We all know the feeling of getting to work at 8am, having a cup of coffee, catching up on busy work, and not feeling like you’re being productive until lunch time; and by then half the day has been wasted.
More often than not, we want to feel fulfilled and accomplished when we’re at work. We want to feel like we contributed and used our time wisely. We also want to feel valued and validated by our co-workers, managers, and team.
Before we discuss my favorite tips to be more productive at work, let’s first discuss why this is important in the first place. While it may seem obvious, being more productive at work gives us more job security because we’re contributing more to the benefit of the company. If we can accomplish in 6 hours what usually took us 8 hours, we’ve freed up 2 hours to enjoy our lunch break, go home on time to be with our families, or take on more responsibility to try to get that promotion we’ve always wanted. Or, maybe you want to free up extra time to focus on your side hustle in order to eventually offset your income and be more financially independent.
Whatever your reason is, keep it in mind as we walk through these tips to be more productive at work and imagine how they can apply to your unique situation.
- “Batching” – I learned this one from Tim Ferris’ book “The Four Hour Work Week.” Basically, the idea is to set aside specific time for the same type of activity instead of multitasking throughout the day. This helps us to be much more focused and complete tasks more quickly and thoroughly. Let’s take a software sales role as an example, while you probably work in a different industry, imagine how this can apply to your situation. Check email only 4 times per day and set an auto response to new emails letting them know at which times you’ll be checking email. That way the customer knows their email has been received and will be responded to and the sales rep doesn’t have to stop in the middle of an important project to respond to a one-off email. Another example is calling potential prospects. Set aside 2 blocks of time per day to make all of your calls, finish them, and then move on to your next important task.
- “Lists” – I am a huge fan of lists, especially when used well. Each morning, start your day by making a list of the 5 most important items you want to accomplish today as well as this week (and this month if you’re feeling adventurous). Then put the list in a clear spot in front of you and stick to it. Cross each item off when you finish it and only move on to the next when the task before it has been completed. You’ll be amazed at the end of the day when you see all 5 tasks completed and can go home feeling accomplished that today was productive.
- “Breaks” – While this one might seem counter intuitive, overworking yourself will only lead to being less productive. It is super important to take breaks throughout the day, even 5 minutes of meditation, grabbing a cup of coffee, or chatting with a colleague can help you reset and finish the remaining tasks of the day in no time at all!
Of course all new habits take time. Implementing one at a time and knowing that at first you won’t do it perfectly, however over time you’ll improve is the best way to be more productive at work.
Do you have a work productivity tip we didn’t include on this list that you think would be beneficial for others? Please send us a message and let us know. Maybe we’ll add it to the blog post!
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