Finding ways to get more things done is not always easy. If you have a busy lifestyle and there simply doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day, then see if our top tips below can make you more productive:
Plan and Prioritise
- Don’t leave your plan for the next day. Do it the night before. Create a list of things to accomplish so that you hit the ground running once you get to work.
- Tackle the big jobs early on and leave the simpler ones for later – “eat the frog”! Why? You’re full of energy in the morning but your level wanes as the day drags on.
- Prioritising helps get those important jobs done. Leave checking your emails until a set time in the day (after lunch at least) so they don’t get in the way and interrupt your flow.
Cut Out the Waste
- How much of your day is taken up with attending to wasteful or low value tasks? Better organisation and delegation can cut these out and give you much more time to concentrate on more important value-adding work.
- Do you really need so many meetings? Cutting time sat around the boardroom table can boost everyone’s productivity. Make sure those meetings are kept short and only discuss important, prioritised points. Save the small talk for when you should be taking a break!
Get Physical
- Want to start the day with a bang? 10 minutes of brisk exercise before you get down to work can give your brain a lift and focus your attention.
- Take proper breaks during the day and use them to get up from your desk, stretch, work those legs and refocus the mind.
- Don’t forget diet. Sugary or high caffeine treats can give you a short boost but generally bring you down after about 30 minutes, reducing your energy levels and concentration. The crash is often not worth the short “high”. Go healthy and you’ll certainly go further for longer.
Sort Out Your Tech
- Tech is vital in any business but it can also get in the way. When that email notification pings, you simply have to look at it… then you check your Twitter feed. Before you know it ten minutes have gone by.
- Switch off or mute unnecessary notifications and save your emails for fixed times in the day.
- Use productivity tools that help you do your job better – there are plenty online that make even complex tasks easy to handle.
Get Rid of Procrastination
- We all procrastinate a little. You sit down at your desk and decide to check one thing or another instead of getting down to the work you really need to be doing.
- Big projects can have many moments of procrastination as you try to bring everything together. Better planning, plus splitting the job into more manageable chunks, can make a big difference and speed up your progress.
- If you’re working at home, don’t use the sofa to work on or lie on the bed. Find something that looks like an office space to sit down in and it will focus your attention. Self-discipline is one of the true keys to success.
Celebrate Success
If you’ve completed a project or task, then give yourself a little reward. All too often we neglect ourselves when it comes to work and simply move onto the next task at breakneck speed. Celebrating a little success makes us feel good and creates enthusiasm when we go onto something else.
Keep it Balanced
Finally, aim to have a reasonable work-life balance. We all work too hard and forget that relaxing and recharging those batteries is incredibly important. Your long-term productivity can be seriously damaged if you are too stressed or haven’t had a proper break in a while. Make sure your typical week is usually a balanced one and don’t be afraid to say no if you have too much on.
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