In today’s fast-paced world, it can be challenging to stay organized and on top of our tasks. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of productivity tips, tools, and tricks to help you get the most out of your day. From time-saving techniques to the best apps and software, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a busy professional, a student, or just looking to increase your productivity, these strategies will help you achieve your goals and get more done in less time.
1. Find Meaning in Your Work
Nowadays almost everyone has a job, and those who don’t are probably thinking about getting one. Sometimes it can seem like you have no choice when it comes to what you do for work. However, if you see your work as meaningful you are more likely to work harder and become more productive. This will also result in a higher feeling of fulfillment.
We’ve listed a few books below that you may have already heard of, but if you haven’t picked them up yet, we’d highly recommend you do. Each of these authors has spent their life dedicated to helping creatives like yourself dive deeper into understanding their work, purpose and capacity to drive change:
- Start With Why – Simon Sinek
- This Is Marketing – Seth Godin
- The Laws of Creativity – Joey Cofone
- Principles – Ray Dalio
- Thinking for A Change – John Maxwell
2. Prioritize Your To-Do List
Going through the workday with a start and end to your tasks can prevent you from becoming overwhelmed. Starting by condensing your to-dos into a single list of five to ten of the most important items allows you to focus more clearly. To make more progress on your tasks, creating a to-don’t list can be just as helpful as a to-do list. Lying out exactly what you are not going to do during your day will help minimize the chance for distraction.
The Urgent Important Matrix is a helpful tool for organizing your tasks. This tool was previously used by former US President Eisenhower who referred to it as the Eisenhower Principle. Simply put, the purpose of this matrix is to consciously prioritize our important tasks and delegate our problems before they become urgent issues. It also helps you become aware of distractions to reduce and avoid them.
Quadrant 1 of the matrix is where you will put your important and urgent tasks. Examples that fall into this category would be overdue projects, customer complaints, or health issues.
Quadrant 2 is for your important but non-urgent tasks. These tasks help you work towards your other goals. Small things such as booking a dentist appointment and other planning can be put in this quadrant.
The third quadrant is for urgent and unimportant tasks. Items that will interrupt you from accomplishing your more important tasks such as unnecessary phone calls belong in this area.
Quadrant 4 is for non-urgent and unimportant tasks. Any activity that wastes time and causes you to avoid work will go in this category. Quadrant 4 is the section that you should attempt to spend the least amount of time in.
3. Avoid Multitasking
It has been proven that people are more productive when they focus on individual tasks. Although taking on multiple tasks at once can make it seem like you’re getting more done, you will work more slowly, and the quality of your work could suffer. If there is a task that will take you under 5 minutes to complete, do it right away instead of saving it for later. The Urgent Important Matrix shown above is a great way to avoid unnecessary multitasking.
4. Track Your Progress
Working any type of job can be stressful. Tracking your progress is not only an excellent way to ensure you are meeting your goals, but it is also a great way to celebrate your accomplishments. Writing down your accomplishments so that way you can reflect on them later down the road can help you truly see what you have achieved.
There are a lot of tools to help you and your team easily track your progress and visually see what you have accomplished. Three of the best and most user-friendly project management tools to help you get started with your tracking are:
5. Give Yourself a Break
Sometimes you need to step away from the work and give yourself a break. Taking five minutes to stand up and walk around can recharge your energy and brain. Humans aren’t robots and it is okay to give yourself some time to perform your best.
There is value in solitude.
Allowing yourself the time to be alone can lead to further brainstorming without distraction. If you find yourself with some spare time and want to think more about where exactly innovative ideas come from, try diving into the book, Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson.
In conclusion, increasing productivity can be a challenge, but it is also an important goal for many people. Implementing a few simple strategies, such as those highlighted above can help you make progress toward becoming more productive. Making productivity a priority and experimenting with different approaches, can help you find what works best for you and your unique circumstances.
