Productivity doesn't have to be complicated. You don't need expensive planners or complex apps to get more done. Often, the most effective strategies are the simplest ones. Think of it like one of our cookie recipes: a few high-quality ingredients combined in the right order creates something amazing. Your productivity system can be the same. By building a few core habits and applying them consistently, you can create a workflow that feels effortless and effective. These are the very principles that allow us to manage everything from new flavor development to our complex nationwide cookie delivery schedule. Let’s break down the simple recipe for a more productive life.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on What Truly Moves the Needle: Identify the few critical tasks that deliver the biggest results and tackle them during your peak energy hours. This shift from being busy to being effective is the foundation of real productivity.
• Create Simple Systems to Beat Procrastination: Make large projects less intimidating by breaking them into small, manageable steps. Use practical tools like a distraction list and automation to streamline your workflow and keep your focus sharp.
• Treat Rest as a Key Part of Your Strategy: Sustainable productivity requires managing your energy, not just your time. Schedule regular breaks, get enough sleep, and learn to say "no" to protect your capacity for high-quality, focused work.

What Do Productive People Do Differently?

Ever wonder how we get thousands of our gourmet cookies, from our signature Drunken Ball to our other wild flavor creations, baked and shipped to your doorstep so reliably? It’s not magic—it’s a serious commitment to productivity. We’ve learned that the secret to running a top-notch nationwide cookie delivery service isn't just about having a great recipe for cookies, but also a great recipe for getting things done.

Highly productive people don't necessarily work longer hours; they work smarter. They take complete ownership of their time, treating it as their most valuable resource. For us, that means every minute is focused on what matters most: quality and you. Instead of getting bogged down in endless meetings, we prioritize action. We focus on one thing at a time, whether it’s perfecting a new flavor or carefully packing a corporate gift order. This single-tasking approach ensures every cookie gets the attention it deserves.

One of the most impactful habits we’ve adopted is preparing for tomorrow today. Before we hang up our aprons, we’re already prepping for the next day’s bake. This simple step ensures a smooth start and helps us manage our inventory and delivery schedules with precision. As many business leaders have found, some of the most surprising things productive people do differently are small habits that create massive results. By focusing our energy this way, we make sure your cookie delivery experience is seamless and delicious, every single time.

Your Action Plan: 18 Ways to Be More Productive

Feeling like you’re constantly busy but not actually getting anywhere? You’re not alone. The key to getting more done isn’t about working longer hours; it’s about working smarter. Productive people have built simple, repeatable habits that help them focus on what truly matters. They understand that productivity is less about cramming more into your day and more about making intentional choices that lead to real progress. It’s about creating systems that support your goals, managing your energy, and giving yourself the space to do your best work. Ready to reclaim your time and feel more accomplished at the end of the day? Here are 18 straightforward strategies you can start using right away.

1. Tackle Your Most Important Tasks First

We all have that one time of day when our brain is firing on all cylinders. For some, it’s first thing in the morning; for others, it’s after lunch. The trick is to identify your personal peak performance window and protect it fiercely. Schedule your most challenging or important tasks for when you have the most energy and mental clarity. By aligning your work with your natural rhythm, you can accomplish more in less time and leave the smaller, easier tasks for when your energy dips. This simple shift ensures your best self is working on your biggest priorities.

2. Make Time for Deep Work

Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s where you produce your best, most creative results. The opposite is “shallow work”—answering emails, attending unnecessary meetings, and scrolling through social media. These tasks make you feel busy but don’t contribute much to your long-term goals. To be more productive, you need to intentionally block out time for deep work. Turn off notifications, close extra tabs, and let your team know you’re unavailable. When you free up time for productive, high-impact work, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

3. Use a Distraction List to Stay Focused

You finally get into a good workflow when a random thought pops into your head: “I need to remember to buy dog food.” Or you suddenly feel the urge to check Instagram. These little interruptions can completely derail your focus. Instead of giving in, keep a notepad or a digital document open and label it your “distraction list.” Whenever a random thought or task comes to mind, jot it down and immediately return to your work. This acknowledges the thought without letting it break your concentration. You can address everything on the list during a designated break.

4. Separate the Urgent from the Important

Not all tasks are created equal. It’s easy to get caught up in tasks that feel urgent but aren’t actually important for your goals. Think of the constant ping of emails or last-minute requests that pull you away from a big project. Productive people know how to distinguish between the two. Before jumping on a task, ask yourself: “Does this move me closer to my main objective?” Learning to prioritize what’s truly important will help you focus on what truly matters and make meaningful progress every day.

5. Apply the 80/20 Rule for Maximum Impact

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, suggests that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts. This is a powerful concept for productivity. Take a look at your work and life—which activities are delivering the biggest results? It could be a specific marketing channel that brings in the most customers or a particular client that generates the most revenue. By identifying and doubling down on that high-impact 20%, you can achieve more with less effort. It’s all about focusing your energy where it counts the most.

6. Break Down Big Tasks into Small Steps

Staring at a huge project on your to-do list can feel completely overwhelming, often leading to procrastination. The best way to tackle a daunting task is to break it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Instead of “Launch new website,” your list could include “Draft homepage copy,” “Choose a theme,” and “Set up product pages.” Each small step feels achievable and gives you a sense of progress as you check it off. This method makes any project less intimidating and helps you build momentum toward the finish line.

7. Take Strategic Breaks

The idea that you need to hustle 24/7 to be successful is a myth. In reality, your brain needs downtime to stay sharp and creative. Working for hours without a break leads to burnout and diminished returns. Instead, try scheduling short, strategic breaks throughout your day. The Pomodoro Technique is a great example: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After four cycles, take a longer break. These pauses help you reset your focus, and studies show that taking more breaks can actually enhance your productivity and creativity.

8. Reduce Decision Fatigue

Have you ever felt so mentally drained at the end of the day that you can’t even decide what to have for dinner? That’s decision fatigue. We make thousands of small decisions every day, and each one uses up a little bit of our mental energy. To save your brainpower for the big stuff, try to reduce the number of small decisions you have to make. This could mean planning your outfits for the week, eating the same breakfast every day, or creating routines for your work. When you conserve mental energy, you’ll have more focus available for the tasks that truly matter.

9. Spend Less Time on Email

Your inbox can be one of the biggest productivity killers if you let it. Constantly checking and responding to emails keeps you in a reactive state, preventing you from focusing on proactive, important work. Instead of keeping your email open all day, set specific times to check it, like once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Turn off notifications so you’re not tempted to look every time a new message arrives. This batching technique allows you to handle emails efficiently and reclaim your focus for deep work.

10. Automate and Create Shortcuts

Many of the repetitive tasks on our to-do lists can be automated with the right tools. Think about the things you do over and over again each week. Could you use an email template for common inquiries? Can you set up automatic bill payments? Can you use a social media scheduler to plan posts in advance? Using productivity tools to automate tasks can save you hours each week. Even creating simple shortcuts, like keyboard macros or browser bookmarks for frequently visited sites, can streamline your workflow and free up valuable time.

11. Review What Went Right (and Wrong)

To get better at anything, you need to reflect on your performance. The same goes for productivity. Set aside 15-30 minutes at the end of each week to review what you accomplished. Ask yourself a few simple questions: What went well this week? What didn’t? What did I learn? This simple practice helps you celebrate your wins and identify patterns or roadblocks that are holding you back. These valuable insights allow you to make small adjustments each week, leading to significant improvements over time.

12. Create a 'Plan B'

Things don’t always go according to plan. A client might cancel a meeting, the internet could go out, or a project could hit an unexpected snag. Instead of letting these disruptions derail your entire day, have a backup plan. Keep a list of small, non-urgent tasks you can work on whenever you have an unexpected pocket of free time. Having a Plan B helps you stay flexible and productive, no matter what the day throws at you. It reduces the anxiety of the unexpected and ensures you can always keep moving forward.

13. Don't Wait for Motivation—Just Start

Motivation is a fickle feeling. If you wait until you feel like doing something, you might be waiting a long time. The secret is that action often creates motivation, not the other way around. The next time you’re procrastinating on a task, commit to working on it for just five minutes. More often than not, once you start, you’ll find the momentum to keep going. Sometimes, the best way to get motivated is to simply begin the task at hand, proving to yourself that you can do it.

14. Stop Multitasking and Start Single-Tasking

While multitasking might feel productive, research shows it’s actually the opposite. When you try to do multiple things at once, your brain is forced to switch back and forth between tasks rapidly. This switching process is mentally draining and increases the likelihood of making mistakes. Instead, practice single-tasking: give your full attention to one thing at a time. You’ll produce higher-quality work in less time and feel less scattered. It may feel strange at first, but focusing on one task at a time delivers better results.

15. Schedule Time to Recharge

Just like your phone, you need to recharge to function at your best. True productivity isn’t about working nonstop; it’s about managing your energy effectively, and that includes scheduling time for rest. This means more than just taking short breaks during the day. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, taking time off for vacations, and making space for hobbies and activities that you enjoy. When you treat rest as a non-negotiable part of your schedule, you’ll find you have more energy and focus when it’s time to work.

16. Invest in Your Skills and Tools

Sometimes, the biggest barrier to productivity is not having the right tools or skills for the job. Are you struggling with outdated software? Is there a program or skill that could make a huge part of your job easier? Investing in yourself and your toolkit is one of the best things you can do for your efficiency. This could mean buying a comfortable office chair, paying for a project management app, or taking an online course to learn a new skill. The right tools and skills can significantly improve your productivity and make your work more enjoyable.

17. Manage Your Energy, Not Just Your Time

We often focus on managing our 24 hours in a day, but it’s just as important to manage your energy levels within that time. Pay attention to your body’s natural rhythms. When do you feel most alert and creative? When do you tend to feel a slump? Schedule your tasks more effectively by matching them to your energy. Reserve your high-energy periods for your most important, challenging work. Use your low-energy periods for simpler tasks like answering emails, running errands, or organizing your desk. Working with your energy, not against it, is a game-changer.

18. Learn to Say 'No' Gracefully

Every time you say “yes” to something, you’re implicitly saying “no” to something else. If you say yes to every request, meeting, and project that comes your way, you’ll have no time left for your own priorities. Learning to say no is not about being selfish; it’s about protecting your time and energy for what matters most. You can be polite but firm. Try phrases like, “Thank you for thinking of me, but I don’t have the capacity to take that on right now.” Setting boundaries is crucial for staying focused and avoiding burnout.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have so much to do, where do I even start? The best first step is to identify the single most important task on your list—the one that will make the biggest difference. Then, figure out what time of day you have the most mental energy and protect that time to work on that one thing. Instead of trying to do everything at once, you focus your best energy on what truly moves the needle.

What's the best way to handle constant distractions? The key is to stop letting random thoughts derail your focus. Keep a simple notepad next to you and label it a "distraction list." Anytime a stray thought or a new to-do item pops into your head, write it down and immediately return to your task. This acknowledges the thought without breaking your concentration, allowing you to deal with it later on your own terms.

I always feel burned out. Isn't productivity about working more? That's a common myth. True productivity is about managing your energy, not just your time. Pushing yourself to work nonstop is the fastest way to exhaustion and poor results. Scheduling intentional breaks, getting enough rest, and stepping away from your work are essential for staying sharp, creative, and focused when you are working.

How can I tackle a huge project that feels impossible? The secret is to stop looking at the project as one giant mountain. Instead, break it down into the smallest possible steps. A task like "plan the event" becomes "draft guest list," "research venues," and "send invitations." Checking off these small, manageable items creates momentum and makes the entire project feel much more achievable.

What if I just don't feel motivated to do anything? Don't wait for motivation to strike, because it often won't. Action comes first, and motivation follows. Commit to working on a task for just five or ten minutes. Often, the hardest part is simply starting. Once you begin, you'll likely find the rhythm and drive to keep going.