Talking about productivity is easy. Achieving productivity is a different story completely.

Productivity, after all, means different things to different people, and not every routine works for everyone.

With this in mind, here are a few tips that one can try in order to ensure productivity. This list goes out to all the designers out there. Try it, and let us know what you think. As always, your comments are welcome.

5. Planning

One of the primary ingredients of ensuring a productive day is to plan ahead. Make a schedule – and follow it. It doesn’t matter what you are working as, there are times when the assigned tasks and deadlines get the better of you. It always pays off to stay ahead of things and for that to happen, you need a plan and you need to stick to it. Before you go to bed, grab a pen and a notepad. Write down everything you need to do or achieve the following morning, and prioritize.

4. Post-It Help

While technology offers various digital ways for you to take down notes, you will notice that going old-school is often more efficient: Making a list on your smartphone or computer is, for many people, less effective than the tactile experience of using Post-Its to write everything down by hand.  The thing with Post-It is that, depending on where you stick them, they are pretty hard to ignore. One of the best places to stick them is on your computer screen. They almost always get in the way and whatever is on them, gets done.

3. Take Breaks

It’s ineffective to work continuously for long hours. It slows you down as distractions start to mount around you, and when you are done, the job leaves you stressed with sore muscles. Breaks at regular intervals are not a sign of laziness or running away from work. With time, you will notice an increase in performance just so long as you take breaks.

2. Doodling

We designers spend an inordinate amount of time in front of our computer monitors, painting, drawing and sketching digitally with our tablets. While this is all brilliant, picking up a pencil or a pen once in a while to doodle is a great way to clear your mind. While you are designing something, chances are you are doing it for a client or otherwise doing your job. Doodles, on the other hand, are inspired out of plain hobby. They also serve as a reminder as to why you love your job so much. You design for work, so take a little time off and doodle for fun.

1. Track your Time

This one goes out to the procrastinators: Track the amount of time you spend on different tasks, and use this information to better prioritize your time in the future. Not only will you understand which activity takes the most time, you will also be able to plan more efficiently. If, after tracking your time, you find that a daily task can be in two minutes for example, do it immediately the next time instead of leaving it for the future.