If you’re like many people, you may find yourself at the end of the workday feeling frustrated and feeling like you could have accomplished so much more. The truth is that you’re not alone. As many as 7 out of 10 people say that they feel distracted throughout the day and lacking the self-discipline they need to be as productive as they would like.
After all, with today’s modern distractions being more tempting than ever, it’s easy to find ourselves looking at our phone, or even smartwatch instead of paying attention to our tasks.
Unfortunately, this can cost us significantly. Not only can distractions lead us to be less productive at work, but it can also negatively impact our personal relationships, and even lead to depression. The more you can focus on one task at a time, the more you’ll benefit overall. If you’re looking for ways to improve your workflow and unlock your business dreams, here are the best ways to do just that.
Take Breaks
One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about productivity is that the longer stretches of work you engage in, the more you’ll accomplish. In reality, taking breaks is one of the best things you can do. When you take a minute to do anything from walk around the block, or even play the piano, you give your brain a rest. When you have a few moments to gather your thoughts and get yourself to a calm state of mind.
Not to mention, it’s makes getting back to work much more enjoyable. When you allow yourself more room for things in your schedule that are genuinely enjoyable, you’ll find yourself less stressed and more motivated to do your best.
Automate
One of the most important things you can do to speed up your productivity is to automate things that would have otherwise taken a long time. Repetitive tasks can take up a significant amount of your day, if you can manage to hand them off to the right technology, you’ll be able to boost your workflow and focus your energy on more important things like one-on-one client engagement.
Everything from data entry to sending out marketing emails can be done with the help of technology.
Get Rid Of Distractions
One of the biggest culprits of a lack of productivity is getting easily distracted. If you hope to accomplish more in the day, then you need to know what your distraction triggers are. Whether it’s your phone, or talking to other employees, it’s important that you identify what these distractions are and get rid of them. In some cases, it may require extreme self-discipline. However, if your job truly means that much to you, you’ll be willing to make the sacrifice that it takes.
Watch The Clock
Keep an eye on the clock and know where your time is going. Manage your time effectively by scheduling which parts of your day should be dedicated to what. The more you can stay accountable for your schedule, the less likely you are to find yourself wasting time. Some people find great success by introducing the Pomodoro method to their day.
They set timers for each task that they need to do and create buffers in between each task dedicated to a break. Often working in short spurts with the help of timers, you can accomplish a significant amount more in your day that you would otherwise without the help of carefully timing each task out.
Set Goals
One of the most important aspects of increasing your productivity is having a specific goal in mind. Productivity can be a general term unless you have specific figures attached. Make a clear goal of what it is that you’d like to accomplish and measure your progress as you go. That way, you can see where you have room to grow, and whether your efforts are working. Otherwise, you can make changes as you see fit.
