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Imagine you’ve been working at your dream job for years. You love your projects, but you just can’t seem to get much done in a day.
Consider how to be more productive and manage your time. You don’t have to struggle with finishing projects. Keep reading to learn more about how to be more productive at work.
Set a Schedule
Setting a schedule and sticking to it is essential for being productive. If you show up in the morning with a plan, you can start following that plan immediately.
Without a plan, it can be easy to get sucked into emails and other mundane tasks. But when you have a big project due soon, you need to focus.
So set a schedule for when to check your email and when to work on a project. Try to do more intense tasks when you’re more alert. For one person, that could mean in the morning, but another person might be more productive later in the day.
Your schedule may need to change when you have a new project. However, your schedule can give you an idea of how to execute your day and increase productivity.
Take Breaks
When you create your work schedule, don’t forget to set aside time for breaks. You don’t have to take a ton of breaks or have them be long. But if you usually work at a desk, give yourself five minutes to get up and walk around.
Schedule time to grab water or coffee to keep you motivated to work. And when you get the middle of the day, give yourself plenty of time for lunch.
You should avoid working through lunch, if possible. Don’t check your work email and allow yourself to relax. Then, you can come back feeling ready for the afternoon.
Make sure you also schedule breaks for the afternoon. And if you start feeling tired, grab something to eat or drink to give you some extra energy.
Turn Off Notifications
If you want to know how to be more productive, turn off notifications. Put your phone on silent and put it away. Don’t check your phone unless you have a personal or work emergency.
You should also turn off notifications on your computer. Close out your email program, and don’t open social media in your browser.
Notifications can be distracting, and one email notification could send you down a huge rabbit hole. If you get off track with your work, it will take time to get back on track.
You can always check your phone during a short break. But keep track of the time you spend on social media or emails so that you can get back to work quickly and easily.
Set Deadlines
A lot of work projects will probably have a deadline. You should know ahead of time when you have to present something or submit a project to your boss or a client.
However, you may not always have a deadline. Your boss may say they need a report, but they say you can send it whenever.
Or perhaps you have a large project with a single deadline for everything. Setting your own deadlines is one of the best time management tips because it forces you to manage your time and get things done.
Suppose you have a large project, set smaller deadlines when you need to do the outline or design the first draft. Give yourself a deadline for projects that your boss needs “whenever” so that you hold yourself accountable.
Eliminate Unnecessary Meetings
Another way to boost productivity at work is to get rid of excessive meetings. While you will need some meetings to discuss strategy or answer questions, some meetings can be emails.
Employees can read the emails when they have a break, and they can reply with questions. That way, everyone can be more productive throughout the day.
If you do have to have a meeting, consider when to schedule it. Try to have meetings at “transition” times during the day.
Instead of meeting in the middle of the morning, meet first thing or right before lunch. That way, employees don’t have to stop working in the middle of a task.
They can start working after the early meeting, or they can prepare to stop for lunch before the meeting. You and your employees won’t have to worry about task switching or wasting time getting back into the flow of a project.
Get a Change of Scenery
Another option for how to be more productive is to change your work spot. You may not be able to go to a different office, but try to work at another desk or table in your office.
Your desk can be a great place to work sometimes, but it can get boring. If you’re always looking at the same thing, you may not have as many creative ideas.
Move to a conference room or an office lounge for a bit and bring your laptop. Then, you can continue your work, and the new environment can help you be more productive.
If you don’t have a work laptop, find tasks you can do without a computer. Perhaps that means designing potential graphics with a sketch pad or writing emails on a tablet.
Take Care of Yourself
Once you head home for the day, you may think you can do whatever. You don’t have to worry about work or client projects.
However, you should take your free time to take care of yourself. Drink some water, eat a healthy dinner, and get some exercise if you can.
When you’re ready to go to bed, set a regular time for that so that you get enough sleep. Then, you can wake up tomorrow feeling more productive and ready to tackle the day.
How to Be More Productive
Figuring out how to be more productive can feel like a job in itself. You have to find when you work best and how to plan out your day.
But once you find a schedule that works for you, you can increase productivity. You won’t have to worry about wasting time on social media or checking tons of emails.
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