While working from home has given modern professionals new levels of flexibility and freedom, it’s also made it more difficult to stay focused and productive. Falling into bad habits can quickly lower your efficiency and make it that much harder to stay organized and successful. Here are six easy productivity hacks you can start using today.
1. Establish A Routine
Establishing a healthy, consistent routine is one of the best ways to improve both your home and work life. A routine will help you better manage your stress level, making it easier to accomplish work without being bogged down by anxiety. A daily routine also helps you turn regular tasks into habits, allowing you to get more work done without procrastinating. Being consistently organized at work comes from creating order in your everyday life. Create and follow a thorough daily routine that boosts your productivity and overall organization.
2. Use Planners and Memos
Managing your monthly and yearly goals can be frustrating when you’re not sure how to incorporate them into your regular routine. Use a planner to break down your larger aspirations into daily and weekly objectives. This will better help you visualize your progress and keep track of what still needs to be done. Personalized memo pads will make it easy to create to-do lists for the day and jot down important notes for later. Trying to remember essential information hours later can be difficult and may result in mistakes that affect your productivity. Keep yourself organized by taking copious notes and leaving yourself frequent reminders.
3. Avoid Multitasking
In today’s busy world, multitasking is often touted as the only efficient way to get your work done. In reality, dividing your attention between multiple tasks can often decrease your overall efficiency and increase your chances of mistakes. Constant multitasking can even impact your ability to learn and focus in the future. Set aside time during the day for each task on your to-do list. Focusing on your responsibilities individually will help you retain more information and produce higher quality work.
4. Break Work Into Sessions
Organize your work day by breaking your tasks down into blocks of time. Schedule periods of 25 minutes during the day where you’re only working on a specific set of tasks. During this time, you shouldn’t check your email, complete chores around the home or surf the web. Your attention should be solely on the work in front of you. Breaking your work up this way also allows you to plan breaks in between tasks. This method curbs multitasking tendencies and minimizes distractions.
5. Delegate Tasks
Are you struggling to stay organized because there’s so much to do? Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks around the home. If you’re getting overwhelmed with chores, enlist your family to help with the cooking, cleaning, and maintenance. Count on others at work to help you efficiently work through multi-part projects. Not everyone can do what you do so focus your energy on tasks that require your attention. Pass other responsibilities to those who have the time to complete them. Let go of the idea that only you can complete a certain task the right way. Working together with your team and family will help you focus your efforts on the truly important tasks.
6. Keep Your Desk Clean
This small but essential hack is essential to improving your productivity. Workspaces often become cluttered and confusing during the week as you work your way through a variety of projects. The more chaotic your desk becomes, the harder it is to stay focused and motivated. Take time each day or week to straighten up your paperwork and clean up the area. A little bit of clutter is harmless, but you should never feel overwhelmed by your desk or its contents. Too much clutter will distract you from your work and make it harder to complete your necessary tasks on time.
Closing Thoughts
It’s never too late to start improving your productivity habits. Taking the time to plan out your daily schedule and keep yourself organized will have an amazing impact on your overall productivity. Boost your motivation and mind power by implementing a new and improved routine that keeps you on track for success.
