4 Tips for Smarter Working
Being able to work more efficiently is a critical element of any career. Whether you are working to a tight deadline on a project or you are finding that you don’t have enough time to get all of your tasks completed, you can feel overwhelmed. When you feel overwhelmed, your productivity levels drop significantly and you will find yourself wasting time worrying about the tasks that lie ahead.
Here are a few simple tips that you can try to make your day a whole lot more productive:
Stay positive and focused –
Productivity relies heavily on having a healthy mindset. If you start the day off being worried about not having enough time, these thoughts will eat away at you throughout the day. You need to channel all of your efforts into the one task that you need to complete most urgently. Trying to multitask can seem like a good solution to your problems but it can sometimes add to the issues. If you are spreading your concentration around different tasks, every task will take much longer.
Track your time –
An important element of time management is understanding where your time is going. You may have an idea of what you are spending time on. But you need to analyze it in more detail to make improvements. You can use apps such as Toggl or RescueTime to track what you are spending time on.
These kinds of apps will work in the background of your PC to track the websites and various applications that you are using. You might be surprised at how much time you actually spend on specific tasks when it should be spread out evenly. When you have a better idea of where your time is going, then you can work on solutions to get the task done quicker, such as using automation technology or outsourcing some tasks.
Practice productivity techniques –
Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro Technique? It is a powerful yet very simple way to use your time more productively. It works on the principle of having your work segmented into 25 minute intervals. You set yourself a target of work and time yourself for 25 minutes to get the work completed. You can use your stopwatch on your phone to time yourself. What you will find is that you are less likely to go off track and be distracted by things like emails, text messages or other types of distractions. After 25 minutes, you have a quick break and then start your next 25 minute segment of work.
Use apps and online tools –
Make the most of the technology that you have at your fingertips. If you need to keep track of your finances, download an app like Wave. You can view all your financial information in one place, from your equipment financing deals with LendGenius, to any outstanding invoices that you are waiting on.
These are just a few ideas. Do your own research on how to boost your productivity, and you will soon start to see the benefits.
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