The workplace was built to foster work and get things done. However, oftentimes, that is not the case. At the end of a work day, you may feel exhausted, but after going through the to-do list, it may dawn on you that you actually haven’t accomplished much. In the career world, nothing stings harder than not being productive at work.
Unproductive days snowballing into unproductive weeks and months can zap you of any feelings of fulfillment and can even threaten employment. It’s time to take the reins and maximize work hours, read further to find out how.
Read this too; How to Ace your first three months at a new job
How to be productive at work
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Start the day right
Marking the day as productive starts right from the moment you get up. How do you spend your mornings? In a rush? Or by completing a morning routine?
If your mornings are rushed and hassle filled, you may feel tired and lethargic even though work hours haven’t commenced yet. On the contrary, setting a morning routine that consists of some exercise, meditation, journaling and a healthy breakfast really sets the tone for the day. It boosts mental clarity and sets you up for a productive day at work.
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Set out daily intentions
Set out targets for the day, the mini goals you want to achieve that will mark that day as a productive one. If there is no daily agenda, it’s easy to be swayed by tides, currents and whatever the day brings. You can’t hit a target you can’t see.
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Eat that Frog
This is a theory popularized by CEO Brian Tracy. The point is to do the bigger, more important things first before moving on to smaller tasks. The rule is the big tasks should get the fresh morning supply of energy and focus, then move on to smaller not-as-important tasks.
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Focus on a task at a time
Avoid the multi-tasking trap. You think you can get a lot done by multitasking but truth is multitasking actually slows you down because your brain can only focus on so much at once. Take it a step at a time and give that task all your energy and focus, after which you can move onto other tasks.
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Eliminate distractions
Studies have shown that when you’re distracted, it takes a while to re-establish focus. This spells bad news as far as productivity is concerned because all that time spent on refocusing can be put into useful work. To make your workspace distraction free;
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Let colleagues know you won’t be available for chit chats. Sometimes, they may forget and approach you, remind them by saying “It would be so nice to have a chat now but I really won’t be able to listen attentively with my work undone, can we chat some other time, say after work?”
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Turn off your phone or turn on Do-Not-Disturb
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Remove anything that can shift your focus. This applies to gadgets and a host of other things you may term insignificant.
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Make a distraction list
As we go about our work, stuff suddenly pops up in our mind and we feel prodded to get them done and tick them off right there and then. While our mind is just trying to remind us of certain things, constantly taking distraction breaks from work hinders productivity but if you do note them down, you can get to those other things later, after the day’s work is done.
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Take breaks
You might be a workhorse, but you’re no machine. After spending a certain period of time with your neck deep in work, you start to feel drained and your focus starts to dwindle. That’s your cue, your body is telling you it needs some time off. Therefore, take a step back, walk around, eat a snack, just recharge your focus and energy for the next set of tasks.
Bonus tip: If you work remotely, your space might impact how productive you are. Pay attention to your workspace to enjoy your job.
To conclude;
In the quest for productive days at work, you might fall short but don’t be displeased, it’s a journey, there’s always room for review and improvement.
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