Regarding the way we approach our ordinary working hours, with proper planning and a good attitude, the required motivation to be a more proactive and productive individual can be turned into a steady habit. We should not forget that the essence of productivity is our own motivation when performing our duties. In addition to our state of mind, that motivation is based on having reasons and purposes, and without them we won’t be able to keep a logical strategy.
Productivity allows us to get more and better results in less time and with less effort. That’s the secret to success. Knowing yourself and having an attitude of continuous improvement are the first steps towards utilizing our resources correctly and performing tasks properly, or in other words, the way to effective working.
Planning daily goals
As a starting point, it is advisable to wake up early in order to seize the day better and with less distractions. After an adequate night’s rest, healthy breakfast and physical exercise favour being clear-minded and more focused. Planning daily goals help us prioritizing and making progress in truly important issues. In fact, it is always desirable to deal with the most complex tasks as early as possible, since concentration levels are higher and the completion of the task is quick and efficient more often than not. Thus, usual procrastination is avoided.
Despite the belief that multitasking is a more practical approach, reality shows us that the ideal way to confront our duties is solving them one by one; it is even more useful to fragment activities in lots and set times (making phone calls, answering emails, attending meetings, etc). Besides, setting impossible goals or putting an excessive workload on our shoulders is illogical. Other aspects that shouldn’t fall into oblivion are those regarding a tidy and minimalistic arrangement of our workstation, and avoiding the distractions caused by being permanently online, our greatest enemy when talking about concentration loss.
Disregarding unimportant tasks, knowing when to say no to time-consuming, unproductive duties or delegating responsibilities are some other guidelines to follow in order to make the most out of our productivity-seeking journey.
Challenge yourself
It is also important to be aware of the daytime hours in which we feel more active and energetic in order to accomplish the most relevant duties during that period. Breaks shouldn’t be neglected, either. Our brain will appreciate a pause, of no more than 15-20 minutes, to drink a coffee, chat with colleagues, meditate, stretch or get some fresh air.
Setting increasingly difficult and complex challenges will help professional development, and there should be some kind of “reward” when overcoming them. Thus, self-confidence will boost and, by extension, we’ll be more inclined to exceed expectations at work.
The use of intuition and common sense will help us to make the right choice when dealing with those daily tasks, as well as creating synergies and joining forces with colleagues and customers; although we may be working on our own, we shouldn’t forget that many times we depend on others.
Likewise, reading books, articles or blogs, listening to music or podcasts, and attending seminars are sources for inspiration capable of generating ideas while helping us to be dynamic and perky, with our mind always set in motion and receptive to proposals.
Undoubtedly, there are a lot of tiny details to take into consideration, but once incorporated into our daily habits, they will make our work an activity not so time-consuming. Being productive and effective at the office will contribute to our work-life balance.
Sources: Stephen R. Covey, Steve Pavlina, Sage