It’s no secret that productivity is a key to success. But if you’re not managing your time well, it can seem like you never have enough hours in the day. So how do we make more productive use of our limited time?
Productivity comes from time management. However, time management is different for everyone so what works for one person may not work for another but there are some things that everyone can do in order to become more productive. If you try these 5 tips, I guarantee your productivity will skyrocket!
Maintain a list of tasks
The first step is to maintain a list of tasks that you need to do every day. This should be completely separate from your calendar and should not contain things like meetings or other appointments you have set aside for the day. Instead, this should only include the tasks that need to get done today and nothing else.
One of the biggest productivity killers is forgetting things. When you write down all your tasks for the day it will help to keep them fresh in your mind and ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. Once you have them written down, separate them into three sections: high priority, medium priority, and low priority. High-priority projects are the ones that must be done today otherwise there will be productivity loss or bigger problems down the line if they aren’t completed soon.
Check your list frequently, starting first with the most important and critical tasks. As you accomplish each task, cross it off, and don’t forget to reward yourself!
Avoid Social Media
Today’s productivity requires focus and concentration. But productivity is not an option when you feel the need to check your social media at every free moment you get. In order to be productive, social media has got to go!
This is a productivity killer for so many people. Social media can be fun and exciting, but countless studies demonstrate how it saps productivity by constantly distracting us from the tasks at hand. If you find yourself regularly distracted by social media, try blocking sites like Facebook or Twitter for a predetermined amount of time each day. You’ll be surprised at how productive you can be without these productivity drains in your day.
If you find yourself checking your social media accounts constantly throughout the day, try using an app like Social Fixer to limit when and how often you can use it. This way, you’ll only be able to use social media at certain times of the day instead of whenever you want.
Another productivity tip is to avoid checking your social media accounts first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Checking your social media accounts gives you little productivity boosts every time you get a notification from one of your friends or family members. These productivity boosts are so small that you won’t notice the productivity drain over time, but it really builds up and can keep you from getting real work done.
Schedule regular breaks
Your productivity drops by 50% after just one hour of work without a break. That’s right, productivity decreases by this much, so don’t be afraid to relax and recuperate.
To avoid productivity loss, take regular breaks every hour or so. Make sure you don’t check your social media accounts during this time because it will only distract you and keep you from getting real work done. Go for a walk around the block, get some fresh air, or just do some housekeeping tasks like straightening up your
One of the most fundamental time management skills is scheduling your productivity breaks. If you’re working on a project that requires concentration, this becomes even more crucial. This doesn’t mean to stop what you’re doing and waste time or take a nap for an hour, productivity breaks are meant to refresh your mind.
Physical productivity breaks should be about five or ten minutes and should involve some activity that gets you up and out of your chair, like a quick walk around the office or outside for a breath of fresh air.
Space Out Projects to Avoid Overwhelm
Another productivity killer is being overwhelmed. When you have too many projects going at once, it’s a recipe for a productivity disaster because your brain will be pulled in a million different directions and nothing will get done. Take on one project at a time to avoid productivity loss from being overwhelmed.
There’s no productivity in doing too many things at once. If you try to do more than what your productivity level allows, you’ll end up doing nothing well and taking too long to get anything done. Generally speaking, the human mind can only focus on one task at a time.
If you find yourself constantly overwhelmed trying to get everything done, you’ll need to space out your projects. Instead of trying to do all your work in one day, try spacing out the projects over several days. This way, you won’t become overwhelmed and productivity will never leave you feeling burnt out because there’s always something small that needs to get done.
Follow the 2-Minute Rule
If you can accomplish something in two minutes, do it right away instead of putting it off. This productivity technique is called the “two-minute rule.”
The 2-minute productivity rule says that if a task takes less than two minutes, you should do it immediately instead of putting it off. If a task takes more than two minutes but you know that you can get it done in a day or less, then do it right away to avoid productivity loss from forgetting about the task entirely.
If you’re constantly putting things off, make a list and write down the small tasks that only take a few minutes to complete. This way, you’ll always know what needs to get done and productivity will be easier than ever before.
Conclusion
It’s not hard to avoid distractions if you know what they are, right? We all have our own ways of staying focused and on top of tasks. It’s important to maintain a list of tasks and schedule regular breaks. You should also space out projects rather than try to do them all in one day because when your brain is overwhelmed you are more likely to get distracted by social media or other time-wasters. Your last line of defense against distractions? The 2-minute rule! If there’s something that will take less than two minutes to complete, just do it right away so the item won’t come back later as an interruption.
What’s one way that works best for you?
