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Whether a friend or a colleague, this is the individual that consistently completes tasks ahead of schedule. The one who completes hour-long chores in less than 20 minutes.

The one they refer to as a robot or machine, because no simple human could work at such a rapid pace.

And yet these individuals exist, operating at peak efficiency. What do these extraordinarily productive individuals have in common? How are they able to achieve this?

The habits of extremely productive individuals

It's alluring to regard highly productive individuals as machines (or wizards). However, by observing ​how to be more productive​ and overcome the obstacles we all face, it is possible to increase your own productivity as well.

How can the most efficient individuals handle obstacles such as:

Procrastinating on tasks—small, annoying ones as well as huge, difficult ones

A boring task that must be completed

Not responding to email and other messages while carrying on some work

Maintaining motivation and vitality throughout the workday

Concentrating on and completing the most critical jobs on their plate

As much as I wish I could claim the title of "very productive individual," all I can say is that I'm working on it. However, via reading articles, perusing books, and interviewing productive individuals, I've compiled the greatest advice I could discover on their productivity routines.

The following list contains 18 of the most critical habits of highly productive individuals. From strategies for saving time on email to techniques for keeping focused, these productivity hacks will help you improve your efficiency – and get more done.

You cannot expect to increase your productivity overnight. However, by making modest modifications and incorporating some of these habits, you will be well on your way to becoming more efficient.

How to increase your productivity

Increase your productivity and efficiency by adopting the following habits:

Develop a capacity for in-depth work

Maintain a distraction list to assist you in remaining focused.

Utilize the Eisenhower Matrix to establish long-term objectives.

Employ the 80/20 rule.

Dividing tasks into smaller components

Take pauses

Make fewer judgments

Substitute efficient communication for ineffective communication

Discover shortcuts that are repeating

Profit from both your achievements and your failures.

Make a contingency plan for should things go wrong.

Prior to becoming motivated or inspired, you must work.

Avoid multitasking.

You definitely did not attend MIT — yet an MIT can help you be more productive.

According to the philosophy underlying Most Important Chores, every to-do list contains some tasks that are more critical than others. If you focus exclusively on checking items off your to-do list, you'll wind up completing a mixture of important and less critical chores.

Additionally, it exposes you to the risk of procrastination — it's all too simple to spend the entire day checking off easy, less important to-dos rather than focusing on the difficult tasks.

Rather than that, spend a few minutes at the start of each day selecting 1–3 MITs — the tasks that, regardless of what happens, you must complete by the end of the day.

With a fresh focus on what matters, it's easier to develop a meaningful to-do list – one that ensures the critical tasks are completed.