Do you ever get the feeling that you didn’t get anything on your to-do list done during the day? To increase your productivity you start with a plan, a to-do list, and a goal… However, your to-do list has grown even longer at the end of the day.
I understand. It can be challenging to be productive at work. It’s crucial to manage your time in a way that promotes productivity… However, knowing where to begin can be difficult at times.
I’ve worked with both young professionals working 12-15 hour days and millennial entrepreneurs that have the entire day at their disposal as career counselors. Despite the variations in their schedules, both parties struggle to organize their time appropriately. You must be on point with how you manage those 24 hours each day, no matter who you are.
Try applying these suggestions to boost your productivity and work smarter.
Plan Ahead
We’ve all experienced the strain that a busy work week can bring especially when you’re lying in bed on a Sunday night, planning your week. The initial step taken by SEO firms in Bangalore is planning SEO strategy.
You’d feel more in charge of your day-to-day life if you planned…whether it was daily, weekly, or monthly. You’ll spend less time worrying about what may happen and more time living in the moment if you plan. You’ll also avoid missing meetings and forgetting to send emails because you’ll be able to keep accountable if you make an excellent plan.
You’ll undoubtedly feel busy…but you won’t be productive if you don’t know what you need to do on a given day. Start organizing your days ahead of time, even the night before, and you’ll notice that you’ll not only get more done in less time, but you’ll also have a smoother flow to your day filled with useful work that adds value to your life. To get the most out of your day, start planning it at least the night before.
Set Realistic Goals
Many of us have a goal or goals in mind as we go through life and our careers. Setting goals entails not just determining a broad course for your life, but also providing yourself with achievement milestones that bring enjoyment both during the journey and once you reach them.
In 1980, University of Maryland researchers performed the largest survey ever on the link between goal setting and productivity. In the abstract for the publication, Locke et al stated, “A review of both laboratory and field research on the influence of generating objectives when learning or completing a task identified specific, tough goals associated to higher performance than easy goals, “do your best” goals or no goals.”
The outcomes in terms of goal setting were remarkable, according to the report, which went on to say:
“Goals have a big impact on performance because they focus attention, mobilize effort, increase tenacity, and encourage strategy design.”
This teaches us that setting goals and working toward them early in life makes life more enjoyable and meaningful – and that it’s never too late to start.
With this in mind, the SMART concept, of which there are several variations, is the best way to set goals.
S – specific, significant, stretching
M – measurable, meaningful, motivational
A – agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented
R – realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented
T – time-based, timely, tangible, trackable
Your goals should always be;
Specified — instead of ‘learn a new skill at work,’ learn how to conduct a business meeting online.
Realistic – Rather than ‘future planning’ your objectives, set them for yourself that you can achieve with the resources you have right now. You can’t, for example, do something that will take you three years of full-time commitment and application in two years while working full-time and raising a family.
It’s not a goal if it’s easy to reach. You must regard the objectives as a task that must be met with your time and effort. Begin by selecting a goal that is little beyond your current capabilities; this way, you will be able to accomplish more than you think you are capable of.
Meaningful – Your goals or objectives should make you feel accomplished.
Setting objectives will help you be more productive since you will be focused and consistent in your work because you will be concerned with achieving them.
Track and Limit
Have you ever considered how much time you spend at work on various tasks? How long does it take to perform each task, and how much time do you think you’re wasting?
Some of us think we’re very good at estimating how much time we spend on projects, but research suggests that only around 17% of us can effectively estimate how much time we spend on specific tasks.
You will be able to better understand if you are using your time effectively and productively or if certain tasks are taking up too much of your time unnecessarily by implementing a tracking system that can help you monitor your tasks and the time it takes to complete them.
What do you mean by that? To begin, keeping track of your time will assist you in determining where you are becoming sidetracked. It will assist you in identifying the things at work that keep you from getting on track, such as meetings, interruptions, or unplanned chores. Time tracking can also assist you in identifying bottlenecks and workflows that may need to be automated rather than you spending hours on them.
Perhaps you’re the sort who is ready to go as soon as you’ve had your morning coffee, or perhaps you’re more productive in the afternoons. You’ll be able to identify your productivity golden hours more easily if you incorporate a time monitoring system into your working day. This will allow you to better manage your tasks and energy levels. Work that demands a higher level of concentration, for example, can be saved for when you know you’re at your most productive, while other chores that take longer can be saved for when you’re not.
Be Proactive, Not Reactive
The word reactive denotes a lack of initiative or use of one’s initiative. You let others tell you what to do and make decisions in the workplace, yet you’re the ‘doer‘ who gets things done.
The term proactive, on the other hand, means that you foresee events, create new methods to work, and bring new ideas to the table on your initiative. Nobody needs to tell you what to do because you’re always a step ahead of them.
In a nutshell, being proactive is the same as being reactive, with the exception that you react ahead of time. To become more proactive and to use your time more productively and efficiently, not to mention to impress your coworkers, keep three things in mind:
- Before anything happens, ask yourself what is likely to happen and make sure you have a plan in place to cope with it.
- Look at the big picture and plan out the measures you’ll need to do ahead of time.
- Make sure you’re on top of your game and that your energy is as well. Being proactive is easier when you’re doing something you enjoy since you’ll genuinely want to be the greatest at it.
Take Advantage of Commuting
Regardless of how you commute to work — whether you take the bus, bike, walk, or scoot – the average American spends more than 100 hours a year commuting.
Let’s face it, that’s a lot of time, and it adds up quickly. More than 139 million workers commuted in 2014, according to the US Census Bureau. Five days a week, 50 weeks a year, it takes an average of 26 minutes to get to work.
In a single year, that translates to 29.6 billion hours, 1.2 billion days or 3.4 million years spent commuting. Consider what you could accomplish with that much time. Instead, you’re caught in traffic or stuck on a train.
Your commute, on the other hand, is inescapable; we all have to get to work, and while it may be a hassle, you have the power to convert it into a productive period of the day. No, we’re not talking about reading through your Facebook News Feed; we’re talking about getting to work early.
You could, for example:
Plan your day — we’ve already discussed how crucial this step is for your productivity, so why not do it on your way to work?
Respond to emails — get your day started by responding to all of those time-consuming emails first thing in the morning. You’ll be able to start your responsibilities with a clear inbox by the time you get to the office… Isn’t it fantastic?
Why not invest time in your profession via self-learning? Listen to a relevant podcast or keep up with the latest industry news. You’ll educate yourself and get your mind going as soon as possible.
Start increasing your productivity during your commute, whatever you choose to do, to get the most out of your day. You’ll also have a sense of success when you arrive at work — a great way to start the day, in our opinion!
Minimize Distractions
Get rid of all the things that eat up your time if you want to increase your productivity. This might be emails, phone notifications, or social media for many of us. We’ve all become so accustomed to being online, with our phones in hand, and looking at something that we lose track of time and don’t realize we’ve squandered hours upon hours of useful time.
It’s also very easy to be distracted by coworkers while at work. While you’re trying to get your head down and finish your tasks, one wants to take a coffee with you while the other merely ‘popped in for a chat.’ All of these disruptions result in a shift in work patterns and a decrease in productivity.
So, what can you do to get rid of these annoyances? For starters, learn to work smarter rather than harder and establish boundaries. This could involve the following:
- Establishing ‘office hours’ so that others know when you are and aren’t available is a good idea.
- Phone notifications can be turned off.
- Set aside time to check social media and emails so you don’t have to interrupt your work.
- To get the most out of your day and limit distractions, use tools like BlockSite’s Scheduling and Work Mode features to work and take planned breaks.
- Block websites that grab your attention and, as a result, lower your productivity.
You’ll notice how quickly your productivity rises when you eliminate distractions, and there’s no better feeling than knowing you completed what you needed to do at the end of a long working day.
Obtain Enough Rest
Did you know that 70% of people in the United States admit to falling asleep at work? According to a survey performed by William A. Anthony, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and director of Boston University’s Center for Psychological Rehabilitation, Americans are falling asleep at work because they feel compelled to. People aren’t getting enough sleep as a result of early morning commutes, lengthy job hours, and too many duties at home.
We’ve all heard that not getting enough sleep has a detrimental impact on our ability to perform in all aspects of our lives. However, it has a higher impact at work since lack of sleep affects the prefrontal cortex, which helps us with jobs that involve logical reasoning and complicated thought, and will hamper us when attempting to do such tasks.
As a result, we all must get enough sleep each night to maintain our productivity. If you’re an adult between the ages of 26 and 64, the National Sleep Foundation recommends getting between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. When organizing your day, make sure that everything on your to-do list is accomplished on time so that you may get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
