By Leo Babauta

Quick intro: This is one in a series of Top Productivity Hacks – little tips and tricks that are designed to make you more productive. At the end of the series I’ll post them all together in an overview.

Productivity Hack #1: Do something you’re passionate about.

This might not seem like the normal productivity tip, but give it a thought: if you really want to do something, you’ll work like hell to get it done. You’ll work extra hard, you’ll put in even more hours, and you’re less likely to procrastinate. It’s for work that you don’t really care about that you procrastinate.

For some people, this tip might not seem too practical, especially if you’re in a humdrum job that you don’t really feel like doing. It’s for you that this tip was written: if you hate your job, or are just doing it for the money, I highly recommend that you give this some thought. If you must force yourself to do work every day, you can only do this for so long before burning out. You’ll probably quit eventually anyway, so give it some consideration now.

What do you really want to be doing right now? (Don’t say sleeping!) What do you love doing? What is your dream job, and how can you get it? Give this some thought, not just right now but for the next few days. If you can identify that job, your next step is to plan how to get it.

My suggestions:

• Do some research. Who else is doing your dream job? What is their experience? How did they get the job? What are the requirements? Research it on the internet, ask people you know, make some calls. The more info you have, the better.
• What are your obstacles? What do you need to do to get there? Do you need an education? Do you need to know the right people? Do you just need to fill out an application? Do you need to learn some skills?
• Make a plan. Work out some solutions to your obstacles. If you need an education or skills, you will not be able to execute this plan overnight, but if you don’t plan it out now, you might never get there. Lay out the path to your success.
• Take action. Don’t wait for opportunity to come hit you on the head. Go out and grab that opportunity. Execute your plan — do at least one thing today, and each day, until you get there. It might seem like it will take forever, but if you really put in the work, you’ll achieve your dreams someday.
• Be persistent. Don’t give up because you’ve been rejected a few times (or even a lot of times). Keep knocking on doors. Keep making those calls. Keep submitting your resume. Keep making appointments. Don’t ever let up. The person who is relentless will win over the person who quits.

Land your dream job, doing something that you’re passionate about, and you may never need to motivate yourself to be productive again.

Top 10 Productivity Hacks

• #10: Take care of your Most Important Things first
• # 9: Wake up early
• # 8: Simplify information streams, crank through blogs & email
• # 7: Declutter your workspace; work on one thing at a time
• # 6: Get to work early; work fewer hours
• # 5: Avoid meetings; when you must meet, make it effective
• # 4: Avoid unnecessary work
• # 3: Do the tough tasks first
• # 2: Work off-line as much as possible
• # 1: Do something you’re passionate about
• (More on Productivity)