The Productivity Challenge
‘I don’t have enough time.’
‘There are too many things to be done.’
‘I feel overburdened.’
We are in the 21st Century, where there are endless chances, but time does not feel like your friend. Concerning your particular case, you might not have much time, and you might end up being unproductive.
So, what is the secret to reaching your objectives without overexerting yourself and ruining your health? It is as simple as being highly organized and making the best of the available time. For increased productivity, you might want to look at these unique tips.
1. Have a Plan before Proceeding
Before you commit yourself in your very first skirmish or battle, know whether you are ready to be victorious in the war. In many aspects of life, including finances, family, business, or even an exercise program, it is crucial to have a game plan. This point needs to be repeated until it sinks in.
To have a chance of succeeding in anything, it is essential to understand why you are doing it. Therefore, before starting a new project, take a moment, think, and be clear about your end goals. It doesn’t hurt if you write down all the vital points. Why is such a practice essential?
It gives you time and space to understand an issue before getting deeply involved. Before you start thinking about the ‘HOW,’ it is important to first come to terms with the ‘WHY.’
2. Apply a Mega-Batch Mindset
Michael Hyatt, the highly successful Leadership Mentor, gives this invaluable pointer: Categorize the same kind of tasks into a single day. For instance, let’s say that you have to interview 7 hopefuls for an open job vacancy.
Rather than holding 2 interviews on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, and the last 3 on Thursday, why not plan to have all the 7 discussions on Wednesday? The required outcome of the ‘mega-batch’ mindset is simplicity.
When you switch from various types of tasks, it is clear that you are switching between varying contexts. This means that in the process of transitioning from one category to another, you lose precious energy and time. By grouping the tasks, you will not expend that much energy and time because the transitions are kept to a minimum.
If you concentrate on a single category of work for a long time, your thinking capacity on that topic will be at its peak, and this gives you the chance to focus on a different category the next day.
3. Divide Your Time into Lesser Sections
It is always admirable to allocate a significant part of your time to your project when you are starting your day. At this time, you are highly energetic and raring to go. Funnily enough, before you know it, you have an impending deadline, and you wonder how that came to be.
In most cases, the security that comes with extended time brings with it the danger of wasting that time. Have you ever wondered how you can turn the tide regarding your deadline? This is how you can accomplish that: Consider the entire time allocated for the project and rather than looking at the whole time frame as your assignment space, segment it into smaller portions of like 10, 20, and 30 minutes.
Concentrate on a single section and see how this increases your productivity. Take a moment, breathe deeply, and start on the next part while maintaining the same tempo. Within an hour, you wouldn’t believe how much you will have accomplished.
4. Have an Accountability Partner
Having a close person you can confide in is excellent for your soul. This is especially if it keeps you grounded, where you have specific weaknesses. As the old saying goes, “Iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another.”
When it comes to our working habits, we might need sharpening. For instance, if you need to complete your book by writing 100 pages per week, it is vital to inform a friend or relative about it so that they can be checking up on you constantly. Better yet, they can agree to go through the manuscript and air their thoughts.
What is vital in this scenario is helping you to be consistent and productive in your work. Remember, having someone continually following up on your progress can motivate you hugely.
5. Have Breaks to Rejuvenate
When you hit the right tempo on the job, distractions and interruptions can derail your productivity. The secret to beating this is to understand when you have derailed from the progress. Maybe you are swamped by the communication that needs responses, or you might find yourself agonizing over the phrase to include in your last sentence. Or you have wasted half an hour deciding the color to incorporate in your bathroom remodeling project.
If this is the case, then it is time to regroup. For an opportunity to recharge, you can go for a walk, step outside for some air, or execute a few jumps. By taking time off to refocus and then jump back to work, you will be more productive for longer. It works, try it!
Practicing What You’ve Learned
After this, you can now initiate some fresh approaches to arranging your workday. Regardless of how productive you are already are, you can always do better if you put in some effort. Changing things and incorporating fresh habits doesn’t happen in one day, so practice patience, enjoy yourself planning your day, and make it great.
Ben Tejes writes for the Saved By Cents and Ascend blog with the goal to help lead people to achieve debt and financial freedom. He covered topics such as Google Sheets Budget Templates, Bankruptcy Means Test, and Snow Day Predictor. When not working, Ben enjoys going on adventures with his wife and three young daughters.
