Some people use productivity apps to keep track of their progress, while others get inspiration from blogs and books with quotes about productivity.
We all need productivity tips to keep us moving forward every now and then.
If this doesn’t apply to you, think about this: research suggests that in an eight hour work day, the average worker is only productive for two hours and 53 minutes. That leaves a lot of room for improvement.
Here are our top tips to increase your productivity at work:
1. Set Goals on a Daily Basis
Haurwitz suggests that starting each day with a blank sheet of paper and asking yourself “How will I build my company today?” will help you determine the most important tasks to complete that day. Additionally, she suggests saving this list so you can track your progress as you check things off.
When you look back at the end of the day, do you feel like you accomplished anything?
You should spend your time working on things that will help you be successful in the future.
If you feel overwhelmed by a bunch of unsorted ideas or trying to figure out how to spend your time, making a list can help you stay on track and motivated. You can take each day one thing at a time, rather than feeling overwhelmed by everything at once.
If you like to stay organized, you can use a goal-tracking app to create lists and log accomplishments from wherever you are.
2. Do the Hardest Thing First
The question of where to start on your to-do list for the day is a difficult one, but John Furneaux, CEO of Hive, says that the best way to approach it is to start with the task you least want to do.
The best time to work on difficult tasks is early in the day, when you have the most energy and the fewest distractions.
One way to make sure you stick to your routine of completing your hardest task first is to turn off all distractions.
Don’t check your email, phone, or social media until you’ve finished the most difficult task of the day.
3. Review Your Week Every Friday
Some people’s minds are racing with thoughts when they go to bed at night, and they don’t have time to process what they did during the day because they’re stressed about what’s coming up.
Elaborating on his productivity quote, Farquhar says he sets aside a block of time each week to sit down and go over the previous week so he can answer three crucial questions:
1. Am I happy with the results I achieved? 2. Did I need to be present for everything I attended? 3. Could I have achieved the same results in less time?
This is a powerful way to find out if you are using your time wisely.
4. Identify Your Most Productive Time of Day
Most people have a time of day when they are more focus and creative. Some people are morning people and get their best ideas then. Other people are afternoon or evening people and that is when they are most creative.
Smith claims that his most fruitful hours are during the morning and early afternoon, so he tries to avoid scheduling meetings for later in the day.
He usually skips lunch and works straight through the day so he can get more done. He also schedules his tasks so that the ones that require the most attention and creativity are done first thing in the day when he has the most energy.
5. Start With Just 5 Minutes
Procrastination is the number one productivity killer, but we’ve all done it at some point.
Systrom beats procrastination by committing to five minutes of the task he is putting off. He usually ends up sitting and finishing the entire thing.
This example demonstrates that it is hardest to start and most important to take action.
Although it may be better to do certain things at a later time, you will find that getting small things out of the way will actually make you more productive. This is because you are not allowing the dishes to pile up in the sink. You are instantly taking care of them.
6. Understand Your Priorities
“The biggest takeaway from my book is that you have more time than you think,” said Laura Vanderkam.
She believes that it is not the amount of time you have that matters, but how you spend that time. This change in attitude empowers you to take control of your day.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything you have to do, identify your top priorities and focus on those. The other things can wait.
7. Set Boundaries
The feeling of having your to-do list looming over you as you answer questions and slack messages is all too familiar.
It’s lunch time and you feel overwhelmed because you’ve been working on so many different tasks and you don’t know where to focus next.
You’re feeling frustrated because you haven’t even started on your own to-do list yet.
Karen Edgar reduces distractions and interruptions by setting boundaries with her coworkers. She decides what hours she wants to block off for her own tasks, and what window of time people should come to her for questions.
It will be helpful to set boundaries and communicate them effectively in order to manage expectations, have more time for yourself, and be more productive overall.
8. Plan Ahead
We are all familiar with the stress that comes with a busy work week. It can be especially daunting when you are lying in bed on a Sunday night, thinking about everything you have to do in the coming week.
If you plan your days, weeks, or months in advance, you will feel more in control of your daily life.
There are several advantages to planning ahead, including reducing stress, enjoying life more, and being more organized.
An effective plan will help you stay accountable.
If you don’t have a clear idea of what you need to do in a day, you’ll probably feel busy, but you won’t actually be productive.
If you start planning your days in advance, you will get more done and have a better life.
You will get the most out of your day if you start scheduling it the night before.
9. Track and Limit
Do you ever think about how long you spend on specific tasks at work, and whether you could be completing them more efficiently?
Although we may think we are good at estimating how much time we spend on tasks, research indicates that only a small minority of us are actually accurate in our estimations.
You can become more productive by implementing a tracking system to monitor your tasks and the time it takes to complete them. This will help you understand if you are using your time effectively and where you may be wasting time unnecessarily.
What are the benefits of tracking your time? Well, for starters, it can help you see where you’re getting distracted.
Spotting the things at work that repeatedly throw you off track can be helped by this method, for example meetings, interruptions or unplanned tasks.
If you track how you spend your time, you can find areas where you’re wasting a lot of time and automate them.
Some people feel more productive in the morning after they’ve had coffee, while others are more productive later in the day.
A time tracking system can help you identify when you are most productive so you can plan your workday accordingly.
This means that you will be able to better manage your tasks and energy levels.
An example of this would be if you know you work better when you are focusing on one task at a time, you would reserve that type of work for when you are most productive. Tasks that take up less energy can be completed at another time. There is an app called Clockify that can help you get started with time tracking.
10. Be Proactive, not Reactive
The word “reactive” means that you don’t take initiative or make decisions, you just do what you’re told.
The word proactive implies that you take initiative and are always finding new ways to improve things. You don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do, but instead you are always ahead of the game.
Being proactive is being reactive ahead of time.
be aware of your time and how you spend it, what you really want to achieve, and decide what your priorities are There are three main things you can do to become more proactive and use your time more productively and efficiently. First, you need to be aware of your time and how you spend it. Second, you need to know what you really want to achieve. Third, you need to decide what your priorities are.
- Ask yourself what is likely to happen and make sure you have a way to deal with it before it happens.
- See the big picture and implement the necessary steps to take ahead of time.
- Be on top of your game and make sure your energy is too. Doing something you love helps with being proactive as you will genuinely want to be the best at what you do.
11. Take Advantage of Commuting
The average American spends more than 100 hours a year commuting, regardless of how they get to work.
This is a lot of time, and it really does accumulate.
More than 139 million workers commute in the U.S. Census Bureau. The average time spent commuting is 26 minutes, five days a week, 50 weeks a year.
This means that in one year, commuters spend a total of 29.6 billion hours, 1.2 billion days, or 3.4 million years on their commute.
Wouldn’t it be great if you had more time to do the things you love? But instead, you’re stuck on a train or in traffic.
Even though you can’t avoid your commute, there are ways to make it productive. Rather than scrolling through Facebook, use that time to start your workday early.
For example, you could;
If you’re using public transportation, you can use that time to go over what you have to do for the day. It is important to plan your day and you can do this on your way to work. If you use public transportation, you can use that time to plan what you have to do that day.
Start your day by answering all your emails so you can have a clean inbox when you get into the office.
Why not spend time fueling your career by self-learning? You can educate yourself by listening to relevant podcasts or catch up on the latest news in your field.
No matter what you do, try to be productive during your commute so you can make the most of your day. You’ll feel accomplished when you get to work, which is a great way to start the day!
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