5 Habits That Increase Productivity #dishthefit

Tuesday is slowly becoming...well, it is...one of my most favorite days to write. It's #dishthefit day, which means fitness bloggers everywhere are uniting to write about common topics. Today, we're talking about daily habits that increase productivity. Let's be honest: Who doesn't struggle with productivity on a daily basis? I know I do.

I also know that there are things I can and should be doing on a regular basis (translation: daily) to make sure that my productivity is on par with my goals.

Let's discuss.

1) Pick one calendar you love and keep it organized.
There are a number of different calendars (otherwise known as agendas) out there. Find one that speaks to you and make it your best friend. Whether it's a hanging calendar, a desktop version like mine or even an electronic program on your phone—use it like it's your job. I write everything in mine, so then everything (family, blog, work, fun) is in one place, all viewable at the same time so nothing gets lost in the shuffle. I keep mine with me at all times, and whenever something needs to go on the calendar, I put it on the calendar. I check it when I get to work, I check it before I go to bed. I'm always ready for whatever needs to happen.

Curious about my calendar? It's the Kate Spade New York Large Agenda and it's the best agenda I've had to-date. Totally simple, completely stylish. 

2) Keep track of your workouts.
This is a great tip for everyone, but an especially helpful one for fitness professionals. Not far away from my calendar is my trusty notebook. Inside that notebook is everything else I need to write down, including my workouts...the personal and the professional workouts. I love writing up new workouts, but sometimes something has to give in my daily routine. This is when I'm often grateful that I've kept track of my workouts because I can reuse the workouts that are tried-and-true. No time to plan a Barre Fit class? I go back to some of the classes I've done months ago that will still be relevant to what we're currently doing.

3) Keep your bags packed.
I don't carry a purse, but I do sling a diaper bag and a gym bag across my body almost daily. There are also days that I have to pack a lunch for myself and the kiddos. So every night I peek inside the diaper and gym bags to make sure they're still stocked. Maybe I need to add more diapers, or maybe the granola bar in my gym bag needs to be replaced. Or maybe I know that they're still ready to go and I can turn my attention to something else. And having them ready to go when I wake up makes it that much easier for me to get out the door on time.

4) Make meals that make extra servings.
With two kids and a schedule, I don't always have time to cook dinner. So when I make my grocery list every Sunday night, I make sure that whatever meals I plan to serve will offer up leftovers for dinner on at least one other night of the week. Not having to cook on a handful of nights each week removes an extensive amount of stress, as that 4:00PM hour seems to be the witching hour at my house. If the kids are sleeping, I can continue working on other things (like the blog, or maybe the laundry).

5) Remind yourself that it really doesn't matter when it really, truly doesn't matter.
This is the hardest habit for me to enforce because I'm a do-all, be-all, organize/clean-all type of person. But I'm getting into the habit of letting things roll. Because, really...do I seriously need to re-fold all the jammies in my daughter's drawer RIGHT NOW. No. There are other, more productive things I could be doing with my time. Like making dinner (ha!) or playing with my kids. Or maybe writing if they're both sleeping.

Ultimately, we all have our own ways to keep ourselves productive. There are thousands of productivity tips out there. Best case scenario: We all just have to do what we can, when we can, however we can.

Because that's life, right?

Question: What is your best productivity tip?