How to Be More Productive at Work in 2018
If you’re surfing the internet looking for ways to be more productive (which led you to this article), chances are you did not finish all the tasks you were planning on yesterday. Or the day before. Or the day before. In some cases, there is just too much work to finish it all. But if you’re spending time on the internet right now, chances are time is not the issue, but productivity.
True, productivity is not something you can pull out of a hat and everyone is prone to productivity slumps once every so often. But there are ways you can get back in the game and make sure you stay as productive as possible.
We’ve compiled a list of the best productivity hacks to help you get excited about work again.
Create a To-Do List Ahead of Every Day
The productivity to time ratio is what often gets us in trouble in the first place. But even if you’re as productive as can be, if you don’t plan your tasks and create a schedule to follow you’ll likely get too swarmed with duties to actually do any of them right.
Just going through all your tasks can take hours, which is why productive people know planning ahead is key. Analyze all the tasks you have and estimate how long finishing them is going to take, then create a to-do list with all the tasks, deadlines and agenda.
Apps like Blink the Bee can even show you reminders every morning before getting down to business.
Split Your Time into Blocks
If you split your workday into blocks and assign them to particular tasks you will be much more effective. Your blocks should range from 15 minutes to an hour. You can take several blocks for one task if needed. For example, start your day with a half-an-hour-long block reserved for checking emails and communicating with clients.
Try to Avoid Distractions
Distractions come in many shapes and levels of annoyance: from coworker chats to ringing cellphones to outdoor noises and that Facebook account you keep open in the next tab. To make sure you eliminate these productivity killers, make sure you close all social media accounts in your browser, switch your phone to silent and disable any notifications that might be distracting you. Of course, no one is immune to checking their Facebook once in a while, which is why you should add a couple of those time blocks dedicated to checking your social media, making phone calls and answering messages.
Avoid Multitasking
Multitasking is so 2016! What once was believed to be the trait of champions is now considered a major distraction. Multitasking can help you tackle many duties at once, but with so many things on your hands at the same time, your productivity can only be spread so thin.
Instead, focus on doing one task at a time and give every task the attention it deserves. You’ll be more productive and finish your work faster.
Make Sure You Have the Necessary Tools
Your employer should supply you with everything you need to do your job unhindered: a proper desk, an ergonomic chair as well as any office supplies you may need. Make sure you also have the software you need installed so you won’t have to deal with that in the middle of work. A professional and well-equipped workplace can make all the difference when it comes to productivity.
