We all want to be more productive, right? I don’t know of anyone in the world that actually likes the feeling of being behind, stressed, or even overwhelmed, so I’ve compiled 10 tips for being more productive.
- Save big projects and tasks for when you have the most energy.
I’m not a morning person, so my peak hours typically occur in the afternoon or evening hours, so that’s when I tend to work on big projects. You’ll need to figure out your own peak energy times and take advantage of it. Schedule the less important tasks before and after your peak times. - Implement routines for everything, starting with when you get up to when you go to bed.
Routines are like muscle memory; you just know to do them without having to think about doing them. This will save you time and energy. Remember that it can take a while before a new routine or behavior becomes automatic, so stick with it! - Emails are a big time suck.
Don’t constantly check your email! Instead, setup morning, afternoon, and evening times to check and respond to emails. - Stop multi-tasking and focus on one thing at a time.
While it may seem like you’re getting a lot done, in reality you are not getting your best quality work done, which could lead to errors and more hours of fixing what should have been done correctly the first time. - Batch your tasks.
By completing similar tasks together you free up time associated with switching from one task to another. - Take frequent breaks to keep your mind and body fresh.
An example would be to work 90 minutes and break for 10 minutes. - Daily exercise like yoga, weight lifting, or simply walking will go a long way to keep you relaxed, fit, and more productive.
Many people find that burning off of excess or nervous energy can clear the mind to better help focus on the tasks at hand. - Get rid of clutter.
Clear the clutter from your to-do list and your work space – if it’s not absolutely necessary, get rid of it. Clear space = clear head. - Break down large or complex projects into smaller projects and complete one at a time.
You can get easily overwhelmed by trying to tackle everything all at once. - Delegate and ask for help.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength in knowing your limitations. If you don’t want to ask, then delegate. Delegating tasks is a sign of a good leader and frees you up work on the bigger projects.
I hope that you find these tips as helpful as I do. Here’s to greater productivity at work and in everyday life!
