5 Habits That Make You More Productive
Almost every person, regardless of their occupation, is looking into ways on how to become more productive. Nevertheless, in this ever more digital age, it’s probably harder to keep yourself away from the many distractions than to complete your tasks in record time.
And for all the importance we give to productivity, we somehow manage to forget what it implies. In and of itself, productivity is not so much about checking as many tasks from the to-do list as possible, as it is more about working effectively overall. In other words, productivity boils down quality effort.
So, how can you get everything done while at the same time improving upon the quality of your work product? This paradox can be achieved by picking up these five habits below.
Repurpose Previous Work
You should always remember that not everything needs to be done from scratch. We don’t live in the so-called ‘Age of Efficiency’ for nothing, and you should take advantage of that. Teach yourself to recognize repeating patterns or similar ideas and use your previous quality work to cut down on time needed to complete your future tasks.
Take Frequent Breaks
Working continuously for several hours at a time was shown to put a hamper on one’s productivity. The key to reaching peak productivity, however, is actually to take frequent breaks. How prevalent, you may ask?
Well, according to a study conducted by DeskTime, a productivity app that tracks employees’ computer use, it was shown that the top 10% most productive users were working for roughly 52 minutes at a time, then taking a 17-minute break. They used that time to take a walk, chat with co-workers about non-work related topics, or do light physical exercises.
Categorize your Tasks
Having a 20+ to-do list is overwhelming, and what makes it even worse is if you go down the list haphazardly. Having to change between different modes of thinking too often is exhausting and will most likely lead you to procrastination.
Try, instead, to sort your daily tasks into similar categories. So, you’ll have your entire housekeeping chores one after the other, then your creative tasks, financial responsibilities, and so on. This technique will ensure that you keep a certain mindset and go from one job to another more quickly.
Follow the 80/20 Rule
Also known as the Pareto principle, the 80/20 rule states that 80% of results are a direct result of just 20% of causes. This principle can be found everywhere in nature, but it can apply equally as well in economics, management, politics, society, and, of course, to increase your productivity.
You should always remember that only 20% of what you do every day accounts for 80% of your results. So, to become more productive, you will have to identify the remaining 80% and eliminate or delegate as much of it as you can, as they have a minimal effect on your productivity, yet they take up most of your time.
Tackle Your Challenging Tasks First
Doing the hardest part of your work in the morning, when your brain is fresh, will help you achieve more in a fraction of the time. It is the perfect time to do that previously-mentioned 20% that we talked about and leave the remainder – be it meetings or busy work – for after lunch.
Conclusion
In short, being more productive is not necessarily about doing things faster but more about being smarter and more efficient in the way you approach work. Time is, in the end, the most valuable commodity we have, and the more purposefully we spend our time, the more quality we can derive from it.