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Jerry West, a former American All-Star basketball player, famously said, “You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good”.
How often do you find yourself thinking, “I don’t feel like working today?”
For many of us, it’s come to a point where even the slightest change in our environment can affect our motivation to work. Whether it’s raining outside or simply feeling disoriented if we didn’t get a good night’s rest.
If you’re looking for answers for ‘how to be productive at work’, you’ve probably recognized that you’re wasting time. Being productive is important not just to perform well but also to save time for activities outside of work.
Increasing productivity can help you utilize your time efficiently. If you finish your work within a specified time frame, you’ll have enough hours in the day for recreation. But if you spend this time thinking of all the things you could be doing, you won’t be able to accomplish much.
Let’s discuss how to be more productive to increase your efficiency during the day.
How To Be Productive
Being productive is a continuous process and it differs from person to person.
Author and leadership expert Robin Sharma has written extensively on how to stay productive. His best-selling book, The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning and Elevate Your Life, highlights how waking up at 5 am can increase productivity. This practice is ideal for people who are early risers but may not work for those who are more productive late at night.
There are many productivity tips that you can follow. But you should make a note of the ones that work well for you. Here are some examples of productivity tips to get you started:
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Start Your Day With A To-Do List
Many people find it effective to make a to-do list first thing in the morning. Especially on days when you don’t feel like doing anything at all, striking off activities like ‘make the bed’ and ‘clean the room’ can make you feel productive. Try to add tasks that you have to do regularly. Over time, you’ll see a noticeable difference in the way you categorize and complete your tasks.
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Practice Makes Perfect
If you’re struggling with something in particular, remember that perseverance will lead you to success. Keep practicing until you’ve perfected the task. For instance, there’s a running joke among classical musicians that to play a 10-minute composition they practice 40 hours a day. Of course, this is impossible. The point is that if you can develop your skills, you’ll start to enjoy your work and won’t take long to complete it.
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Multitasking May Not Be Working for You
Experts suggest that multitasking decreases productivity by 40% because we’re not able to concentrate on any one thing for a sustained period of time. Many of us have been forced to work from home, which has led to multiple distractions interrupting our day.
Even when we’re working, we’re checking our phones, watching something on Netflix, answering emails or thinking about grabbing a snack from the kitchen. This way a task that should’ve been done in under an hour takes up to 3 or 4 hours. So, developing the habit to focus on one thing at a time will help you stay productive during the day.
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Learn to Say ‘No’
Learning to say no will not only help you be more productive but also establish your credibility. You can’t please everyone in your life so it’s important to make a choice where necessary. If you already have too much on your plate, politely decline your colleague’s request or reschedule for a later date. Remember that you’re the only person who can prioritize your work over others’.
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A Healthy Mind Is A Healthy Body
Activities like yoga, meditation and spending time with yourself can do wonders to improve your productivity. Your mental health is just as important—if not more than—as your physical health. Work toward building powerful mental health practices to adopt a positive mindset. This will help you see things from different perspectives and make decisions that’ll save you time.
Learn to be productive with Harappa Education’s Practicing Excellence course. It’s designed to teach you how to maximize your time, be punctual and prioritize tasks. Our expert faculty will share personal anecdotes and helpful tips to guide you on how to be the best version of yourself. Go beyond what’s expected of you in your organization, today and always!
Explore topics such as Goal Setting, How to Increase Productivity, Types of Goals, SMART Goals & How to be Focused on Your Goals from our Harappa Diaries section and lead on a path of self-development.
