People seem to obsess over productivity. And most of the time they conflate it with working long hours, taking more projects than they can manage, and drinking too much caffeine.
The truth is, doing too much work can be counterproductive. To be truly productive, one must make it a point to do fewer things in order to accomplish tasks with better quality output.
Some methods such as doing a checklist and scheduling tasks in a calendar may help when working on simple tasks. You can also do methods like the Pomodoro Technique, which uses a timer to break down work into intervals usually about 25 minutes in length with short 5-minute breaks in between.
But for much more complex tasks or projects, you will need more than these techniques. Instead, you need a change of perspective on productivity and — along with it — your habits.
When we want to be productive, we usually think of getting so many things done. Doing a regular to-do list with a mix of important and less important tasks may become overwhelming. You may also end up doing the easier tasks first which can lead to procrastination when only the difficult tasks are left.
Create a list instead of your most important and urgent tasks, or ones that you see as more important than the others. Start your day by choosing 1 to 3 most important things (MITs). There are the most urgent items that you should finish by the end of the day, no matter what.
This way, you get a renewed sense of focus on what’s important, and ensure that you get things done.
Laura Earnest of Whole Life Productivity says:
“Efficient is doing things right and effective is doing the right things. So the most productive people work on the high value tasks, making sure that how they are doing those tasks is the best way. I also believe that the most productive people are able to discern which are the high value tasks, and are able to either let the others go or delegate them. It’s not a crazy rush to get everything done, because they recognize that they can’t get everything done.”
There can be so many distractions when you’re trying to work — emails, social media, errands, and a whole lot more which can impede your productivity.
An efficient way of reducing distractions is creating a “distraction list.” You can write this on a piece of paper, a sticky note, or on a Word document and always keep it in view. This helps you get back to work right away whenever a distracting thought comes to mind.
This technique also works on things that legitimately require your attention but is less urgent than the tasks at hand, such as ideas or reminders for future tasks.
Whenever these things come to mind during your work, you can simply take note of them. You can come back to them on your break time or add them to your to-do list.
3. Get stuff off your plate
To be productive means to not be afraid of delegating, outsourcing, or automating. If you are running a startup or a small business, wearing several hats and being overwhelmed by so many tasks, then it may be time for you to hire a virtual assistant to help you with your administrative tasks.
You might also consider outsourcing some much more complex or technical tasks such as design or marketing work.
Consider also using software that helps you automate simple tasks such as responding to emails, proofreading content, or scheduling and sharing social media posts. Tools like MailChimp, Grammarly, Hootsuite, or Planoly are specially designed for these tasks.
You can also follow the 20/80 rule. The rule states that only 20 percent of what you do each day produces 80 percent of your results.
That means you can eliminate the things that have little impact on your workday or over-all productivity. With a lot of mundane tasks out of the way, you can focus on the more important things or think of new ways to improve your business.
Working longer hours does not mean you are productive. In fact, this can eventually lead to a decrease in productivity. According to Henry Ford, the ideal number of working hours is only up to 40 hours per week to obtain optimum productivity. Working beyond that means that one’s productivity has dropped.
Ford’s investigations, of course, involved production line workers. According to author and life coach Grace Marshall, in her book "How To Be Really Productive," jobs that require intense focus and creativity should have less number of hours to obtain maximum productivity.
For creatives, an hour or two of work is enough. Beyond that, inspiration dips, hence affecting productivity.
Tim Ferriss also proposes that "The Four Hour Work Week" is very much possible. In his book, Ferriss shares how he developed a streamlined system of checking email once per day. He hired virtual assistants in handling small daily tasks.
Having said that, you will also need a lot of breaks. Working too much and not taking short naps or snacks will result in a decrease of glucose in your body which lessens your energy; hence, affecting your productivity.
Do not forget to take breaks, go for a small walk, grab lunch, or just meditate to re-energize and come back more ready than ever to handle every task.
Let BizScale help increase your business productivity. Talk to us by completing this form, emailing sales@bizscale.com, calling 833-722-5310, or booking time on Calendly. Take your business to the next level today.
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