f you design for the web or print, whether you freelance, or work for a design firm, it’s always difficult to maintain a good level of productivity so we progress each and every day. Sometimes it can be difficult to produce work that requires constant creativity and energy, which is why it can only be done for much shorter hours than usual “work”.

From my personal experience, I’ve only ever got about 4 hours per day of pure work time. This means time that I’m actually producing something, such an article, or template design. The usual amount of time people ‘work’ during the day is about 8 hours, so I’m getting half of the time in doing productive work. To me, this is probably close to the zenith point, seeing as average people only get around 2-3 hours of solid work in per day in such an environment, even though technically I could be productive for the entire 8 hours.

If you’re like me, and looking for ways to get more out of each day (which seems to be passing faster and faster) then these are definitely tips for you.

1. Write a to-do list

To-do lists are a great way of planning exactly what needs doing on that day. Daily to-do lists need to be used in conjunction with weekly/monthly ones for maximum effectiveness. Every morning, sit down with a nice cup of tea and write down exactly what needs doing that day. It’s good to go a little overboard and try to push yourself, and even if you can’t get all of the tasks done in that day, still write them down. You can always move tasks to the next day if they’re not completed.

I have a container of small, square pieces of paper that act as my to-do lists, because I prefer having my lists in-front of me in reality, not virtually. If, however, you prefer not to clutter your desk up that little bit more, then there are always alternatives (such as Remember the Milk).

You could also experiment what times best for you to write up your to-do list. I prefer writing mine early in the morning, rather than late at night (to be used the next day).

2. Focus on the task at hand

It’s very easy to get distracted when working at a computer, because having access to the Internet means infinite amounts of entertainment and distractions. Once you have all the materials required to do a piece of work, deactivate your Internet adapter so you can’t get access to the Internet. Then, continue to work on the project at hand until you’ve got as much as you can done. I would also recommend you switch off any music, or other applications you may have running. Music actually causes your brain to drift into other realms of thought, so it’s not good practice to be actively listening to music whilst designing.

3. Work hard and enjoy yourself

This is very true, especially for those of us who are freelancers and are totally responsible for how long we work for. If we’ve managed to spend a few hours in a deep work cycle, at the end of it all, treat yourself a little. Whether that means sitting down with a book and a cup of your favorite hot chocolate, or going out for a game of football. I would recommend though, that you take your breaks away from the computer, and outside if you can – you don’t get much fresh air in-front of a monitor all day now, do you?

Conclusion

Designing is a creative, enlightening process, and can’t be treated like usual work. You can’t work the same hours and still be productive. Instead, focus on getting a few really great hours out of each day, and you’ll be moving forward to becoming more efficient and productive, and therefore earn more each year.