Choose to be productive, not busy.
We are all guilty of having items on our to-do that we simply never want to complete, and we wait until the very last minute to do so, dragging it endlessly until we have no choice. Increasing your productivity and efficiency at work are skills we all benefit from, and as most of our tips and tricks blog posts, we come to share some more “how-to´s” on developing and perfecting some skills that will help your productivity.
The first tip is to train your “deep work” schedule — Make sure to set specific time frames to work, and let coworkers, roommates, and friends know that for the next XYZ period you will not be as accessible.
Have an organized to-do list — make sure you write down, whether you prefer on paper or digital notes, all the items you need to get done. For some, it works best if these are organized daily, for some others by weeks.
Start calm — if organizing your desk and getting a cup of tea or coffee helps you get in a productive mood, then do so! Make sure to make your environment as comfortable as possible to start working.
Start small, then big — by starting crossing off smaller tasks from your list, you will instantly start feeling more achieved and productive, which will then give you the needed boost in your energy to cross off the less fun or harder tasks. Studies show that small tasks like making your bed as soon as you wake up changes the mood of your entire day because you start small and feel accomplished as soon as the day starts.
Focus on one goal at a time — concentrate on one item on your list, complete it, cross it off, and move on. Try not to jump from task to task because it will take longer to finish and go through the list.
Know when to ask for help — if you are stuck trying to get a task done, you´ve tried plan A, plan B, and maybe even plan C but nothing seems to work, knowing when to step back and ask for help is key! Losing more time on a task that seems unlikely you´ll be able to accomplish without help, will hurt your productivity.
When it is time to unplug, make sure you truly do so — now more than ever working from home has blended and made lines between home and leisure time into a “let me just reply to one more email after dinner.” Though, of course, things come up, when scheduling your working time, it is important to also set a finish time and try to stick to it as much as possible.
As always with our tips at The Square, these are easy to follow and to incorporate into your routines. The secret is always the same, practice, practice, practice!
Are there any other tips you include in your productivity rituals that we missed? Please share!
