How to Stop Spinning Your Wheels at Work

By Sandy Schroeder

If you put in a full day at work every day, but never seem to get everything done, there may be easy ways to boost your productivity, such as these dumblittleman.com tips.

Track task time – Often we estimate the time we are spending on an individual task, but using an app like Everhour provides a breakout by day, week or month. You may find that guess of an hour really works out to be two or three hours.

Reward your work – Try working on a task for 30 minutes, and then taking a five-minute break for coffee, water or a quick stretch. Then pick up the task again, and repeat the cycle until it is done. See how this rhythm works for you.

Trim administration time – If you are not careful, administrative meetings and follow-up tasks can take a big bite out of your actual work time. Look for online tools to cut the time involved.

Add natural light – If you can arrange to work near a window, the natural light may help you sleep better at night, boosting your daytime alertness. If windows are not available, light boxes can give your brain and your body a boost.

Use quiet work spaces – Many projects benefit from group input, but some work efforts require an uninterrupted focus. When it’s needed, arrange a separate quiet working space or work at home. You can also use noise-blocking headphones to lower the volume in the office.

Block in tasks and dates – When you match tasks to due dates your work may move faster, and keep you up to speed with deadlines. Actually seeing all of the dates and tasks can help you make better estimates for future assignments.