Getting and staying productive at work isn’t always easy. There are a lot of distractions in day-to-day life and it can be hard to stay motivated all the time. Being effectively productive can really transform your work-life though. Keeping on top of work, doing your work to the best of your ability and always striving for more are great attributes of someone who stays as productive as possible.
It can be difficult to maintain drive, however, so here are a few productivity hacks that can really help.
1.Set Reminders
Most people use the reminders app on their smartphone or laptop to prompt them to do certain things. Whether that’s a notification to remember to ring the dentist and change your appointment or a reminder to order someone’s birthday present before you’re too late.
They are a great way to keep on top of things. People use them so much in their personal life but not really in their work-life. However, reminders can be very effective when it comes to your work as they can be used for a multitude of things.
Just had a great idea mid-meeting and don’t want to forget? Why not create a reminder and get back to that thought after the meeting? How about you need to call an office overseas at the right time? Set a reminder alerting you to when it is 9am in their timezone and be the first to call.
Reminders are a very simple tool but really pack a punch when used correctly.
2.Find the Right Tools for You
While the saying goes that a poor workman always blames his tools, it is just as true that the right tools can go a long way in effectively aiding you in your work.
Whether that’s physical tools in your trade, or the best tools Salesforce has to offer to help you in your Sales role, there will be something out there that can really help you in your niche.
Though, ultimately, the work comes down to you, having the right tools can really mean the difference between a very productive day and a very slow day. Making sure you have good ones at your disposal can truly make a difference.
3.Schedule Time to Focus
In many professions, especially where the workplaces tend to be offices, your calendar can quickly fill with meetings. From meeting to discuss how something has been done to meetings to plan projects in the future, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at times. When looking at a full calendar, it can be hard to find time to get your actual work done. This is where scheduling in time to focus comes in. Time spent working is arguable just as, if not more important than time in meetings, so why do you schedule time for one and not the other?
Blocking out time in your calendar, whether that’s a couple of hours a day or a couple of days a week can really help you make sure that you are staying on top of your work and not falling behind due to meetings.
Keeping on top of your work is vital for staying productive as it can be quite disheartening to see a lot of work that you’re behind on. Putting time aside in your calendar that you promise yourself to not fill with more meetings is a great habit to get into. You’ll likely find that you feel a little lighter during your work week knowing you will have time to catch up on anything you’ve missed.
4.Find the Right Work Buddy
One of the perks of joining a workout class or group to exercise with is that it keeps you accountable. People are much more likely to stick to something or commit to a promise when they have other people relying on them.
If you decide to go swimming every Wednesday on your own, it’s easy to not commit to this as you’re the only person you’re letting down. However, if you have this exact same plan with a friend, and maybe agree to pick each other up, backing out would then impact them.
The world of work is no different in this respect. If you agree with yourself to stay late and finish a product but find at the end of the day you’d rather go home, you might be the only one to suffer. If you find the right work buddy though, you’ll have someone to hold you accountable.
A good work buddy can be either a colleague at your current work or just a friend you get together to do work with. The latter is especially handy if you work remotely and struggle to stay motivated when it’s just you.
5.Slow Down
This is less of a productivity hack and more of a great piece of advice, but it’s more than worthy of its place on this list. Sometimes, the desire to be as productive as possible can turn into an obsession revolving around doing as much work as you can in a certain amount of time. In these cases, it’s important to learn to take a step back and focus on other things not exclusive to your work-life. Having a good work/life balance can have a positive impact on both aspects of your life and will make you a much better worker in terms of longevity.
Work is a good focus for many people but it’s important to slow down every now and again to see that there is more to life than just clocking in more hours at your job.
Productivity is often very elusive in the fact that the more you try to achieve it the harder it becomes. However, if you’re trying to be more productive at work, it’s a good sign. It means that you care about the work you’re doing and that you’re not complaisant with what you’re putting out.
When you care about your job, you put your time and energy into it, which is the ultimate way to stay productive. If you do need a little boost in this area though, these tips can really help you get there.
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