4 Effective Time Management Tips to Maximize Productivity

Everybody's been here; you find yourself answering personal phone calls at work, clicking through websites, and talking with your coworkers only to discover that it's already lunchtime and you haven't accomplished anything. If this scenario has become a daily occurrence for you, it's time for you to take action. Here are four useful time management tips that will help you to maximize your productivity. 

 

Determine Your Time-Wasters

 

Start your day off by making a list of all the things that you know tend to waste your time. Keep the list nearby and when you notice that you are wasting time, add that time-waster to the list. Doing this on a daily basis will help to serve as a reminder of those things that you shouldn’t be doing through the course of the day, like watching those cute cat videos when you know you should be responding to emails. 

 

Get Rid of Social Media

 

The average person spends 3.6 hours a day socializing online, according to a study conducted by Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange. To keep yourself from regularly checking your social media pages and wasting time, remove the social media apps from your phone, as well as from the toolbar on your computer. This can help keep you from checking for updates when you should be working on your report.

 

Complete Important Tasks First

 

It's effortless to start your day working on the easy tasks. It makes you feel like you are actually accomplishing something, even when you are avoiding the big projects. However, by the time you've completed the easy tasks, you've wasted your day and are reluctant to start on the work that is a priority. To increase productivity, start work on the most critical tasks at the beginning of your day. This will provide you with some relief and the rest of your day will be smoother.

 

Make Use Of Dead Time

 

When you’re stuck waiting at the doctor’s office or are headed home on the train, make use of that time to accomplish some tasks. Rather than wasting your time staring out the window or flipping through that two-year-old magazine, you could respond to your emails or take notes on your next big work project. Always try to do something productive during your dead time. 

 

If you want to become more productive, then you have to work on your time management skills. Utilizing these four tips can help you better manage the time that you have so you can get more done. 

 

4 Ways You're Sabotaging Your Productivity

For many of us, our productivity is one of the most essential qualities that we can actively improve. Being productive means that you'll be able to get more done, which could lead to a raise or promotion. A common misconception about productivity is that you have to work harder, take fewer breaks, and spend more time at work. However, most of the time, our productivity is ruined by the long-term habits that we hold. Here are some of the most common ways that you are sabotaging your productivity. 

 

Attending Too Many Meetings

 

Meetings are nothing more than team-based productivity killers. They bring in too many people for a conversation that takes way too long, ends up going nowhere, and most likely wasn't even necessary. If you find that you being invited to too many meetings, have an honest conversation about the appropriateness of you being included in the conference. Ask about the nature of the meeting and request an agenda so they can stay on track.

 

Forgetting to Set Priorities

 

It can be easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of responsibilities and tasks. Before you know it you've reached the end of your day, and you still haven't tackled the critical work. Setting and organizing priorities in advance can help you resolve this issue. With a clear priority system, you can determine which tasks demand your attention and which ones you can ignore for the moment.

 

Refusing to Try a New System

 

Many people will sabotage their productivity merely because they are so deeply ingrained in a system that they've always used. You have a set routine, a set system, and you're scared to alter them because it has worked. If you want to increase your productivity, you need to experiment with new routines, processes, and make small tweaks. Eventually, you'll find a better system that will allow you to increase your productivity.

 

Failing to Learn from your Mistakes

 

If you try an approach for a specific task and it results in you spending half your day to accomplish a relatively simple goal, then you need to try a different approach the next time you are faced with the task. Failing to learn from your mistakes will cost you precious time, and you will become doomed to continue to repeat those mistakes.

 

If you find that you are committing one or more of these acts of sabotage, take comfort in the knowledge that you aren't alone. Now that you know how they affect your productivity, you can take steps to eliminate their influence on your life.

 

5 Habits That Are Sabotaging Your Productivity

Whether it’s at your business, your work, or at home, your level of productivity dictates how well you do the things that you want to do. However, no matter how productive you think you are, some things are slowing down your progress and limiting your productivity. Chances are there are some habits that you may not be aware of that could be sabotaging your productivity. Here are five things that you could be doing the will dramatically decrease your productivity.

 

Starting the Day Off in a Rush

 

If you always seem to be starting your day off in a rush, you are more likely going to try and make up time by taking shortcuts, skipping meals, or speeding to get to the office on time. This can leave you feeling flustered, frustrated and can ultimately affect your attitude for the entire day. To break this habit, work to get up on time, if not earlier so you can start your day off in a more calm and relaxed manner. 

 

Not Have a Plan for the Day

 

When you don’t have a plan in place for your day, you become more inclined to work on whatever comes across your desk or comes to mind. If you start your day off checking your email, you are creating the illusion that you are better. To change this habit, use a calendar or productivity tool to plan out your day and week. 

 

Not Taking Regular Breaks

 

When you take regular breaks through the course of the day, you are generally more productive. This especially true as you approach the end of the day. Try taking 30-minute breakS every two hours and notice how much more energy you have at the end of the day. Taking regular breaks is a highly effective way for you to stay productive for longer.

 

Skipping Meals

 

Eating regular meals helps to energize our bodies so that we can be at our best. To sustain your energy levels, it is imperative that you eat the right foods at the right times during the day. Skipping meals will end up draining your energy level and focus.

 

Multitasking

 

The practice of multitasking dramatically decreases our productivity because our brains are constantly switching from one thing to another making it unable to focus on one task. When you focus on one thing at a time, you become much more productive.

 

If you don’t start working to eliminate these five bad habits, you will never be able to increase your productivity. Effectively breaking these habits will increase your productivity and allow you to be at your best. 

 

5 Tips for Increasing Your Productivity

It turns out, productivity is nothing more than a combination of intelligent planning and focused efforts and is something that everyone can improve. Staying productive at home or work can be a challenge. Every time the day ends, the odds are high that you aren't completely satisfied with what you've accomplished. Fortunately, you can continuously improve your productivity. Here are some valuable tips for increasing your productivity so you can get more done.

 

Tip #1 – Seek Help and Delegate Tasks Accordingly

 

Everybody needs help from time to time to complete tasks throughout their day. To get help to accomplish your larger tasks, you need to be able to trust those you are seeking help from to complete the work. To ensure that they take your request seriously, you want to be sure to let them know the deadline for the completion of the task.

 

Tip #2 – Create To-Do Lists

 

You will always have tasks that are simple and ones that are complex. To stay on top of your tasks, create to-do lists and track them using a task app, like Google Tasks. With the larger tasks, break them up into more manageable tasks. You may also want to consider putting a timer on your tasks so that you don't lose your focus in completing other items on your to-do list.

 

Tip #3 – Take Breaks

 

If you spend more than eight to ten hours at a desk, without moving around much, you'll find that you have much less energy. The number of hours you work doesn't measure productivity. It is measured, instead, by how much you get done without sacrificing your health. To keep your productivity levels up throughout the day, take small breaks and clear your mind.

 

Tip #4 – Eliminate Distractions

 

In the U.S. a recent study revealed that over 12.2 billion collective hours are being spent browsing social media every day. If you find that you are falling behind on your tasks, then you should consider getting rid of your social media apps on your smartphone. 

 

Tip #5 – Set Ambitious, Yet Realistic Goals

 

If you can cross everything off your to-do list in one day, then you need to create more ambitious goals. People that set higher goals tend to be more productive and more satisfied, than those with lower expectations. Your goals have to be very specific, and you should write them down to ensure you stay on track.

 

Incorporating these tips into your routine can help you to increase your productivity. When you are more productive throughout the day, you can inevitably get more done.

 

6 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently

When it comes to productivity, everyone faces the same challenge; there are only 24 hours in a day. However, some people seem to have twice that amount of time and an uncanny ability to get things done. They can reach their goals without fail. Here are six surprising things that highly productive people do differently. 

 

They Never Touch Things Twice

 

People who are highly productive, never put anything in a holding pattern, because touching things more than once is a massive waste of time. Don't save a phone call or email to deal with later. As soon as something grabs your attention you need to either act on it, delegate it, or delete it.

 

They Plan for the Next Day Before They Leave

 

Highly productive people end their day by preparing for the next. This accomplishes two things. First, it helps you to solidify what you've accomplished, and then it ensures you'll have a productive tomorrow. It's the perfect way to end your workday and only takes a few minutes of your time.

 

They Say ‘No’

 

Ultra-productive people aren’t afraid to say ‘no’. When you can say no to a new commitment, you are honoring your existing obligations and giving yourself the opportunity to fulfill them successfully. Learning to say no will reduce stress, decrease burnout, and eliminate depression while increasing your productivity.

 

They Have a Designated Time to Check Email

 

People who are productive don’t allow their email to become a constant interruption. Along with only checking their email on a schedule, they take advantage of features that prioritize their messages by sender. They set alerts for their best customers and most important vendors, and they save the rest until they can reach a stopping point. 

 

They Avoid Multitasking

 

People who tend to multitask have more trouble organizing their thoughts and filtering out information that is irrelevant, making them slower at switching from one task to another. Highly productive people know that multitasking is a productivity killer and avoid doing it at all costs. 

 

They Put Technology to Work for Them

 

While technology catches a lot of flak for being a huge distraction, it can also help you focus. Productive people learn how to put technology to work for them. Along with setting up email filters to sort and prioritize messages, they also use productivity apps to set up alerts on their smartphones. 

 

Implementing these strategies into your daily activities will help you become more productive and find that extra edge in your life. 

 

Daily Habits to Increase Your Productivity

Everyone wants to get more done during their days and feel like they’ve accomplished something at the end of the day. There are a million tips out there to help you increase your productivity, but if you don’t have the right habits established, you might find that it is difficult to sustain your productivity in the long run. Here are five daily habits that you can develop to help increase your productivity. 

 

Arrive Early, Stay Later

 

Leaving before the morning rush and staying a bit later to beat traffic, can allow you to get started on your most important tasks. Sitting in traffic will only frustrate you and set a negative tone. Your ability to save these extra hours can only increase your productivity levels drastically. 

 

Plan Each Day the Night Before

 

Spending just 15 minutes before you go to bed the night before to create your to-do list, and prioritizing it, will give you a head start on the next day. To ensure that you are continually moving toward your goals throughout the day, pick essential tasks and place a small star next to them to remind you that these are the tasks that need to be done.

 

Go Out to Lunch

 

This is something that is so small, but something that can have a powerful effect on how you work for the rest of your day. Stepping outside your work environment for lunch can help to dramatically reduce your stress levels, refresh your creativity, and help you re-focus when it’s time for you to get back to work. 

 

Minimize Distractions

 

In today's 24/7 connected world, distractions are everywhere. If you use a computer for work, there are many temptations for you to surf the Internet, check your social media networks, and so others. When it's time to work, put your head down and work. Learn how to set boundaries. Being able to minimize distractions can dramatically increase your productivity.

 

Always Keep Your Goals in Sight

 

Once you set exciting goals for yourself, keep them in your sights at all times. You want to keep your goals in a place where you will see them numerous times throughout your day. Seeing your goals written down several times a day will provide you with the motivation to get things done. 

 

You always want to try and beat the person that you were the day before. Start to keep track of your results and work every single day to be a highly productive person and watch how it will start to transform your life. 

How to Be More Productive in Life – 5 Tips for Increasing Your Productivity

Being a productive person isn't a quality that you are born with, but rather something that you have to work hard to obtain. Fortunately, increasing your productivity is something that you can learn with a little hard work. Here are five tips for improving your productivity and becoming more productive in your life.

 

Eliminate Certain Tasks

 

Permit yourself to ignore specific tasks. Don't be afraid to say no to new duties and responsibilities. If your boss asks you to head up a committee at work, think long and hard about whether you have the extra hours to spend during the week working on it. If you don't, then politely explain why you can't help.

 

Automate

 

Take the time to set up a new system that allows you to save time in the future. It will be well worth it. Spend the time to set up automated bill-paying from your credit card or checking account, or consider investing in new technology at work to help you deal with some of the repetitive tasks. 

 

Delegate

 

Rather than spending your own precious time tackling repetitive and unnecessary tasks, like checking your email, delegate the responsibility to someone you trust will prioritize the work and let you know when something urgent comes up. For this, to work, you have to accept that some of the tasks will be performed in a less than perfect way, but you'll free up your time to work on more productive endeavors.

 

Procrastinate on Purpose

 

Permit yourself to put specific tasks aside, completing them only during your scheduled time. Trying to multitask will only cost you more time in the long run. Purposefully put off jobs that you know will be a distraction for those projects that you have to finish.

 

Protect Your Focus

 

Half the battle to becoming more productive is not feeling guilty when you say no, put off tasks, or delegate work to others. It is essential that you figure out a way to manage your guilt if you want to increase your productivity. Once you see how much more time you have to work on essential tasks and increase your productivity, the guilt will start to dissipate.

 

If you want to increase your productivity and get more done, then you have to start looking closely at the habits that might be holding your back. Start implementing these five tips and watch as your productivity dramatically increases. 

The Best Ways to Improve Productivity Through Time Management

If you've resolved to work smarter, stop procrastinating, and be more productive this year, your regular work routine may have already subverted your best intentions. When it comes to changing the way you do your work to improve your productivity, you may stumble with roadblocks because your current processes have become a habit. The biggest mistake you can make when it comes to time management and productivity is that you continue to use your time for activities that are no longer deserving. Here are some of the best time management tips to help boost productivity.

 

Stick to the 15-Minute Rule

 

Jason Womack, a workplace performance expert, suggest you organize your workday into 15-minute chunks. If you work a typical eight hour work day, that gives you 32, 15-minute chunks. The reason why 15-minute pieces are so useful is that it's long enough to get something done and short enough to find in your day.

 

Know When You’re Done

 

Continuing to spend your effort working on something that is mostly complete is a significant waste of time that you probably aren't even aware that you are doing. When you are working on a task, you need to ask yourself the question, "When am I done?" For instance, if you are reading a non-fiction book, you're done once you've learned something from the author that you didn't know before.

 

Eliminate Distractions

 

While eliminating distractions isn't a new or novel idea when it comes to time management, but avoiding specific distractions is hugely useful. If your manager tends to stop by your desk and interrupt you with questions, consider preempting them by heading to their office a few minutes before the hour and find out if they need you for anything or if they have any questions. 

 

Identify Verbs that Need Attention

 

Organize your to-do list around verbs like, call, draft, prepare, schedule, review. These kinds of tasks are generally ones that you can complete in a single sitting, and that will help to move your larger projects forward. If you have big-picture verbs on your list, like plan, discuss, create, and implement, try to replace them with actionable steps that will break down your more massive project into more manageable tasks.

 

Becoming more productive means that you need to manage your time effectively. These simple tips can get you on the right path to better time management and ultimately a more productive future.

 

Top Tips for Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination is something that even the most well-organized and punctual experience at some point or another. While procrastination is a common problem, it can have a detrimental impact on your productivity and your life. Some of the most effective ways to overcome procrastination include developing a schedule and improving your time management skills. Here are some of the top tips you can implement in your life to help you overcome procrastination and increase your productivity. 

 

Deal with Your Fear

 

One factor that contributes to procrastination is fear. This can include a fear of making mistakes, a fear of failure, or even a fear of success. When it comes to overcoming procrastination, an essential factor is challenging your faulty beliefs. If you are afraid of success because you believe that you don't deserve it, you have to realize that this self-handicapping might be keeping you from achieving your goals.

 

Create To-Do Lists

 

Start by creating a list of the things that you want to accomplish, and make sure you put a deadline next to each task. Estimate how long it will take you to complete the task and then double the number. This will keep you from falling into the trap of underestimating how long each project will take. 

 

Break Down Projects Into More Manageable Segments

 

When you are faced with a substantial project, you might feel intimidated and daunted when you look at the amount of work involved to complete it, which can lead to your procrastination. To avoid this, you can break down the individual items into a series of smaller steps. Once you’ve completed this list and detailed the process that you need to take to accomplish the task, you can start working on the individual steps in the process. 

 

Recognize the Onset of Procrastination

 

As you begin to tackle the items on your to-do list, pay attention to when thoughts of procrastination start to appear. If you find yourself thinking that you don't want to do this right now, then you need to recognize this as a sign of impending procrastination. Rather than giving in to the urge, force yourself to spend a few minutes working on the task.

 

Reward Yourself

 

Once you’ve completed a task, it is important to reward yourself for your efforts. Give yourself the opportunity to do something that you find fun and enjoyable after you’ve completed a task on your to-do list. 

 

Breaking the habit of procrastination isn't easy. While you might not be able to avoid procrastination completely, you can take steps to decrease your procrastination tendencies and improve your productivity dramatically.