When you think about all available resources, the only one that’s truly limited is time. We all spend approximately the same time being awake during the day. However, some people manage to squeeze in and do more things during the day than others.
Social media will elude to the fact that these people don’t sleep. They get up in the early am and go to bed in the late pm.
It is hard work but as we know here at HMN24 sleep and recovery are key to overall human performance, so what gives?
Here are seven proven techniques to help you enhance your productivity.
Time management
If you have plenty of tasks to complete during a day, then you should focus on time. Since this is the only resource that comes with limits, learning how to use it properly will help you boost your productivity. To efficiently use the time available to you, you need to work on your
time management skills.
Have you ever heard the expression “Work smarter, not harder!”? You should carefully dedicate your time to all the tasks on your plate. There are two processes you should focus on - prioritization and scheduling.
You should also consider using time tracking tools to see how much time you spend on certain activities. This will provide you with valuable insights and help you assess any future projects’ timeline more accurately. Use those tools at a scheduled time per day (yes, scheduling needs scheduling), first thing in the morning or last thing at night are appropriate times. Map out your day and assign slots to tasks and goals to achieve in those slots.
Relying on technology
We are well into the 21st century. The era we live in could easily be named the “App Era.” There’s a software solution for virtually every possible business process today. These tools range from the time tracking apps we’ve already mentioned to complex business automation solutions.
Also, we now have access to solutions based on cloud and mobile technologies. We can take our work with us and use even more sophisticated tools on smartphones and tablets.
You should identify the tools that can help you streamline your activities. Adopting these tools and using them daily will help you boost productivity and possibly even discover new ways to become efficient.
Find out the things that take up huge chunks of your time and figure out what you need to make that process more efficient.
Learning to delegate
While time is a limited external resource, there is one more limited resource in the productivity equation - you. Your energy is not without limits. If you do more than you can, you can only do so for a while. The burnout soon kicks in and takes a big chunk of your productivity. Task delegation is a good method to implement.
Unless you are a solopreneur, there is no need to take it all upon yourself. Projects are a team effort. So what do you delegate? There is probably something specific that gives you trouble and takes unusually long to complete.
Delegate these tasks to your colleagues and those specialised in that skill. Don’t just delegate ad hoc, but give tasks to members who can complete them faster than you. It will not only boost your productivity, but your entire team will be more efficient.
Don’t be afraid to step outside of the four walls of your business. There are plenty of resources such as
upwork where you can find freelancers to pick up complex one-off tasks for you.
Productivity is measured in tasks completed!
People who want to boost their productivity without knowing what they are doing end up in the same pitfall. These people have their eyes on the finishing line. They are entirely unaware that dozens, if not hundreds of tasks, are what makes a project complete.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and you know it. Focus entirely on the task at hand. If you think about it, productivity is measured in the number of completed tasks. So many of us flit between unfinished tasks.
Make progress every day, and keep moving forward. Let the goal sink into the background and allow progress to emerge. Why? Because staying focused on progress will enable you to discover new opportunities to increase efficiency. When you become more efficient, you will increase productivity.
Fight off distractions
Distractions are your number one enemy, and you should treat them as such - annihilate them. They are the worst time and focus stealers that tend to affect both efficiency and productivity negatively. The worst thing about distractions is that they take their true form only after looking at them from the time perspective.
For instance, spending 15 minutes every day doing something productive instead of scrolling on social media translates into 254 working days times 15 minutes - 63.6 hours. That’s almost eight workdays worth of time down the toilet. And that’s only social media.
If you own an iPhone, take a look at your screen time and where it was spent. Scary reading for many.
Try to embrace the “when I work, I work” ethic. Eliminate distractions and
stay on track. Soon you’ll see the results and feel good about yourself.
Micro-goals will get you there!
One more phenomenon kicks in if you have your eyes exclusively on the end goal - procrastination. When you focus on the end goal, you are aware of all things you have to do to achieve it. Often, it is a daunting thought.
It can make you feel overwhelmed and question all the things you should not be questioning. Instead, you should be working. But how do you do it?
The answer lies in micro-goals. Take your final goal and break it down into micro-goals. Set the timeline for micro-goals, make a plan, and go for it. It is the best way to close the door to procrastination.
Overworking yourself isn't a good idea!
We’ve already mentioned burnout syndrome. It can happen if you work yourself too hard. The term overworking is perfect. Sometimes your productivity levels may be low because you are just too tired. It is good that you have a plan to boost productivity and work even harder than you do now.
However, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get all the necessary rest. You should sleep
at least 7 hours per night. If you work yourself hard, sleep is not going to be enough to get well-rested.
Consider working out, taking long walks, or visiting nature more often. Also, spending more time with friends and family can help you recharge your batteries.
Conclusion
Enhancing productivity is not as hard as you’ve previously thought now, is it? There are plenty of things you can do to become more productive and efficient. Since we are all unique, some of the items on this list will suit you more than the others. Feel free to go for a technique that works best for you.
