, so it was a win for everyone involved.
Final Thought
Did these seven habits actually transform my productivity? That depends on your definition of “transformed.” Am I a flawless, hyper-efficient work machine? No. But am I slightly less chaotic? Yes.
The real lesson here is that productivity isn’t about magical life hacks—it’s about doing slightly better than yesterday. And if that means drinking more water and making fake to-do lists, then so be it.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an important task to complete:
Crossing “write article” off my to-do list.
