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Have you ever felt the need for a productivity boost?
We all need a productivity boost now and then to enable us to get things done more rapidly whilst still accurately.
At times, clients will require us to work at a more accelerated pace. Sometimes, we will want to increase our productivity to help us reach our personal goals.
But we all typically work best to a deadline.
Whatever your reasons, here are eight practical Productivity Tips to help you accomplish your goals.
1. Complete important tasks at the start of your day
Why? To give yourself the mental clarity to navigate successfully the rest of your day.
Think of it this way, you’ve decided which tasks are most important to complete for the day. If you leave these tasks until later in the day, the chances are that you won’t do them. More importantly, you’re likely to think about them, fret about them and be worried about the impact of NOT having completed them all throughout the day!
The cognitive weight of our worries leaves less room in our brains for creative thinking. Ultimately, this fogs our minds, making it more difficult for us to accomplish any other/new tasks.
So, by completing the main tasks as early as possible, you’re literally clearing your mind to tackle the rest of your day!
This leads onto:
2. Tackle the tough tasks first
You know what those tasks are! You’ve been putting them off because they’re challenging – or cognitively costly – meaning they will take an enormous mental effort to get done! Or maybe they’re just unexciting. Whatever the reason, you’ve been putting them off, and you know they really need to get done! Those are your most challenging tasks. Do them first thing in the day – at the beginning of your most crucial tasks list. You will find that the relief after completing these niggling tasks is immense and gives you a psychological boost that carries you through the rest of your day.
3. Wake up early
Decide what you’d like to personally accomplish each morning to enable you to have a productive day and build your morning routine around that.
Like to exercise? Just do it. Want to practice mindfulness? Go for it. The mornings are a fresh start, peaceful and free of interruptions, allowing you to build and put on your armour for the day. Each day will be full of challenges – that’s just life. But if you arm yourself in preparation – both mentally and physically for the challenges you will inevitably face, then that’s half the battle already won!
Check out my 4 Lifestyle Changes article for further inspiration.
4. Start your work early
My best days come when I start my work early and begin my working day in the quiet morning hours before emails start pinging before anyone else is up. It is so peaceful, and I can work without interruption or losing focus. I often find I get my most important tasks completed during this time.
PRO TIP: Give yourself a time limit when working during the early hours.
For example, plan an appointment you must attend to ensure that you work within a timeframe.
Why? We’ve all experienced those occasions when our time is limited. Our focus gets laser sharp, and our productivity magically increases! You will already be more focused at this quiet time, so imagine what you could achieve if, on top of that, you had limited time!
5. Declutter your workspace
Basically – remove all distractions!
If you’re anything like I used to be, you’re working on your laptop whilst reading emails on your tablet and reacting to pings from WhatsApp on your mobile.
In addition, whilst you’re working on a project, you have another three projects open in the background of your computer ie an unfinished blog, a partly proofread chapter, and partially completed social media posts!
No wonder you’re finding it difficult to focus! Not only are the other projects on your mind – but they’re also staring you in the face!
STOP IT – IMMEDIATELY!
The decluttering of your workspace starts by removing all unnecessary items from your desk and your computer screen.
For example, if you’re working in the quiet morning hours, then the likelihood is that you will not be expecting any calls. So, leave your smartphone in the next room or lock it in a drawer (with the notification sounds turned off!) And if the laptop you’re proofreading and editing on has a split screen function, which allows you to access your project tools, for example; a dictionary; style guide; grammar and punctuation rules etc., then leave your tablet – with distracting emails – turned off and in another room.
So, that’s the technology dealt with. Now for the other items on your desk.
Next: Remove all papers, files and post-its from your desk.
If the files are for reference, find an easily accessible shelf or cupboard for when you need them. If the papers relate to current projects, put them in your in-tray until you’re ready to tackle them.
Can you see a theme here? It’s all about minimising distractions and clearing a physical and mental space to allow you to focus on the task at hand.
Have you ever spent the winter months holed up in your home, surviving the dark, short days, thinking that you want to clear out your old clothes, knick-knacks, and unused items that you keep tripping over? Then springtime comes around, and you clear out all your unwanted items. You donate several boxes to your favourite charity shop, and in doing so, hugely increase the living space in your home. Then you feel a huge weight lifted by creating this additional space.
Well, this is also what happens when you declutter your workspace. By creating a clear and tidy physical space, you increase your focus, which results in an increase in your productivity.
6. Work offline as much as possible.
To increase your productivity, disconnect your Internet connection.
Even after minimising the distractions on our desks and computer desktops, when we’re working on the internet, we inevitably still receive notifications, pop-ups and flashing adverts – all trying to grab our attention!
Have planned times for checking your email, and only let yourself check your blogs or surf the web when you’ve got a certain amount done. When you do go online, do it on a timer. When the timer goes off, unplug again until the next scheduled time.
You’ll be amazed at how much more work you get done.
7. Avoid unnecessary work.
Too many of us spend a lot of our time doing non-essential tasks. They fill our time, but that’s about all.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are many smaller tasks that do need to get done. However, you’re only being productive if the work you’re doing is moving you towards a goal! It’s that simple.
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- STOP doing non-essential tasks.
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- Say NO (politely) to new requests unless they align with your goals.
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- Cut out all non-essential assignments to have more time to focus on what really matters.
These habits will increase your productivity.
8. Enjoy what you do!
If you’re doing your dream job, you’ll want to put the hours in. You’ll be jumping out of bed at the first alarm, and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate! In fact, you won’t need to motivate yourself to be productive ever again!
These productivity tips will help you create more space in your day, decrease your feeling of overwhelm, and to help you make a meaningful impact with the time you spend working.
If this post has been of help, drop me a line, subscribe to my newsletter and let me know about your experiences.
Until next time,
Go BOOST! Buildup Ourselves One Step at a Time.