Hey, do you struggle when it comes to productivity? Do you need a lot of time for completing a small task? Are you the one who is always been asked to complete things on time and gets to listen: Hey, how much more time do you need to complete this small thing?

If any of them is you, then this post is for you as I’ll share 7 ways that are super effective and will double your productivity at your workplace and in your career in general.

Now, if you are among them, the very first thing I want to say to you is, don’t worry; there is nothing in this world that you can’t improve. There are so many people in this world who work their a** off to get things done but don’t get the desired results on time. You are not alone, we together can figure this out or should I say it as Marie Forleo do, Everything is Figureoutable.

Now, let’s talk about those 7 effective ways that will help you double your productivity.

1. Setting clear goals

There is no need to say why setting goals is important to get things done. But it doesn’t help to just set goals when it comes to productivity. You have to set clear goals if you want to work faster and increase your productivity to get things done on time.

You might be wondering what’s the difference. Well, setting goals is for overall growth but setting clear goals is basically for one particular day or for the next couple of hours doing a particular task. In other words, creating boundaries for your daily tasks. 

Think of it this way, you have an article to write about increasing stress and anxiety in today’s world. Now, there are several small tasks that come into consideration when you create something like that including research and development, keyword research, working on grammar, making the article inspiring, and XYZ.

Now the main goal is to write the article but the clear goal is what you are going to do in order to achieve your main goal. What clear goal/s are you going to set for yourself to work on for the next couple of hours that will take you one step ahead?

Let’s say you have decided to work on making the article inspiring, so it becomes your clear goal now. Therefore, when it comes to increasing your productivity focus on setting clear goals instead of setting random goals.

2. Do one thing at a time

When you finally sit and start your work, there is a lot of stuff (both work-related and non-work-related) comes to your mind, like pending tasks, upcoming tasks, problems to be solved, new thoughts & ideas, and other kinds of crap; and it becomes very difficult to concentrate on your work which eventually affects your productivity in a bad way. It also makes you feel overwhelmed, and overburdened and it makes you go nuts.

In a situation like this, you should try to focus on just one particular thing at a particular time. Imagine yourself working on a presentation but along with that, your mind is telling you about the upcoming tasks that you have to do, which actually doesn’t let you focus on that presentation. 

Usually, it would take around 2 hours to complete that presentation but with all the stuff in your mind, it took you 3 hours to complete the same. This is how lack of concentration decreases your productivity on a huge level. Now in this same case scenario, if you manage to train your brain and focus on the stuff that matters, you win. 

Focus on one thing only and not even think about other stuff until you are done with the prior one. Commit to yourself that you are not going to consider anything before you are done completing this one. 

PRO Tip: Focus on completing the important tasks first, it will take a big chunk of the burden out of you.

3. Using the U-I matrix

Prioritizing your to-do list helps to increase your productivity and categorizing your to-do list using the urgent-important matrix is a great way to do the same. If you don’t know what the urgent-important matrix is, then there is no need to worry. It is a 2X2 grid matrix that looks like the graphic given below.

This matrix is used to set priorities by categorizing the tasks into 4 parts and that is,

#1. Urgent and important: Task/s under this category must be done immediately,

#2. Not urgent but important: You can plan or schedule the tasks that fall under this category,

#3. Urgent but not important: don’t waste your time and energy on these tasks and hire someone else to do them for you,

#4. Not urgent not important: eliminate these tasks from your list.

By doing so, you can focus on the things that need your time and energy the most and eliminate those that don’t. You can use apps like Trello, Asana, etc. to make the list.

4. Taking breaks 

Taking small breaks in the middle of the work is very important. It helps your mind to relax and think clearly. 

The Pomodoro technique is the best way to increase your productivity. It says to work with total concentration for 25 minutes and then rests for 5 minutes. Repeat this cycle four times and then take a long break for 15 minutes. You can also grab a cup of coffee or an ice tea if you want to. The graphic below shows exactly what you have to do.

If you want to know more about The Pomodoro Technique then you can check out this blog post: The Pomodoro Technique Explained.

5. Write

Writing is a great way to clear your mind and thoughts. Studies have shown that a human brain generates around 6000 thoughts in a single day which is a blend of everything including stuff that is important, urgent, crap, fun, sensible, non-sensible, and god knows what else. With this much going on in your mind, focusing on one thing and talking about productivity is next to impossible. And this is where writing can help you and save you a lot of time.

The pen is the tongue of the mind.

– Horace

Writing helps you prioritize your tasks and take the burden out of your mind. It also helps you filter your thoughts which is a must for making important decisions. Tracking your progress and growth also becomes easy when you start writing.

Get a journal or just a normal notepad, and start to write what’s going on in your mind. Then categorize everything based on the typologies you might have. When you start to write and develop it as a habit, it will also help boost your self-confidence and give you the opportunity for positive self-talk.

6. Take a good amount of sleep

Sleep plays a crucial role when it comes to productivity. The sleep you take has a direct connection to your mind and body; you tend to feel dizzy and your body doesn’t respond very well if you don’t take a proper amount of sleep, which ultimately affects your productivity. 

Most people stay up late at night watching Netflix or scrolling on social media which makes their minds tired when they go to sleep and it’s not healthy for your subconscious mind. If you don’t know how your subconscious mind works, then I would suggest you read this book called The Power of your Subconscious Mind by JOSEPH MURPHY.

You might have observed how your productivity decreases when you didn’t take a proper amount of sleep. You feel sleepy all day, your mind keeps telling you that you’re tired and you need to rest. 

According to science, a sleep of around 6-7 hours is considered healthy for an adult. The best time for healthy sleeping is between 10 pm to 5 am. 

Did you know? There are 3 stages of sleep: Deep sleep stage, Alert stage, and Dreaming stage. Each stage lasts for 90 minutes and the sleep is considered sound sleep when you complete this whole cycle(90×3) twice without any interruptions.

7. Change the environment 

The environment you work in affects your productivity a lot. You cannot expect to give your best and get great results by being in an environment that is not work-friendly. 

There are several ways that you can make the workplace work-friendly that will give you working vibes.  

Keep your workspace neat and clean; using a minimum no. of items at your desk really helps focus on a particular thing only. Instead of using warm colored lights which give the feeling of comfort and coziness (which is a big no at the workplace), using blue lighting can help promote alertness and helps you concentrate. 

Using colors or shades of 

1. Orange which helps to concentrate, focus, and increase your creativity,

2. Blue which encourages the performance and brain’s thought process, and

3. Green at the workplace helps you to relax and refreshes your mind to clear your thoughts.

Conclusion

There are several factors that come into consideration when it comes to increasing your productivity. You have to experiment a little bit by trying several tricks and techniques and find the one that works best for you. No one can tell you that better than you do. 

Which of these 7 ways that we talked about, resonates with you the most, and which are you going to try the first? Do let me know in the comments below. 

Here’s what you might like to read next.

• How to work on yourself to give your best, every time.
• 5 habits to develop if you want to level up yourself
• How to develop a new habit to grow in life

Love the Post. Save the Pin NOW!