If there’s one thing most people would say they need more of in their daily life, it’s time. It can literally pay to use your time more efficiently to be more productive. If you work remotely, you may find it even more challenging to find your motivation every day. Don’t lose hope; there are proven ways to increase your productivity. The good thing is more feelings of productivity and success can motivate you to keep plugging away.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Holding yourself accountable can help you remain focused and stay on task until your work is complete. This is part of developing your mental toughness. There’s probably always someone counting on you to complete a project. Learn to hold yourself just as accountable as if someone is watching over your shoulder. If you know that other people will suffer if you drop the ball, you’ll be more likely to complete it by the deadline and do a good job. Be sure to set realistic goals for yourself, and you should have no problem succeeding or even exceeding your expectations.
Get Up Earlier
Giving yourself a little extra time in the mornings, even 15 minutes, will help focus your mind better before your workday begins. No one enjoys running around like crazy trying to get ready in the mornings. Give yourself time to sit down for breakfast and fully wake up. You may need to go to bed a little earlier each night to get enough rest. If you have problems with insomnia, try working on your sleep hygiene.
Choose Priorities and Set a Deadline
Create a to-do list before the beginning of each workday. Determine the three most important projects that must be done by a specific time no matter what. Then, set a realistic deadline for each one. A deadline, even self-imposed, can be a great motivator. Mark things off your to-do list as you finish them. This will give you something to see how productive you’re being.
Create Time Devoted Only to Work
Wherever you work, it’s easy to get distracted by various goings-on, whether it’s your co-workers laughing in the office or your toddler chasing Fido around the house. Whatever your situation, try your best to set some time aside that’s explicitly for work, with no distractions. It could be more challenging if you’re working from home but might find times when you can expect fewer distractions than others (e.g., when your child is napping). Turn the notifications off your phone, email and messengers for a specific block of time to limit distractions. It’s also helpful to plan your work based on your most and least productive times if you have some flexibility. Demanding tasks that take more stamina and concentration (e.g., writing or coding) should be done when you’re at your best. Maybe you’re at your sharpest at the beginning of your day; perhaps you tend to be more productive later in the day. After the more complicated tasks, things like replying to emails or making phone calls should be your next priority. Then, at the part of the day when you tend to be the most tired, work on filing and other duties that don’t require much thought.
Declutter
Studies have found that the mere sight of clutter can cause many feelings of stress and anxiety. Decluttering is something you can do when you need to get up and move around but can’t take a full-on break. Take a few minutes to organize your workspace and get rid of anything you no longer need. Your day should have a much better flow working in a tidy, organized office.
Avoid Multitasking
Many people think that multitasking means you’re getting more work done more efficiently. However, research has shown that this is rarely true. When you try to do multiple things at once, you’re not focusing enough on any individual project enough to get anything completed. You tend to find yourself with a few partially-completed projects always hanging over your head. This can cause you to feel more overwhelmed than completing them individually and checking them off your list.
Move Regularly
Make it a point to get up and move around for at least three to five minutes every hour. Your brain needs to take a pause, and your body needs to move regularly. Take a five-minute walk around the office. This can rejuvenate your brain more than you might think. You could get a convertible desk that you can use while sitting or standing. If you feel like you’re falling into a rut or your mind is starting to wander, it may be time to move around a little.
Whatever your work situation, it should be easy to increase your productivity some. Even if it’s a slow process to get your productivity to the level at which you want it, as you begin seeing results, you’ll be more inspired to keep going strong.
