People strive to work hard to get a sense of accomplishment and belonging in the world. But all this work can also lead to anguish if you do not plan it effectively. Therefore, productivity in your workday is necessary. Do you often feel you could have done more productive work or used your time more efficiently? Well, here are five productivity hacks to help you get more productive.
Stop multitasking
Do you multitask? The first thing you need to do is to stop multitasking for better productivity. It takes longer to complete each task when you handle more than one thing at a time, and you wouldn’t be making much progress on any of the tasks. Even when multitaskers try focusing on just one thing, their efficiency is less than those who rarely multitask. You need to do away with multitasking for good. It is a false efficiency to do multiple things at a time, as it ultimately costs you more time than it saves.
The Pomodoro technique
Have you heard of the Pomodoro technique? The Pomodoro technique educates you to work with time. It breaks up your work into several segments, followed by small break intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by 5-minute breaks. Do this 3 times, then take a 30 minutes break. It keeps your creativity ignited, and you don’t feel bored/exhausted as much. Your brain finds it easier to concentrate, thereby increasing your productivity.
Plan your daily tasks
Do you start your day with a plan? Being productive means you know what you are doing, at what time, and for how long on any day. Start by writing the scheduled tasks for a specific time, such as your working hours, meetings, appointments, etc. Then you can decide on how you can efficiently use the remaining time. Write each task you want to complete in your schedule, so there is no question about what you are doing next once something is complete. If you plan, you will waste less time contemplating details like which task to prioritize or how long you think a particular job will take.
Decide what you want to do first!
How do you start with your tasks? Do you complete the easiest one first or the hardest one? You can try out both options. If you do the arduous work first, then all the other tasks will feel easy, and doing the simple work first will ease you into the work process, lowering the chances of procrastination. You can experiment with both and see which method suits you.
Avoid email distractions
Do you have a constant urge to check your emails? Email distraction is a real thing. All it takes is one email notification, and before you realize you have wasted 20-30 minutes arranging and acknowledging various emails. It is a serious drag on productivity. You need to set a particular time to check your emails daily. By setting time, you will avoid checking emails aimlessly.
These are some ways through which you can increase your productivity and get more work done.