6 Ways to Spend Your Day More Productively

From the moment you step into the office in the morning, you’re probably planning all the things you plan to do throughout the day. But when you head home, you may be wondering how it is even possible that the day has passed so quickly. We are all looking for ways to squeeze a few extra hours out of the workday to complete just one more task. If you’re willing to put in the effort to achieve more, try these simple and effective tips for exceptional productivity every day.

1. Limit Multitasking

If you have a lot of different projects on your schedule, try using the Pomodoro technique as a tool to manage both time and tasks. This technique divides the work into intervals of roughly 25 minutes, separated by short breaks. Instead of dealing with a ton of folders, browsers, and emails at once, choose one task to focus on and close everything else. Turn on the stopwatch and get to work. If you complete the task or reach the time limit, close the project. Take a short break, have a glass of cold water, do some exercise, or simply check your Facebook notifications. Then start with the next task.

Using a method like the Pomodoro technique is a great way to sharpen your mind and ensure that you pay proper attention to each project. It also provides variety to your day, making you less likely to get mentally tired.

2. Organise Your Inbox

Every time you stop working to check email, you’re wasting valuable time switching from one task to another, losing momentum on current projects, and allowing yourself to be bothered by external factors. It’s hard to look at a single email without looking at other, perhaps even those less important messages.

When you receive emails, organize them into different folders for easy later review. You can do this manually by moving the message to a folder yourself, or you can set rules to automatically move emails from a specific sender or those containing a specific keyword.

Here are three examples of folders:

• Personal – This folder should be used for emails that do not need to be addressed immediately. For example, this includes your private emails with coworkers or friends.
• Newsletters – Include newsletters and automated e-mails of websites you subscribe to. This way, you can read them in peace in your free time, without overlooking anything.
• Urgent – Create a folder only for messages that require some action or response. When you reply to it or perform a task related to the said message, simply move it to the archive folder, where you keep all e-mails for record.

These are just examples; create folders with different names and try different ways of organizing them until you find the one that works best for you.

3. Close Your Browsers

Sometimes the temptation to browse the internet is too great. What is currently happening on Facebook? Where can I get the best deal for a new laptop? When did Columbus discover America? The internet is full of interesting facts, reading material and other fun content. So if you want to be mega productive, you have to successfully resist it!

Most people have a habit of having at least one internet window open on their computer. Try to spend some time without an open browser. If the search bar isn’t easily accessible, you’ll probably find it easier to focus on work without being tempted to surf the web.

4. Make a To-Do List

We all know that a to-do list can help you stay on track, whether it’s in a store while shopping or on a big project. First, make a detailed list of all the projects or tasks you want to work on. Then set a reminder for each hour, on the hour. At the same time, take a look at your to-do list and cross out everything you’ve accomplished, and start with the next task.

This method helps ensure that nothing is forgotten. In addition, crossing out tasks from your list further motivates you! When you are given new tasks throughout the day, add them to your list immediately. The task recording process can help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed, and allows you to see what else awaits you that day – so you can prioritize those most urgent tasks.

5. Indulge in Distractions

It may seem counterproductive to indulge in external disturbances, but it is not! If you’re constantly thinking about something unrelated to work, or if you hear your favorite song on the radio, allow yourself a short break. Distractions prevent you from concentrating; if you take a few minutes to “enjoy” or think about whatever is on your mind, you will find it much easier to get back to work.

The same goes for work-related distractions – if you suddenly come up with a new business idea or remember a simple task you forgot to do before, take two minutes to write the thought down on a piece of paper and maybe even develop it. That way, your brain won’t be dealing with different thoughts fighting for the spotlight.

6. Daily Summaries

Many people write their to-do lists over morning coffee. Although this way of working suits many people, due to morning drowsiness you can forget about important things that should have been completed the day before, but have been postponed due to lack of time.

To avoid such accidents, make your to-do list an hour before you leave work. For each task, write down where you left off and give priority to those you want to complete during the first hours of the next business day. You also need to make sure that yesterday’s postponed tasks don’t interfere with other commitments – you still need to find enough time to respond to emails, meet co-workers, attend meetings, and complete other tasks you’ve set for yourself.