If you feel like your day is getting control of you instead of the other way around, these tips may help.
Seven Techniques to Increase Productivity at Work
While writing this article on work productivity, I went on Facebook, checked the weather, got some coffee, and called a friend. Distractions can be extremely debilitating to your work performance. However, there are techniques that prevent distractions from adding hours to your work day. Learn how to increase productivity for shorter days and greater work results.
Track Your Behavior
The first step to increase productivity is to raise awareness of your work distractions. To do so, you must know how much time each task is taking you.
Use an Excel spreadsheet to track an average work day. Note the task, time, and distraction that occurred. At the end of the day, you may know which tasks are more distracting.
Decorate Your Workspace
You sit at the same spot for the majority of your day. You may get up to go to the bathroom, eat lunch, walk to a meeting but overall, you stay at your desk. A burst of color can make you feel happier and more relaxed.
How-To Decorate Your Workspace
- A plant
- A fun mug
- Family photos
- Decorative bookends
- Your favorite team’s memorabilia
Get Your Most Dreaded Task Out of the Way First
Most of us have a task that we dread the most. Complete your least favorite task first. That way, you are not dwelling throughout the day or putting yourself in a “procrastination” mode, and the other work will not seem as daunting.
Move Your Body
Our mental focus is directly related to our physical routine. In other words, if you are exercising your body, you are exercising your mind. Next time you find yourself staring at the wall or dozing off, take a five-minute walk or perform a set of stretches.
How Exercise Improves Your Work Performance
- Improved Concentration
- Increased Stamina
- Lower Stress
- Enhanced Creativity
- Faster Learning
Write Down Your Daily Goals
Improve your work performance by writing down your daily goals with an attainable timeline. Writing down your daily goals can set you up for success every day.
Productive Methods to Writing Down Your Goals
- Each morning take a pen and a piece of paper and write down your 5 top goals. Don’t look at the day before, just think about what you want to accomplish most and write them down.
- Remember to write them in the positive present tense and remember to set a deadline for each goal. For example,you could set the goal “complete my report by 2:00 today.
- Do this for all 5 goals.
Writing down goals will help you come up with new ideas to improve efficiency and new subjects to test.
Say “No” to Meetings
To save money and valuable time, meetings should only be held when absolutely necessary. Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, runs his famously efficient meetings.
According to Musk, “Meetings are expensive. Assuming the fully-encumbered cost of an engineer can be between $80–$100 per hour, having a 10-person meeting can cost a company around $1000 an hour!
“For $1000 per hour, that meeting better damn well be worth it.
How Musk Runs Efficient Meetings
- Require that everyone be prepared
- Reduce everything to basic facts
- Keep the long-term vision in sight
- Don’t expect more at your meeting than you are doing yourself
Work in 90 Minute Intervals
Science proves that breaks can increase productivity. This phenomenon is due to the Ultradian Rhythm, or ninety-minute sleep cycle.
Nathaniel Kletman, “the father of sleep”, discovered the Ultradian Rhythm. According to the theory, people’s brains are highly active for ninety minutes followed by low activity for twenty minutes. The brain uses more energy than any other organ by 20 percent. After you work really hard, your brain decreases activity which you perceive as fogginess, tiredness, and haze.
Set your timer for ninety minutes. After ninety minutes has passed go on a walk for twenty minutes to return refreshed.
Successful people work productively! Utilize these seven techniques to increase your productivity and build the career of your dreams.
