It’s hard juggling all your tasks and ensuring you meet every work deadline. Add in the pressures of everyday life and it’s easy for some tasks to remain on our to-do lists forever. But there are things you can do to take control and set yourself up for a productive day.
For five simple tips on the subject, please check out a helpful article on MarthaStewart.com or jump straight to our summary below.
- Set mini-deadlines
Break big tasks down into smaller component parts. Create a corresponding schedule of mini-deadlines that keeps you progressing nicely towards your final major deadline.
- Take frequent breaks
To remain focused on what really matters, scatter your day with brain breaks. This means disconnecting from your computer and the internet and doing something completely different like taking a walk instead. No social media allowed! In addition to giving you a concentration reset, brain breaks can deliver enlightenment when you’re stuck for a solution to a problem.
- Avoid multitasking
Multitasking makes us inefficient and may, over time, hinder our attention span. Constantly flicking between a project and your email messages is the ultimate productivity killer. It’s much more efficient to focus on one task for a chunk of time (e.g., two hours) before switching to another.
- Make a realistic to-do list and address your most challenging tasks when you have lots of energy
At the end of the working day, make a list of everything you need to accomplish the following day. When you return to your desk the next morning, prioritise the list and make sure it’s realistic. Then check your emails for a limited time before spending the morning on your most challenging tasks and projects. Typically, this is when people are at their most productive. Revisit your messages and carry out less demanding tasks during your post-lunch attention slump.
- Don’t let work spill into your evening and/or weekends
Working long hours reduces your overall productivity. Fact. If it goes unchecked for a long time, it also makes us tired, damages our health and well-being, and increases the chances of burnout.
Whatever productivity strategies you embrace, we wish you every success! And if you’d like to be more productive in a new work environment, please get in touch. With over 30 years of experience in the industry and longstanding relationships with 400+ leading companies worldwide, we will quickly find you your next dream job, and help you nail the interview.
