Simplify Your Life with these 5 Personal Effectiveness Tips for Productivity 

Life can sometimes look and feel like a circus (or a bus park in Oshodi 🙊), with you as the main act juggling tasks, commitments, and goals. From work, to family, education, relationships, and more, it’s a never-ending pile of things to do and keep up with.  

What does personal effectiveness mean? How can you achieve personal effectiveness?  

In the Personal Effectiveness course on Certifications by Unify, Life Coach and Mind Engineer, Timi Opelami, defines Personal Effectiveness as, “the concept of reaching your full potential by maximizing all the resources available to you to help you reach your goals and generate superlative outcomes.”  

If you’ve ever felt swamped by the sheer enormity of life’s demands (in other words, if you’re struggling with life’s gbas gbos) or wonder what the habits of highly effective people are, you should read on. Let’s quickly explore how to simplify your life; getting the big things done when they need to be, and still having time for the little things that matter.  

Without further ado, here are 5 personal effectiveness tips for your productivity; 

1. To-Do Lists (I know I know, they still work 😌) 

Personal effectiveness starts with how you manage your tasks, and to-do lists are the first things you need for a more effective, productive routine. You might think, “I’ve got one already”, but who says you can’t level up your list game? While paper lists are okay, using digital tools like Trello, Notion, Rock, or even your Notes app can take your task management to a whole new level. 

With these apps, you can organize your tasks into categories, set priorities, assign deadlines, and if you’re like me, even colour-code your tasks. You can also set reminders. That’s something your paper list can’t do. They’re like having a personal assistant in your pocket. The best part about it being mobile is that you can access your list anytime and anywhere. That means you can get some tasks ticked off your list while stuck in Lagos traffic or even while waiting for your amala* and gbegiri* at Iya Basira’s. *  

Believe me, it’s super satisfying to check off your digital list as you complete each task. 

2. Let’s Get a’ Chunking 

Ever heard of chunking? It’s like taking that 6-inch red velvet cake and slicing it into chunkable bites. Instead of facing a jumbo task head-on, you can break it down into smaller, more manageable parts. It’s less daunting and more achievable. 

For example, instead of cleaning your entire house each weekend, you can designate the first weekend of the month to clean the bathrooms and toilets, then the weekend after to clean the windows. This way, you save up on energy weekly while keeping your space spick-and-span.  

With each small victory, you can feel like a hero in your world. Soon enough, those small wins add up to big successes. 

3. The Pomodoro Technique (Big ‘grammar’? Don’t worry, I’ll explain) 

Ever find yourself glued to your chair, staring at your screen, but nothing’s getting done. Before long, procrastination sets in and by the day’s end you’re left feeling unaccomplished. Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it?  

The Pomodoro Technique is your best bet against procrastination and your guide to focused work. Here’s how it works: You set a timer for 25 minutes and dedicate that time solely to one task. When the timer’s up, you get a 5-minute break. This process repeats, and every four ‘Pomodoros’, you take a longer break, usually around 15-30 minutes. You’ll find that you’re more productive during those 25 minutes than you might have been in hours of unfocused work. You can even slip in some fun during your 5-minute break (5 minutes oo, not 50, yes, you’re the one I’m looking at). You can stretch, take a small walk, meditate or even bop to your favourite Abba tune (70’s music lovers, raise your hand 🙋🏼‍♀️). 

4. Learning the Art of “No” 

The real art of personal effectiveness lies in your ability to say “no”. We’ve all had moments when we said “yes” to something when we should’ve said “no”. It’s like piling up more tasks on an already full plate. The result? Stress, exhaustion, and a whole lot of regret.  

I, for one, would know this too well. It’s an art that I’m constantly learning. I’m coming to understand that I can’t and shouldn’t do it all, and that’s perfectly okay. This is not to say that you shouldn’t be helpful to others but saying “no” when you’re stretched too thin allows you to set boundaries and prioritize your time and energy. It means you can focus on what truly matters and give your best to those tasks and commitments that align with your overall goals. 

So, don’t be afraid to say “no” when your plate is already full. It’s not selfish; it’s smart. 

5. Self-Care Isn’t Selfish 

Lastly, let’s talk about self-care. Personal effectiveness isn’t about burning the candle at both ends. It’s about finding balance. Take breaks to recharge, even during busy days. You can go on a short walk, meditate, or dive into a good book. These breaks give your body a chance to rest, your mind to reset and your energy to refuel. You even get time for Netflix & Skill (you’d understand what I mean if you’ve read this post). Scheduling time for yourself is essential for maintaining your well-being and personal effectiveness. 

Remember, it’s about taking care of yourself so you can keep going with energy and enthusiasm. Self-care is not selfish; it’s essential. 

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Becoming a personal effectiveness maestro takes practice, but it’s worth the effort. Your life is your show, and you get to decide whether it’s a frenzied circus (like Lagos roads in rush hour) or a perfectly choreographed act (like Burna Boy’s leg work).  

Imagine that professional juggler who’s spent years of mastering how to juggle balls and bottles whilst staying balanced on his unicycle. Tough but definitely doable.  

Simplifying your life is your chance to become the main act on your life’s stage. Read the lines over again, master them, then 1, 2, 3, Action! That’s how you remain the star act even when life starts to feel like a circus. 

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Learn more about simplifying things and skyrocketing your productivity in our Personal Effective course here. 

Here’s a to-do list for you: 

Create a to-do list that has the following items: 

• Take the personal effectiveness course on Certifications by Unify 
• Share this resourceful blog post with my friends 
• Become the best version of myself