By Tanya Louisa Kumar
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey
In today’s competitive world, we’re all looking to get more done in less time to get ahead.
Read on to find 10 ways you can improve your productivity with smart work!
Create a S.M.A.R.T to-do list:
Base your list of things to do on these principles (they’re not just for business):
Specific goals:
A goal directs your work towards a specific target, so it has to be specific.
When you have specific goals, you will know what resources you need to achieve them, and be focussed towards them.
Measurable outcomes:
Outcomes don’t mean much unless you can measure them.
Turning your specific goals into numerical targets gives you a better idea of how close you are to achieving them.
Attainable goals:
It’s alright to be ambitious have ideals to aspire to, but business goals have to be rooted in reality. Set goals based on what you can do with your available resources. The success or failure of your business depends on it.
Relevant goals:
It’s worth mentioning that business has to take the prevailing market conditions into account, which includes your competition! Adapt or go the way of the dinosaurs!
Time-Based goals:
The whole idea of having a goal is that it should have a deadline. That way you can plan your activities and goal achievement to be completed within that time frame, eventually contributing to the growth of your business.
Follow the 80/20 Rule:
According to the Pareto Principle, 20% of what you do, will account for 80% of your results.
It’s a question of quality over quantity. Suss out your weaknesses and highlight your strengths, sort of like a Pareto SWOT analysis. Optimize your work to contribute towards your ultimate goals and objectives. It’s about making the best use of time, not stretching work to fill the time.
Get up early, have a meaningful morning:
Your morning will set the tone for the day. When there never seem to be enough hours in the day, that’s when you can make more time to set a positive note for the day, and mentally prepare yourself for everything ahead.
Do the hard stuff before lunch:
Don’t procrastinate! It doesn’t matter if you’re a night owl, or an early bird, your concentration and willpower will be at their best in the morning and slide down from there. You’ll also have more distractions and possible stress as the day wears on, so tackle the hard stuff first before it tackles you!
Keep it simple!
If it’s not essential, cut it out. The day is only long enough to accommodate the most important things. Piling on work will stress you out. Prioritize, minimalize, simplify.
Break it down:
Break down tasks into smaller, doable segments. A task is nothing but the sum of its parts. Break them down into parts to complete one by one, till everything is done. Don’t turn a mountain into a molehill.
Streamline your work processes:
Simplify your tasks, and attend to them one at a time, so that your focus isn’t scattered at any one time. You might be bombarded by work from all sides. It’s up to you to rise above the chaos and attend to work in your own way.
Don’t get distracted:
Sometimes work can get monotonous. We end up getting distracted and unravel all our good work by being unproductive. Every second is precious. Apart from prioritizing and putting away your phone, you can also engage in light meditation, noise cancellation apps, and setting alarms to take scheduled breaks. You snooze, you lose.
Don’t multitask:
Trying to do several things at a time may sound smart, but you end up not focusing on any one thing. It may sound smart and time-efficient to do two or three things at a time, but you won’t be giving anything the attention it deserves. Quality trumps quantity.
Take breaks:
Schedule breaks to break the monotony, stretch your legs, and renew your focus. This could include taking a walk, calling a friend, looking at pictures of your pet, anything that makes you happy and reminds you why you do what you do.
We could all use a little help in freshening up our workday. These tips could help make productive, and make your time in the office more meaningful. Try them out and change your life.
About the Author
Tanya’s Bio: I’m a Content Writer and Growth Strategist with AirTract.Com . I’ve spent a lot of time traveling the world. I have worked in Software, Healthcare, and Hospitality. I love to channel my experiences into my writing. I’m equally happy curled up with a book, learning something new about the universe or planning the next fun thing to do. Life is what you make it. Carpe diem!
