A Guide To Boosting Work Productivity

1. Set Time Limits For Individual Tasks

When asked to estimate the amount of time that they devote to specific activities, most people provide estimates that are either too low or too high. In fact, researchers found that less than 20% of people are capable of estimating the passage of time accurately. One way to find out exactly how much time you are devoting to activities like checking your email or accessing specific programs or apps is by using a program like Rescue Time. Based on the results, you can then set realistic time limits for different tasks and activities that you need to do throughout the day.

2. Mind and Body

Your mind and your body are part and parcel and related to each other. Without one functioning well, the other won’t. Nootropics can help with both your mind and body and are a great way for you to achieve balance in a healthy and well measured way – if you want to know more look at this infographic

3. Create Deadlines For Yourself

Working under a deadline can help keep you motivated. The next time you have a large project that doesn’t need to be completed in a specific amount of time, try setting your own deadline. Work hard to get the project done before your deadline arrives. This can dramatically improve your focus and productivity.

4. Take A Tip From A Successful Entrepreneur

Steve Olenski is a well-known content strategist. One of his best tips is to complete tasks that require less than two minutes immediately rather than setting them aside to come back to. During the course of the day, if you happen upon a task that will take less than two minutes to complete, don’t put it on the back burner. Instead, jump right in and do it. This will waste far less time than having to come back and deal with it later. He credits much of his success to this simple ‘two-minute’ rule.

5. Avoid Meetings Whenever Possible

Even though meetings eat up a lot of time for the average worker, they are usually extremely unproductive. An eye-opening statistic from Atlassian shows that a worker in a typical office attends unproductive or unnecessary meetings for more than 31 hours each and every month. Imagine what they could have done with that time. If you are planning on scheduling a meeting, stop and think about whether or not the meeting is really necessary. Could you achieve the same outcome through email or by phone?

6. Try Standing Meetings

Sometimes, meetings are unavoidable. In that case, consider holding a standing meeting. As you might guess from their name, everyone stands up during these meetings. Interestingly, the simple act of standing rather than sitting can help participants stay more alert while at the same time improving performance across the group.

7. Work On One Task At A Time

One of the biggest myths is that multitasking will make you more productive. In fact, working on multiple things at the same time can actually slow you down. Psychologists and other experts recommend focusing on one task at a time to boost your productivity as high as possible.

8. Don’t Waste Your Commute

Put the time that you spend commuting to work by tackling tasks like answering emails, writing up a to-do list, or thinking of ideas for an upcoming project. Anytime you have a bit of downtime, you can take care of these types of tasks, freeing up your schedule to focus on other things.

9. Free Yourself From Perfectionism

Perfection is unachievable, which is why perfectionism is such a waste of time. If you struggle with tasks in an effort to make the outcome is perfect as possible, you are doing yourself a major disservice. Instead, focus on performing tasks to the best of your ability. Once the task is done, move on to the next without obsessing over whether or not it is good enough. You can always revisit it at a later date if needed.

10. Try Working Out At Work

Recently, researchers at the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a study that showed that workers could see a boost in productivity by exercising at work. Give it a try for yourself. Try going for a quick walk or lifting weights in your office. A quick exercise session could help you regain your focus, making you more productive for the rest of the day.