Productivity at work can be a difficult thing to achieve sometimes. Some days you just are not feeling productive, or your motivation is lacking. Whatever it is, that decreased motivation is a big problem in the office.
When you are having a rough day at work, it affects more than just yourself. Your entire office can struggle if just one person seems to be struggling. These tips should help you avoid that struggle and will help you put your best foot forward each day!
Having greater productivity at work will translate to better productivity for the rest of your life as well. Work is probably the toughest place to stay productive. Whether you do or do not like your job, it is a grind that you have to get through. Oftentimes it may even prevent you from doing the things that you would rather be doing. This can be draining and affect your mood.
With increased productivity at work, you will find yourself with more time, more happiness, and less stress each day. Continue reading to learn more.
This post is all about tips to increase your productivity at work!
Increasing Your Productivity at Work
Learning how to be more productive at work is key to increasing your satisfaction at work, along with your own happiness. These tips do not require any major changes to your typical day-to-day but they could make a big impact!
Why is Productivity at Work Important?
This one may seem a bit obvious, but some people might still ask the question. Sometimes it does not seem to make sense why we have to work so hard at the office for what can seem like such a small payoff. For example, you might put in extra hours one day in the hope that your manager recognizes your hard work but sometimes they don’t notice. This can be demoralizing, but the unseen effort is worth it.
Even if your manager does not notice your hard work, you are still being productive. It is almost more important to be productive in this case because you are doing so when nobody is looking. If you can continue to be productive on your own, when you are not being pressured to work, you will be making serious strides toward your own self-discipline.
Past your own growth, being productive at work is also important for those around you. At most jobs, you are part of a team of people working towards a common goal. If there is a weak link, as there often is, then your team could struggle. By being productive, you can be a part of the winning team and get things done the right way!
Another reason to have good productivity at work is for your own career growth. If you never strive to work hard then you will never be able to break into the next level of your career. Promotions and raises do not usually go to people who dilly-dally and fail to make a meaningful impact.
No matter who notices or what the future results are, it is always important to try to be productive when you are at the office. Stay positive and work hard and positive effects will come your way!
{ Related Post: 5 Suggestions for How to Stay Motivated, Even When You Don’t Want To }
Tips for Increased Productivity at Work
These tips should be helpful for your productivity in the office. With these easy changes, you will find your days getting more productive and your mood becoming more positive!
1. Schedule your next day before you leave
This is one of the most effective tips for increasing workplace productivity. When we first arrive at the office, most of us have to spend time thinking about what needs to be done. That time adds up quickly and definitely hurts productivity in the morning.
Instead of waiting until the morning to start thinking about what you need to do, it is a better idea to do that thinking the afternoon before! You do not need to spend much time planning out your next day. All you really need to do is spend a few minutes writing down a few notes about what you would like to do to start your day. These small notes will get you through the initial part of the day when your mind may still be a little foggy.
This little change to the end of your previous day will significantly improve your productivity your next day. Say goodbye to wasted time in the mornings and hello to immediate productivity and success.
2. Focus on progress, not perfection
When you are thinking about your productivity at work, you should always be focused on making progress, instead of getting things perfect. You may have heard about the 90/10 rule before. It describes how 90% of the work can often be done in 10% of the time but the final 10% of the work can take up to 90% of the time. This rule represents how finishing up the final details can be a huge time-sink.
For this reason, it can be more important to focus on making progress instead of getting things perfect. This will increase your productivity at work because it will allow you to focus on getting more things done to a satisfactory level. As opposed to just getting a few things done and struggling through those things.
This does not mean you should slack off and leave things unfinished. It only means that you do not need to be a perfectionist. Instead, you need to get things done to a level that will satisfy the requirements of the job.
{ Related Post: 6 Practical Ways to Start Focusing on Progress Over Perfection }
3. Manage your energy, not just your time
We all have points where our energy level either is high or low. For most people, there is a higher energy level in the early mornings. During that time, you have a much higher chance to be more productive. That being said, you should aim to get your tougher, more complex tasks done during that time.
The time at which your energy peaks is not the same for everyone, so that is something you need to manage. To do this, try to keep a basic log of your hourly energy levels for a couple of weeks. Keep in mind how outside activities like working out or sleeping poorly affect that energy level. After a couple of weeks, you will begin to see trends that can help you manage your energy levels.
With that knowledge in hand, you can plan your tasks around your maximum and minimum energy levels. By doing this, you will absolutely increase your productivity!
4. Take regular breaks
Taking breaks may seem like the opposite of what needs to be done to increase productivity. Taking breaks can actually be beneficial towards increasing your productivity. Why is this? Well, sometimes your mind just needs a break from the monotonous day. Just a short break can help you reset yourself and get back on track for the day. Be careful not to take too many of these breaks that you struggle to get back on task, but take enough that you do not lose your ability to focus on your work!
With a few breaks per day, you will definitely find yourself with increased productivity!
5. Eat healthy snacks to keep your energy levels high
Snacking is something that is typically thought of as a negative but if the food is healthy then it can be very positive! Of course, you always need to eat your lunch, but you also should have some snacks to help you get through your day. Healthy snacks like fruit or yogurt can help you boost your energy levels before they get too low.
You may think that it is easier to just eat whatever snacks you have at the office. While this may be true, it will certainly hurt your ability to stay energized. Unless your office is a rare one that has healthy snacks, most offices have snacks that are not so healthy. Snack rooms are often stocked with chips, cookies, and candy. None of these will contribute to your energy for any significant amount of time. Most of them will be a temporary stopgap that will soon cause you to crash.
The extra prep time or cost of healthy snacks will be worth it! With better snacks, you can maintain your energy levels for longer, and therefore you can increase your productivity!
6. Have a morning meeting to go over priorities
One of the best things you can do for your productivity at work is to have a short morning meeting to go over your priorities for the day ahead. This can be something between you and a manager or something bigger with your entire team. It will be very helpful for giving you the plan to try to stick to, and for everybody else to know what you plan to work on.
Meetings like this can be very beneficial to your productivity. Give it a try!
7. Tune out distractions
This is the biggest tip on the list. Tuning out distractions is the most important thing that can be done to increase your productivity at work. It is easy to get distracted by coworkers or by something on your phone during the day. Small distractions like this can very quickly add up and ruin your day. It can 20+ minutes to get back on task after a distraction, so do your best to avoid those distractions!
If you can slowly start decreasing distractions you will find that your productivity will increase significantly.
{ Related Post: Learn How to Avoid Distractions With These 9 Effective Strategies }
Thank you for reading! I hope these tips help you increase your productivity at work! If you have any questions, please comment below or reach out to ourteam@wellroundedyou.com.
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