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One of the questions that people keep asking themselves, both in context of their work and private life, is how to be more productive and use their resources more efficiently. All of us like to feel that we’ve done our best and accomplished what we set out as our goal, especially when it comes to our professional life. Naturally, there’s no formula that can be applied, but you should rather think of this problem as a mixture of various obstacles you need to overcome.
Depending on how successful you are, you’ll be more or less satisfied with your progress. Some of the steps you should take might involve changing some old habits, and we all know how difficult that can be. Here are just some tips that can make you a more productive person at work.
Changing working hours
If your working hours force you to use public transport or drive to work during the busiest period, you must be quite frustrated with the amount of time you spend commuting. Since you are most likely unable to do any work while travelling to and from work, perhaps you could consider arriving to work early and leaving early to beat traffic.
When you don’t waste time commuting, you are less frustrated and hence more eager to deal with the tasks waiting for you. It’s always a good idea to deal with the most complicated ones first, while you’re still fresh.
Take five… or more
In order to maintain a high level of motivation and effectiveness, you need to take regular breaks during work. Sometimes all it takes is a five-minute break, during which you’ll leave your office and return ready to work again, but sometimes it might take a bit longer.
For example, you could consider having your lunch in a nearby park or anywhere outside the building, instead of the canteen or kitchen. Some fresh air will do you good and you’ll definitely be more efficient upon return.
Plan ahead
In order to minimise the chances of having poor time management, you should always plan your day ahead. Spending just a few minutes planning your next day is bound to save you much more time when you go to work, because you’ll know exactly what tasks you have and in which order you’re going to deal with them. So, it’s not enough just to list them, but you should also prioritise them, so that you know which things are urgent and which no so much.
Make your office pleasant to be in
Many studies have been conducted about this and the conclusion is almost unanimous – having a nicely designed work space contributes to your productivity by making you feel better and, consequently, more eager to work. So, if you introduce some nice plants or a top-quality rug, not only will you feel better, but you’ll be more efficient, too.
Eliminate distractions as much as you can
Distractions are one of the biggest problems we face at work. From phone calls you have to listen to or take to loud conversations that have little to do with your job, but you simply can’t avoid them. Finally, there are social media and the Internet, sometimes too tempting to resist.
While you can’t completely eliminate distractions, you can minimise them significantly. For example, if you take your headphones with you, you can listen to your favourite songs instead of your colleagues’ irrelevant chit-chats. Also, you have to be disciplined and avoid using social media at work, since they are likely to consume too much of your time.
Basically, if you really want to be more productive at work, you have to analyse your behaviour first and identify room for improvement. Once you do all you can, think about how other factors influence your productivity and see if there’s something you can do to minimise their effect.
You may not be able to change everything at once, but it’s important that you keep trying. Also, don’t expect that you’ll become the most productive and efficient person overnight. Learn to appreciate every sign of progress and celebrate it. That will motivate you to continue working towards becoming a more productive and better person.
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About the Author
Carolin Petterson is a businesswoman and content marketer with years of experience under her belt. She has had the opportunity to contribute to a number of popular business and marketing websites.
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