50 Gold Tips to Improve Productivity

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Learn to manage your time, work efficiently, and rest properly.

Planning

1. Set goals correctly

To achieve a goal, you first need to correctly formulate it. Use a SMART system: goals should be specific and measurable, realistic and achievable, meaningful to you and have clear deadlines.

2. Focus on the process

Set goals based on process, not outcome. “Becoming a dancer” is an unsuccessful task setting. It is difficult to approach it, because it is not clear where to start. Set yourself the goal of “signing up for a dance and going to class three times a week,” it will be more effective. At least you will understand whether you are ready to spend years training for the sake of your dreams or not.

3. Use the GTD technique

GTD (Getting Things Done) is a system for the productive work of business coach David Allen. Its main goal is to complete all available cases and at the same time unload the brain from endless planning. The essence of the technique is to write down absolutely all tasks using different lists, and constantly update them. So even the smallest and seemingly unimportant tasks will not boggle your head and distract you from work. And the progress of their implementation will always be in front of your eyes.

4. Understand the difference between being busy and efficient

You may be constantly busy, but that doesn't mean you are productive. Consider how helpful your actions are, how they relate to your work, and whether there are tasks in your plan that don't get you closer to your goal. If there is, exclude them.

5. Use calendars instead of to-do lists

Scheduling things right on your calendar will help you distinguish the intention to do something from the commitment to start a specific task at a certain point in time. It makes it easier to distribute things for a week and a month and quickly find free time to change something in your schedule.

6. Forget about multitasking

You can do several things at the same time, but you are unlikely to achieve good results. Numerous studies have proven that multitasking reduces work efficiency. You only get a sense of satisfaction, which does not last long and is replaced by burnout. Get in the habit of doing tasks sequentially, and your efficiency will only increase.

7. Prioritize

The matrix of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, will help to correctly assign tasks according to their priority. All tasks just need to be divided into four groups:

1. Important and urgent.
2. Important and non-urgent.
3. Unimportant and urgent.
4. Unimportant and non-urgent.

So you will see what needs to be dealt with right away, what to convey to others, and what is not necessary to do at all.

8. Reduce the list of important responsibilities to three

Don't try to fill your day's schedule with only difficult tasks - it's not far from exhaustion or professional burnout. And there is no need to talk about any productivity. Take on no more than three essential tasks a day, alternate with simple ones, and find time to rest.

9. Set yourself deadlines

If you are used to putting off important things for later, and then do everything in a hurry, come up with your own personal deadlines. For example, your boss asks you to submit two large reports on Friday - set one of them yourself by Wednesday.

10. Spend an hour a day on non-urgent things

Getting bogged down in the routine of daily urgent tasks and endlessly postponing other important and non-urgent tasks is very easy. But you can never get down to them like that. Don't expect to have a freer day someday. If you want to finish reading a book, take time to it every day. If you dream of becoming a famous artist, practice drawing daily.

Motivation

11. Don't be afraid to make mistakes

The fear of doing something not so often makes you stand still and do nothing at all. Learn to perceive mistakes as an impetus for development. When you fail, think about why you failed and close the gap in your knowledge and skills. Over time, you will even become grateful for your mistakes.

12. Ask to criticize you

Don't judge yourself harshly - invite someone to objectively evaluate your work. Ask your boss for feedback. For a sincere desire to see your mistakes and improve performance, you will not be reprimanded. Well, praise will help you get inspired and keep moving forward.

13. Pump up your skills

It is impossible to remain productive for a long time without constant learning and self-education. Sooner or later, you will get bored or you will reach the ceiling in your profession. Therefore, strive to learn new things all the time: take on unusual tasks and do not give up interesting projects.

14. Avoid whiners, pessimists and alarmists

People tend to become addicted to the emotions of others. If someone in your environment constantly repeats how bad everything is, one day depression will roll over you. The panic of a colleague, whose deadlines are burning every week, will definitely spread to you. Therefore, leave, stop communicating and break off the relationship - do not let your mood spoil.

15. Surround yourself with smart people

Social circle affects our development. Surround yourself with mentors and just interesting people - let them constantly motivate and inspire you, forcing you to strive for their level. Go to specialized seminars, conferences, join professional communities and make new acquaintances.

16. Do not follow other people's successes

Too much obsession with the achievements of others only hinders us. Stop being jealous of a friend who opened your own business, or a classmate who successfully earns on her hobby. Disconnect from spying on the lives of others and get on with achieving your goal.

17. Get help

Don't expect to do a big job alone. If you need help, ask for it. Taking on a difficult task and pulling it yourself is not a reason for pride, but rather stupidity. Understand that you are working for a result, and for the sake of it, do not neglect the experience and advice of others.

18. Create your own productivity method

Don't blindly follow all time management techniques, relaxation tips, and time-saving tips. Analyze what is really helping you and discard what is not doing you any good. Your goal is to be effective, not to break the record for the most used productivity tools.

Concentration

19. Free your brain from everyday problems

Put together a capsule wardrobe so you don't think about what to wear to the office in the morning. Set up a schedule for cleaning and household chores. Go grocery shopping on weekends and create a menu for the week. When all household chores are settled and planned, you are focused on work.

20. Find your peak activity

Someone advises to do complex tasks at the beginning of the working day, and leave small tasks for the evening. But this method is not suitable for owls or those who need to accelerate. Therefore, determine the periods when you can work most efficiently, and schedule time-consuming tasks during this time. To identify them, it is enough to note the level of your concentration during the day for several weeks. Or use a dedicated productivity calculator.

21. Don't put off things that make you nervous

Whether you are worried about an important call or are afraid to clarify something with your boss - do not delay. Solve frightening tasks right away, even if the thought of them makes you worry. Because it is these thoughts that distract from work and reduce concentration. The faster you do it, the faster you calm down.

22. Take notes by hand

Interesting ideas that accidentally visit the head tend to be immediately forgotten. Sometimes we get lost in thought while opening the recording app on our smartphone. And sometimes we get distracted by something else: messages, news and social networks. Therefore, write it down on paper - handwritten notes will also make you remember information better. Buy a small rough sketchbook on which you can quickly jot down a few words, or a block of stickers and keep them close at hand.

23. Set reminders

The need to do something at a certain time creates an inner anxiety that distracts from the main work. Moreover, the subconscious fear of forgetting about some business may not even be felt. Therefore, set sound reminders of things tied to a specific time. This will free you from constant glances at the clock and unnecessary nervousness.

24. Keep your workplace tidy

Every day, when you finish work, put things in order on the table: sort the notes, lay out the documents, wash the cup. By the way, the desktop on the computer also counts. Close all unnecessary tabs, delete temporary files.

25. Watch out for lighting

Scientists have proven that lighting has a profound effect on our productivity. The light in the office should be as close to natural daylight as possible, not warm or too cold. The optimal value is 4,500-5,000 K. At the end of the working day, you can switch to a warm light to relax and prepare for rest.

Executing tasks

26. Run sprints

You've probably heard of the Pomodoro technique - organizing work in 25-minute segments with 5-minute breaks. This time frame may not suit you, but the main thing is in its essence. Designate short periods of full concentration for yourself - from 20 minutes to an hour - when you will not be distracted by anything at all, and take breaks in between.

Use apps:

27. Do not rush to carry out new assignments

Do not leave your business unfinished due to a sudden task or someone's request. Of course, it is important to set priorities: if a new task is more important and needs to be done as soon as possible, distract yourself and sacrifice current affairs. If not, postpone. Even if they ask you very much.

28. Visualize

Visualization will help you save time, memorize information better, understand a new topic and make an informed decision. Use different techniques: label tasks by category, draw graphs, tables, and mind maps.

29. Leave tasks unfinished

Take your time to complete large and complex tasks at once. Rely on the Zeigarnik effect. Its essence is that the brain remembers better the unfinished actions and subconsciously continues to think about them. If you are very afraid of a difficult task, start it and put it off - while you are doing other things, many interesting ideas may come to mind.

30. Start small

If you can't get started on a task, set aside only 10 minutes for it. Chances are, you will get involved and keep working. Well, if not, then at least start. And at the same time, check on yourself the effectiveness of the previous point.

Save time

31. Find out what you are spending your time on

Try an experiment: try to write down absolutely everything for one week, even the smallest cases and the amount of time spent on each of them. Finally, analyze the resulting list.

32. Refuse calls

Try to talk less on the phone. Making a call takes more time than writing and reading a message. Moreover, not everyone comes to mind to warn about him, which means that you can suddenly and at the wrong time be distracted from work. If you still need to make an important call, schedule it and add it to your to-do list so that you can clearly allocate time for other tasks.

33. Disable alerts

Turn off notifications for apps, messengers, social networks and mail. They do not take up a lot of time, but they are very distracting and can drag you on a journey on the Internet. If you can't get rid of the temptation to check your messages, leave notifications about them only from important contacts.

34. Check your email in the afternoon

Eliminate the morning email check so as not to be distracted from already scheduled tasks and not to adjust to someone else's daily routine. If you are used to answering right away and cannot resist texting, the conversation can drag on for the whole day. Don't keep your browser tab open, but use templates to quickly reply to messages.

35. Clean up your inbox

Strive to ensure that only important ones remain among unread messages. Delete unnecessary spam immediately, and create a separate mailbox for personal mail and interesting subscriptions. So you don't have to look through the mail for a long time and search among all the letters that are really needed.

36. Learn to touch-type

When working at a computer, touch typing is a significant time-saver. The skill can be learned using online services,,. The main thing is to devote time to this activity every day.

37. Use hotkeys

Hotkeys are designed for quick work. Remember their combinations, they greatly simplify the use of a computer and individual programs.

38. Save files directly to the desired folder

When downloading or creating a document, immediately name it and send it to the desired folder. You may not have time, but in the end it is much faster and easier than then checking and sorting all the downloads on your computer or raking files in the cloud storage.

39. Don't make excuses

Just don't waste your time on it. Making excuses is unproductive, unprofessional, and annoying. Better to firmly admit your mistake and immediately begin to correct it.

Recreation

40. Go on an informational diet

Huge flows of information load the nervous system and interfere with relaxation. According to statistics, each person spends about 2, 7 hours a day on TV alone. Add to this the Internet and social networks. News sites, channels and communities compete relentlessly for our attention, often talking about the same thing. Therefore, it is not necessary to devote time to watching them - you will still find out about important news.

41. Take long breaks

If you have a difficult task that requires a lot of concentration, disconnect from work for at least half an hour. Get up from your desk and engage in some physical activity.

42. Listen to music

Research shows that music increases productivity, creativity and mood in general. If you find it hard to concentrate with her, listen to your favorite artists in between.

43. Go outside more often

Preferably right during the working day. Stale air in the office reduces productivity, leads to headaches and stress. Scientists have even coined the term Sick Building Syndrome, a condition where people experience painful symptoms due to poor ventilation, lighting and heating in buildings. And while your office may well be healthy, your body will still enjoy the fresh air better.

44. Plan your evening and weekend in advance

Decide in advance how you will spend your vacation, and try to fill it with your favorite things. Lying aimlessly on the couch will only lead to even more fatigue, and in anticipation of an interesting weekend and work better.

45. Don't think about work at all one day a week

Promise yourself not to touch your work on the day off or to think about it at all. Even if you have an important meeting or unfinished business. Remember that you also have another life - devote this day to it completely.

46. Take time off

If you regularly go to work, do not take time off for family matters every week, and rarely take sick leave, take a day off just like that. Spend an extra day at home after completing a major project or before a presentation. Allow yourself to reboot without waiting for the weekend.

Health

47. Live on a schedule

Do not take the daily routine as a strict framework into which you need to drive yourself. Just set one time for going to bed, waking up and eating. And try to follow it every day. You will always feel active, not suffer from drowsiness and sudden bouts of hunger that interfere with concentration.

48. Don't use alcohol as a way to relax

Avoid drinking before bed, even if you find it difficult to relax after a hard day at work. Alcohol can really help you fall asleep, but after a few hours it will begin to act negatively - and this is fraught with frequent awakenings in the morning, daytime sleepiness and loss of concentration.

49. Eat more often

A hearty lunch overloads the body: it throws all its strength into digesting food, so it becomes difficult to concentrate on completing tasks. If you feel sleepy after dinner, divide your usual portion into two meals.

Instead of heavy meals, include foods that improve attention and concentration in your diet: vegetables, herbs, fatty fish, nuts, and dark chocolate. And do not lean on coffee - in large quantities it does not invigorate, but rather gives the opposite effect.

50. Go in for sports

Exercise not only improves health, but also improves attention, concentration and brain speed. They also raise self-esteem and make them more resistant to stressful situations. This is a huge plus for productivity, so do at least some exercise.

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