Productivity: 3 Strategies That Boost It To Get More Done
Being busy does not mean you are being productive
Being productive is a constant goal and quest for most people no matter what they are doing in their life.
Have you ever experienced this? You toiled away all day or perhaps the whole week and when you look back you don’t see any significant results from all of the activity you were involved in despite the fact that you promised yourself that you would be more productive.
This has happened to me more than I’d like to admit and can be very frustrating and discouraging as well.
What I’ve found through much trial and error and learning from work habits is the lack of production was not because of a failure of desire or intent, it was because I was doing busy work thinking I was being productive.
The focus was in the wrong place so the productivity never had a chance.
Once I learned and understood what it takes to really be productive my results improved a hundredfold.
Yours will too if you apply the 3 strategies for productivity contained within this article.
3 Strategies For More Productivity
When you think of productivity, you might think about work or a business. Of course, productivity is very important in those areas, but being productive in every area of your life is key to achieving any success that produces a good quality of life.
Use these strategies to help you achieve the results you want and live the life you deserve.
1. When you are working on a project turn off all devices except the one you are using to complete the task. Don’t answer the phone. If you’re in a working environment where it’s important to answer the phone when it rings, ask a co-worker or assign an employee to cover the phone for a period of time so you don’t feel compelled to answer the phone and miss out on something while you are focused on your project.
Set aside an hour or so and just work it. You can return calls later. Turn off notifications. Log out of your social media accounts. Turn off radios, television, or anything else that distracts you.
Trust me, all these things will still be there waiting for you when you finish what you are focused on.
2. Create a routine. Having a routine is a big part of being productive. For example, create a routine for when you begin working on a task. Clear your desk of clutter. Close unnecessary apps, browsers, and documents. Clear your mind of all chatter and then focus on the task for 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Streamline your email time. This frees up time and resources.
According to a CNBC report, the average working person spends at least 5 hours a day on emails. In an eight-hour day, it can quickly be seen that more than half is spent on email and a significant number of them don’t even relate to the project or work that’s being performed.
If you want to check to see how much time you spend daily on emails there is a time spent on emails calculator you can use.
Don’t answer emails as soon as they come in. Instead, set aside a specific time to check and respond to emails. Clear out your inbox every day if possible.
Conclusion
Being more productive is not just one thing. It’s several little (and some bigger) things you do.
It begins with your space. It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to achieve a personal goal like getting in shape to run a marathon or have a goal of succeeding in your business, the space you work toward your goal should be uncluttered, organized, and distraction free.
You’ll be the most productive doing the things you love to do. We’ve all had to do jobs or things we hated. Do you remember how hard you had to force yourself to do the tasks?
When you love what you do and have a deep desire for the result, such as changing your life, you tend to focus and make more progress towards the goal.
Finally, just start. The secret to being productive is often to begin doing the task. Procrastinating and putting it off because you dread doing it, or don’t understand how to do it, keeps you stuck.
Take the steps to start the task and continue until you reach the finish. Do it and look back. You’ll like the journey you’ve completed.
