How to Improve Productivity At Work

Productivity is a significant parameter that is considered in almost all types of promotions, demotions, increments and lay-off. While poor productivity can ruin your work life, it is worthwhile to know that learning to be productive is more or less a skill and can take days, months and sometimes years to get to the mark.

Some common practices that can raise your productivity are listed below:

Pomodoro technique

Working in bigger shifts can be stressful if there are no breaks at regular time intervals. Here comes the importance of a marvelous technique that I have been following for years now — the pomodoro sessions or focus sessions. You can assign yourself one, two, three or more pomodoro sessions of 25 mins to complete a task at hand when you work in big shifts. A break of 5 minutes after every pomodoro session can help you relax, stretch, nourish your body or practice mindfulness. If you choose to allow yourself five minutes of browsing the internet, there are chances that you get out of the focus zone that may affect your subsequent pomodoro sessions. But, that is not a thumb rule. You can see what works best with you.

Get enough sleep

Remember a day in your life when you went to bed late at 3 am and had to rush for an important meeting the next morning at 7 am. How did it feel? Doesn’t the very thought of that day seem to be agonizing and disgusting in the first place? To me, productivity is a byproduct of my frame of mind at a given point of time. Having said that, I do not mean that I believe in carrying emotional baggage to work. What I mean is a sound sleep is a chief determinant of our frame of mind which undoubtedly affects our productivity.

Say no to multitasking

While multi-tasking may be alluring, it is definitely a big no-no when you are attempting to improve your productivity. Focusing on one task at a time is the key to concentration, which is a vital force that dictates one’s productivity. So, the next time you respond to an email while listening to your favorite podcast, watch out. Some jobs may need multi-tasking skills but accomplishing bigger projects become easier if you stay focused on the task at hand and stop worrying about the rest that still needs to be done.

Use time-tracking

Time is a major determinant when it comes to measuring productivity. Therefore, for an optimum utilization of your time, you cannot disregard the importance of time-tracking, especially when you have deadlines to meet. An effective time-tracking software gives you enough insights pertaining to the amount of time spent on individual projects, browsing the web or sending an email. Time-tracking is equally beneficial when you work on certain personal projects such as creating an online course or publishing a book. Owing to this ever increasing need of time-tracking, most smartphone companies now offer an inbuilt digital well-being time-tracking that allows users monitor the time they spend on their smartphones.

Refrain from being a perfectionist

Perfection is a big illusion. I remember for a major part of my life, I have been a perfectionist. Trust me it does no good to you. If you think that you need to be a perfectionist if you want to please your boss or make more money, you aren’t probably on the right path. As humans, we learn from the mistakes we make and being a perfectionist would mean that you are completely flawless and never make a mistake, which is not likely to be true. Hold on if you think your boss or I am okay with mediocrity and poor quality tasks. No, not at all. The whole idea is not let perfection breed procrastination that is a big killer of productivity.

Say no to interruptions

Whether it is a small interruption such as a phone call or a bigger distraction, every interruption counts. Tasks can be accomplished better if they are done in a flow. Interruptions could disrupt this flow and sometimes make it almost impossible to complete a task within a given timeframe as you’ll need extra time to catch up and revisit what has already been done. It is imperative to create time blocks for every task you do. You can block all phone calls, text or voice messages, notifications or anything that can likely cause a distraction as you start your day. Having minimal or no interruptions is a sure-shot way to improve your productivity as you attack your urge of getting distracted by means of time-blocking.

Organize your desk/workstation regularly

Your workspace is nothing but a visual representation of your professionalism. A well-organized workstation not only reminds you of your utmost priorities but also creates a conducive atmosphere for better productivity by getting your creative juices flowing in the right direction and for a better cause.So, decluttering your mind starts with a daily ritual of cleaning and organizing your desks as you begin to plan for the day. What’s more, one thing that I have often experienced about cleaning my desks regularly is that I am left with extra time and energy after work in contrast to days when I do not observe this indispensable ritual.

Ensure effective workflow management

In an era where most businesses have gone digital and work from home has become a new normal, an effective workflow management is a big industry in itself. Various applications that facilitate a smooth workflow suitable for both onsite and remote positions have been designed keeping in mind the specific requirements of both SMBs and large scale businesses. When the employees are made accountable for their tasks, pertinent rewards and penalties ensure the effectiveness of the workflow and motivate the employees to deliver best results.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, productivity is a broad term. There are several ways that can help you improve your overall productivity at work. And remember that there is no hard and fast rule that should apply in everybody’s case alike. Some methods may work better in my case but may not resonate with yours. This is because each of us is hardwired in a different way and therefore setting the same thumb rule for everybody may not be a feasible idea.