Three Easy Steps To Increased Productivity
Sometimes in the middle of trying to do all the things you need to attend to, it feels like all you’re doing is treading water while the to-do list floats all around you. We’ve got three small tips to help you get more daily tasks to shore.
Take control of your emails
Emails are like tiny little time suckers. If you take the time to respond to every single one that floats into your inbox the second it floats in, you lose focus on what you’re doing, and then you have to take the time to yourself back into the swim of it things and the day gets away from you in small beeping chunks.
If you decide to respond later and then forget about the waiting emails, then that becomes a problem too.
The best thing to do is take control of the emails. Don’t stop what you’re doing every time one comes through, but do respond to them – at a time convenient to you.
Unless an email is absolutely urgent, deal with them in bunches at allotted times. That way instead of breaking your concentration every ten minutes you’re dedicating 15 minutes chunks to emails throughout the day, and dedicating longer uninterrupted chunks to everything else.
Make the most of your commute
If you’re someone who has a long train or bus commute to work, that’s a great time to get through small chunks of work.
Your commute is a great time to tackle a few emails. You answer them there and then and save yourself all that time later
No matter what task you tackle on the train, it will be a more productive hour than
mindlessly trolling Facebook.
Determine your most productive hours
Different people are at their peak efficiency at different times of the day. Some are most productive after lunch when they’re full and happy.
Others are most focused first thing in the morning. While others hit their peak efficiency after they’ve settled in and have been at work for an hour or
two.
Figure out your optimum work time, and set yourself goals of doing larger or more demanding projects at that specific time.
Working according to your body’s natural rhythms is useful for getting things finished. Give yourself small easy tasks when you know your brain is on autopilot, and save the more complex things for when you’re at your mental best.