Easy Ways to Ramp Up Your Productivity
By Sandy Schroeder
Are you frequently frustrated over your productivity at work? The morning seems like a blank slate with all sorts of possibilities, but at the end of the day the amount of work may simply not measure up. If you anticipate completing two or three projects and only come up with one, you may be wondering what you are doing wrong.
Forbes' career coaches say frustration over productivity is quite common among new hires and longtime veterans. Time can easily disappear, placing more pressure on the job. No matter who you are, it takes focus and planning to get the most out of your day.
Here are some simple ways to increase productivity.
Use the two-minute rule - Maximize your time by filling tiny chunks of time with specific tasks. Line up and complete any tasks that take two minutes. Some tasks may take longer, but that will be one more task completed.
Break projects into small tasks - Work can seem overwhelming when you look at a whole project, but slicing it into individual tasks can make it seem easier, and encourage tackling several. It may make them easier to hand out if you are fortunate enough to be able to delegate some, too
Tackle the biggest tasks early - How many times have you postponed a really big project, only to run out of time later? Start with the largest tasks when you are most alert and you are more likely to get it all done better. Know when you do your best work and use that time to plow through the heavy duty stuff. You will get more done and feel less frustrated about the whole effort.
Avoid multitasking - It can be tempting to lump small simple tasks together, attempting to quickly juggle and complete them. That can find you answering the phone, eating lunch, and reviewing a presentation all at the same time. The results may actually take longer and the quality may take a dive as you confuse the phone information, gobble your lunch and miss some of the details of the presentation. Instead, get a rhythm going as you focus on one task after another.
Allow yourself breaks - Those simple breathers that let you collect your thoughts and relax for a moment can actually help you work longer and better. Powering ahead without breaks may simply lead to burnout.
Keep looking for the sweet spot - Keep looking for good ways to boost your productivity. Try one approach after another until you find the ones that really make a difference in work completed. Not every day will be perfect, but some will be better because you found ways to make them work.
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