Boosting Productivity: 3 tools to get more work done

It doesn’t matter which industry you work in, being productive is something everyone has to do in order to complete their daily jobs. Considering human nature and the newest work from home culture that we were introduced to during the pandemic, it may get difficult to get through daily tasks. Decreased productivity naturally reduces the amount of work done. Here are 3 ways you can be more productive in your life.

• To-do list

One age-old technique to go through your daily tasks is making a timetable. But making a timetable divides one’s activities into certain time slots which can be restricting and be an obstacle in the free flow of the day. Making a to-do list instead ensures listing of the day’s tasks and enables one to select a suitable time slot for a particular activity according to the person’s convenience. Making a to-do list also ensures room for any emergencies and mishaps during the day. List every small activity that you’ve to do in the to-do list so that you have an accurate idea of how many tasks you’ve to accomplish, how many will take less time and which ones will take the majority of your time. Once you’re done with a task, make sure you cut it or put a tick on it so that you know that it’s done and will not require your attention anymore. This also imbibes a sense of satisfaction and relief of completion of tasks and motivates you to move on to the next and finish all on the list.

• Avoid distractions

Think of the important tasks as Eagles and all the less important tasks or distractions as Crows. Identify your Eagles and Crows to improve productivity. Feed the Eagles with your attention, hard work, dedication and most importantly time and starve the crows. There will be many distracting things calling out in front of you, make sure you do not succumb to their calling out. This might seem a bit difficult when you’re lethargic but it is very crucial to not act on the thought of spending your precious time on your phone. Remind yourself the consequences of giving into temptations like social media, gaming or oversleeping and choose not to indulge in them when you have important tasks to complete; this will make it easier for you to focus. Some easy tricks you can do is to choose a workplace where none of the things which distract you are in sight. You can also try muting the notifications in your phone if it is something that distracts you. There are timers available in many social media and gaming apps which do not allow you to continue using the app after the time you set, making use of these can also be effective.

• Short breaks and small rewards (Boosting Productivity)

If you’re not being productive it means your natural instinct is viewing your jobs as huge mountains to climb and avoid even walking one single step. If you break down your tasks into smaller tasks, it will boost your confidence and you will be motivated to finish all the smaller tasks. Result, the task which looked huge to you will be completed by you without realising it. Taking short breaks in between these smaller tasks will also be helpful as it will allow you to rejuvenate. Not getting distracted during these breaks is one crucial thing you must remember. Giving yourself some words of appreciation, a pat on the back or a bowl of ice cream after completing tasks is also a way to trick your mind into completing the job at hand. These rewards will make sure that you are looking forward to something exciting while doing a task. This will keep your spirits high and help you put your mind into your task.

These are the 3 highly effective ways to boost your productivity and get your work done efficiently. Everyone gets lazy and it is perfectly normal to not want to do your tasks, but not doing your job is not acceptable. One can also find their own tricks and ways to get over the productivity block and use what’s suitable for them.

There you have it, Boosting Productivity all in one article. Stay tuned for more blogs like these. My name is Riti Kapoor Chopra, and I’m a Mumbai-based corporate trainer, speaker, and educator. For enquiries, contact me on 9819648070 or write to me at riti@ritikapoorchopra.com