Do you ever feel like you are so busy that there is never enough time in your day?
If that’s the case, it’s likely that you aren’t as productive as you think you are. You’re busy but you are wasting time on a lot of unimportant things. So, to help you improve your efficiency and overall productivity, here are some tips you can use.
Start tracking the time you spend on a specific task
This will be a game changer for you.
If you’re like most people, you’re probably underestimating the amount of time you allocate for your tasks. What you think only needs an hour to finish can end up eating away 3 long hours from your day. As a result, you get a lot of unfinished tasks.
To solve this, you can use apps like Everhour to track the amount of time that you spend on a specific task. You only need to add it to your web browser and it will document the amount of time you spend on a task.
At the end of the day, week or month, you’ll receive a report that will detail how you spent your time.
Utilize the Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique involves working on specific tasks for a certain number of minutes and taking a short break to reward yourself.
For example, you can work on completing a task for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break to recharge. After that 5 minutes, you can continue working on where you left, repeating the cycle until the task is completely done. After that, you can start working on the next task.
See Also: Hack the Pomodoro Technique to Boost Your Productivity
Eliminate administration tasks and meetings
Administrative work and meetings can drain your working hours. They can consume too much of your time that you won’t have enough hours left to finish your other tasks.
As a way to boost your productivity, eliminate as many administrative tasks and meetings from your work schedule as possible. The only exception should be if the administrative task or meeting will add value to what you are trying to achieve. You can use online collaboration tools to get the job done.
Plan your tasks in advance
By not planning ahead, you will find yourself wasting time jumping from one task to another. Instead of trying to finish everything at the same time, schedule your tasks for the whole day or even a week in advance. In addition to boosting your productivity, planning can also help you stay on track on your deadlines.
Work in isolation
Many people choose to work in co-working spaces. Although helpful, it’s not always the best choice. There will be people swinging by to have a chat, people asking you questions and noises that can easily distract you.
To boost your productivity, you should consider working in isolation. You can set up an isolated office or a working space at home.
Utilize a project management tool
Knowing how to use a project management tool can dramatically improve your productivity. There are tools like Asana and BaseCamp that can help you keep track of your projects. You’ll be able to see which tasks have been delivered, what is yet to be completed and what new tasks need to be delegated.
Keep a clean desk
Having too much clutter on your desk can take away your focus. To minimize distractions, make sure that your desk is free from paper clutter, scattered pens and the like.
See Also: 12 Desk Hacks To Make You More Productive At Work
Learn processes that will improve your productivity
Commit to improving your efficiency by learning more processes that can scale your productivity. You can request to get better training or invest in tools that can boost your overall productivity.
Build a team of virtual assistants who can help complete the work
Investing in the right virtual assistants can help you finish your tasks quicker. However, before you actually outsource your tasks, make sure to identify first which of them can be delegated and to whom. This is to ensure that the tasks are completed properly and on time.
If you want to be productive, you have to know how to work smarter. By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you’ll surely see an improvement in your productivity level soon. Your bosses will be proud and your working habits will be more efficient.