Start Here: Four Ways to Increase Your Productivity

You’re dripping wet, on the phone, with your “to do” list in your hand. It is only after you hang up the phone and start to towel off that you realize that you still haven’t rinsed the shampoo out of your hair.

Consider this a wake-up call.

Are you ready for your wake up call?

Image by Karen Roe

Productivity does not mean doing a million things at once. It doesn’t mean that the job stays half done all week and it certainly requires your hair to be completely washed.

Productivity means that any given job gets done in a reasonable amount of time because you are focused and organized.

The good news is that there are many ways to increase your productivity without making your life more complicated or noisy. In fact, a few simple and daily changes can help you grow in productivity while decreasing your stress.

Productivity Starts with Being Proactive

Productivity takes planning. Before you roll your eyes, consider freeing up some organizational space by using some these steps to have less friction in your life:

  • Setting your bills to automatic payment

  • Getting Enough Sleep

  • Organizing Your Office Space

  • Getting Caller ID

  • Setting up Direct Deposit

  • Cooking Meals Ahead of Time

Need to continue?

Seriously, how much time do you spending planning or worrying about tasks that can be done automatically? How many times do you get distracted because you aren’t guarding your time or your space? There is a reason that “lifehacking” has become a commonplace word- lifehacking works. Spend some time reflecting on easy lifehacks that will free you up for more challenging tasks.

Set Goals

Easy. Set goals for yourself. Small goals and long term goals. Make sure they are reasonable and simple. Tell people about them. As elementary school as this sounds, set timers for yourself.

Work as hard as you can on one task and challenge yourself to be fully present. The results will might surprise you.

It is easy to convince yourself to be productive if there is an end goal in plain sight. Just make sure you do your best to stay focused and actually complete it.

Learn to Say No

Unfortunately, many people mistake being busy with being productive. The truth is, productive people know their limits.

If your plate is already full, adding on an additional or optional task will leave you feeling overwhelmed and overworked. Chances are, if you feel chaotic, your work will reflect your sloppy enthusiasm.

Know When To “Give it a Rest”

Sometimes the best way to increase productivity is by knowing when to take a break. If your brain is mush and the words on the screen are starting to blur together, find a way to relax for a specific amount of time.

Just remember to get back to your work when the time is up!

How do you increase your productivity in the office or at home?

Are there certain productivity apps or programs you swear by? How do you take a break when the load seems overwhelming? We would love to hear from you!

Question: What’s your Plan B? Will you fall back or fall forwards if this doesn’t work out how you planned? Please share your thoughts in comments section below.

This is a guest post by Jeffrey Fermin. Jeremy is Officevibe’s cofounder and is in charge of all marketing efforts and business development for the company. Jeff has the pleasure of engaging with the Officevibe community where he talks, tweets and blogs about company culture and employee engagement.

By the way, I’m always looking for guest posters. If you would like to guest post, you can find the guidelines at An Invitation To Guest Post.

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