Best Ways to Increase Productivity and Achieve More in Less Time
When you feel like you don't have enough time to do everything you wish to do, then it's the right time to check-in with your time management skills.
It is okay if you are bad at time management, you can learn to boost your productivity and achieve more.
How to Increase your productivity and add hours to your day?
Setting a Timer
You have to estimate the time you require to tackle different tasks and set a timer for each of your tasks. One way of implementing this is through the use of the Pomodoro technique for focusing a task for 25 minutes following a five-minute break afterwards.
You would have a task that takes much longer than that, consider one of the many timer-based apps. Clockify is used by freelancers and entrepreneurs as it's a good way to set yourself a timer. This provides reports and would serve as a project manager too. The best thing with clocking is the free cost.
Remove All Distractions
The distractions are the email notifications, phone, and having multiple web browsers open on the desktop. As offline, it's quite important to have things organized online as well.
Listening to Music Boosts Productivity
Distraction can be avoided, but listening to music in the background would help you focus. Don't opt for the heavy rock music, but the Beethoven may do good.
Seek meaning in what you do and love what you do
Enjoying the things you do is the ultimate way for increasing your productivity. When you aren't sure of what you love doing, Leo Babauta has unique ways to help you to find your passion.
Prioritizing your tasks ahead of time
List your tasks in order of importance, ensure you finish all of the important tasks during the day. Try learning a unique technique to prioritize right in 10 minutes and work 10 X faster.
Batching Similar Tasks into a Single Batch
There are tasks like email, blog writing, phone calls and errands grouped into a single batch. You can save time by completing similar tasks in one session. You can organize all these things through the app Todoist. This would be a simple way for you to plan out your day, at the reminders and group all your important tasks in your convenient time.
Try to Complete the Most Dreaded Tasks First Thing in the Morning
The activity which is dreading the most is the one you need to complete first thing in the morning. Usually, people tend to check emails in the morning, after checking a list of emails, they get fulfilled. This would be just an illusion of having achieved more.
To check emails first in the morning is bad for you. But try the difficult tasks because you need more energy in the morning to tackle them.
Rewarding Yourself for Finishing a Big Task
To become motivated in whatever you do, reward yourself now and then. Track your small wins and milestones to celebrate them. Likewise, whenever you struggle with your progress, you could see how far you've come.
Avoid Multitasking
Research proves that multitasking is not productive. So when you think you can multitask, think again. To achieve optimum productivity, focus on one thing at a time.
Can Step Away from the Computer
The use of the Internet has become the number one distraction. For increasing your productivity, try doing offline work as much as possible. This would brainstorm new ideas and seems beneficial to unplug.
Use of Focus Tools
Making use of technology and apps helps you remove distractions. Go for the free Fast-Track Class- Overcoming Distraction to learn one simple method to work even when you're surrounded by distractions.
The Start
More often, starting is the hardest part. People wait for the perfect time and perfect condition to start. But there is no such perfect condition. Once you start, you would quickly get into a rhythm that lasts for hours.
To Find Your Productive Hours
People have a certain time of the day when they are more productive than others. For me, it's morning. You have to find out your prime time for productivity and optimize your work schedule appropriately.
Use of a Notebook and Pen
You could write your thoughts, ideas and to-dos list at any time. This way you get everything out of your head and onto paper. So your subconscious mind won't remind you every other second. Another option is getting the Evernote app. This could save your ink and paper. Evernote can be used to note down thoughts and notes for sharing them with your team. This would be useful if you are the person with a lot of ideas to share.
Blogging to Chronicle Your Personal Development and Achievements
Blogs keep accountable and work towards self-improvement and personal growth. When you start to write down all the small achievements you are having, you are motivated to move forward. WordPress would allow you to set up a website for free. WordPress has simplified a lot of processes in terms of building a site to the point that virtually anyone can build a website now.
Have a To-Do-List Each Day
I have the practice to plan my day the night before. So I get started on my most important tasks as I wake up. The Full Life Planner would organize your days and make things simpler.
Note Your Most Important Tasks and To-Dos on a Calendar
For having good time management, you have to know where to be and what to be doing at any given time. Effective calendar management works well with good task list management.
Go for a Mentor
To model your achievement of success, you have to save your energy and time. Look out for a good mentor to guide you.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Double your work efficiency with the technology's help. Learn the keyboard shortcuts to gain 64 hours every year. You could also create keyboard shortcuts with AutoHotKey.
Improving the Typing Speed to Save Time
Can you imagine saving 21 days per year with fast typing?
Don't look for courses to type faster, better use typing games like Bubbles, Barracuda and Fingerjig.
Work from Home than the Daily Commute
When you get a flexible job, choose to work from home. This could save your commute time and make you feel more energetic all through the day.