Do you sometimes feel like you’re spinning wheels, wasting time, and not getting enough done each day? It happens to all of us from time to time. Making a few tweaks to your daily routine will help you to stay focused, feel productive, and even have more spare time for family, loved ones, and hobbies.
- Start your day with exercise, even for as little as 10 minutes. It will improve your energy levels for the rest of the day and give you a sense of control.
- Don’t touch any technological devices until you’ve had breakfast. Social media, emails, voicemail messages, and texts are all great ways to become completely distracted. Meditate, have breakfast, and then move on to work.
- Create a list of goals for your day. Prioritize them based on what needs to get done to fulfill obligations, what you really want to get done to further your projects, and whatever else needs to happen in work or the rest of your life.
- Assign timeframes to the items on that list. Having a timeframe to work within will help keep you focused and away from distractions like email, texts, and the web.
- Stop procrastinating. Put those more-difficult but important items at the top of your list and get them out of the way. You’ll be more focused, finish faster, and will enjoy the rest of your day.
- Running a meeting? Make sure it stays on schedule. Don’t let people get off-topic. If people have other items to discuss, ask them to contact you privately or set another meeting time.
- Stop multitasking. Most of us really stink at it anyway. Focus on one thing at a time and finish it before moving on to the next. You really will finish your projects faster.
- Take mini-breaks when needed. Get up from your desk for 5 or 10 minutes every hour or so. Clear the brain fog and get back to work.
- Learn to say no if you have enough on your plate already. You’ll never finish the projects you have if you keep agreeing to new ones. Clearly tell the person asking that you have existing commitments and can’t take on any additional until some of the others are finished.
It’s OK to take control of your day and feel good about it. What tips do you have for improved productivity in your work and personal lives?
