Imagine closing your working days with a satisfied sigh. It is so fulfilling closing the day, knowing that you have been so productive and that you got your tasks done efficiently and well. See yourself walking away from work whistling? Yes, that can be you only if you play your productivity game like a pro.
You don’t want to be the alternate version where the sun sets, and you are slumped behind the desk tired, stacked with unfinished projects.
Most entrepreneurs aren’t as productive as they would like for two reasons: They have bad habits that interfere with their productivity and are reactive rather than proactive.
Do you want to become your most productive self at work? Follow these sure tips on how to increase productivity.
- Work Out In The Morning
The benefits of exercise protract far beyond fitting into your favorite skinny jeans. Your brain is undoubtedly your single greatest asset. It is the primary tool you use to perform at your workplace, and you want it to be sharp. According to John Medina, the author of Brain Rules, physically active people do better on cognitive tests than people living an inactive lifestyle. Exercise improves your brain function.
Since it increases blood flow to the brain, exercise keeps you alert and focused. Wouldn’t it be great to start your day with a sharpened awareness?
2. Working In An Organized Environment
To maintain a stable work environment that is less hectic, free from unnecessary stress, organizing your workplace must be your priority. A common consequence of a cluttered and unattractive layout is lack of efficiency. They create distractions and discomfort.
When you have a workload to handle, having a disorganized working environment or even desk can worsen the situation. It would pay to file away the files and documents that you don’t need. Remove the empty coffee cups and put back in drawers the stationery you do not use. If high efficiency is expected, you must dispose of these distractions, and you will feel less stressed.
3. Set Self-Imposed Goals
Are you the type crippled by the last-minute rush? For people working for themselves, setting self-imposed deadlines and goals is a fact of life. It is inevitable. Whether you are working on a project, consulting for a dozen clients, or writing a dissertation, waiting for your drop-dead dates would eventually mean not meeting them.
You wouldn’t mind achieving more from shaping your project’s trajectory in terms of productivity, would you? The distinct biggest motivator in getting a project done is a sense of progress. You certainly have to set up interim goals along the way and gauge your progress.
4. Quit Multitasking
In a University of London study, IQ dropped 15 points for some multitasking people. It is said to kill your performance and may even damage your brain. Switching tasks creates mental blocks that reduce productivity by as much as 40%. Multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time.
Not yet convincing? According to a study at the University of Sussex in the UK, multitasking may be physically harming your brain. The study found that participants who used multiple devices simultaneously had a lower ‘gray matter’ density in a brain area called anterior cingulate cortex. This part of the brain is linked to decision-making, empathy, emotional control, and the brain’s response to rewards.
So, instead of trying to do everything at once, increase your productivity dramatically by giving your undivided attention to one task at a time.
5. Take Time Off From Social Media
Social media is a huge source of distraction for literally all entrepreneurs. Imagine receiving endless irritating notifications that are not relevant to your ongoing project! Many times you will find yourself overwhelmed with social networking distractions. If not well managed, dealing with all the interruptions is not easy. But why should you suffer a headache and jeopardize your work? Just like email, you might need some discipline and ration your social-networking time.
Successful entrepreneurs understand that “urgent is not the same thing as important.” Turn off those alerts and notifications until it’s your break time.
6. Get Enough Sleep
We all know that lack of sleep hurts our performance. Sleep depravity significantly decreases our concentration, logical reasoning, and working memory. One study found out that insomnia and insufficient sleep had substantially lower productivity and performance outcomes.
Tasks that call for complex thought or logical reasoning will be the most impaired. One night of sleep deprivation is enough to create significant deficits in our abilities. If you did not get enough sleep, taking a nap during the day could be profitable to your productivity.
Conclusion
Making some slight changes to habits will drastically improve your levels of productivity and efficiency in your business. Adopt the motto “do more with less.”