Being productive at work often requires a lot of willpower because most of us don’t want to be working. It’s normal to feel unmotivated when you’ve got three deadlines that day, two meetings and one annoying colleague who won’t be a team player. However, you’re in charge of your productivity, and it’s your choice how productive you are (or aren’t).
Let’s take a look at some of the best ways you can increase your productivity at work and how it will shape your day as a result.
Quit the Multitasking
Everybody seems to rave about multitasking, and on the surface, it’s an appealing prospect. In practice, it’s often a headache when you’re trying to send an email while constructing a new marketing campaign. The truth is that multitasking is a bad idea and does nothing but cause distractions and leave you unproductive.
Try focusing on one task exclusively and putting all your focus into it. If this means turning off your emails for half an hour while you write that report, then it’s what you need to do. However, if you go back to focusing on one thing at a time, it becomes easier to tackle problems and build momentum.
Set Realistic Goals
Realistic goals are the cornerstone of productivity. If you sit down and think to yourself, “right, I want to tackle this mountain of paperwork by lunchtime”, and you’re only halfway through by noon, you’re going to feel like you’re not getting enough done – while conveniently ignoring the fact that your goals aren’t realistic.
Be honest with yourself about what you can and can’t do in a single day, and try to set realistic, attainable goals that are quantifiable. So, instead of getting all your paperwork done by lunch, aim to file three reports. It will make a difference.
Take Breaks
Productivity is tied to your mood and overall energy levels. Even the most dedicated and passionate worker can experience a drop in productivity if they’ve been staring at a screen for six hours with no breaks.
Take regular breaks every few hours and let yourself decompress. Get up, get some water, make a cup of coffee and try to stretch out. You’ll feel better when you go back to your desk.
Prioritise Work
If you’re going to get anywhere with work and want to feel productive, you need to learn what to make a priority for a given period. Whether this is assigning yourself a few tasks each day and letting some other things roll over or marking your assignments in order of importance, nothing helps productivity like getting something vital done early.
Make a Change in Productivity
Productivity is all down to you and the way you work, so making changes is the best way to make productivity go further and feel better about it. You should make a change if you’re not accomplishing what you want. These are all good, actionable tips you can put in place today – check out this article from Forbes to see a few more.