7 simple habits to boost productivity at work
Make the most of your work day.
There is something about being more productive, in life or at work. You feel more confident about yourself as you complete tasks on your to-do list. These are little achievements on a daily basis but they bind to make a happier bigger picture. And eventually, these end up having a great impact on your overall career growth.
Nobody likes an employee who delivers half-heartedly. Sure, you don’t have to burn yourself out to meet unrealistic expectations of your manager. You don’t have to overwork yourself to try and run ahead of the clock. What you need to do is hard, yet smart work—managing your time and organising your tasks in a way that it doesn’t kill you in the process of being completed.
This year, let’s develop new habits that can help you better your work life with heightened productivity.
Take half an hour every morning to plan your day
The thing about work is that you can absolutely never complete it. You will never (except on your last day) go home with absolutely nothing on your plate for the next day. When you have so much to do, it can get overwhelming and unless you organise it, it will continue to seem daunting. So every morning, spend some time planning your day. Assign time to each task and make a plan that will make things convenient for you.
Start with the easiest task on your list
Always start with the easiest task on your list. It will give you a good dose of motivation to keep going. We have Monday blues and mid-week blues and on Fridays you’re already in the weekend mode. You need that extra push to keep working wholeheartedly throughout the week. Starting with little victories every morning will give you exactly that.
But finish the most complicated ones by lunch
Don’t get confused. You start with the easiest task and then move on to take down a chunk of the most challenging ones on your list. After lunch, your productivity experiences a dip. According to a study, employees are the most productive around 10:30 am in the morning and experience a slump around 1:30 pm, which continues to worsen. This is why you should get the most important tasks out of the way in the first half of the day.
Don’t multitask
You can be a multifaceted employee—and in today’s era, it’s almost required, one can say. But this doesn’t mean you do everything at once. According to a study, shuffling between tasks can cost you 40 per cent of your productivity. This is why, you should create buckets and do just one task in that time bucket.
Make more lists
Organise the data you work with. Make lists and Excel sheets. I am obsessed with these and have realised that when it comes to managing the colossal amount of work there is, sheets work the best. One glance and you have all the information you will ever need. And when your manager asks you for any update, you don’t have to scramble for it.
Know your priorities
Focus on the tasks that will contribute to your career growth. You cannot give your 200 per cent to everything, so prioritise. Know what to delegate and to whom.
Create boundaries
The most common reason we feel burnout is carrying our work home. We have no boundaries and eventually, we have work spilling onto our weekends and nights. Create boundaries this year and ensure you have enough time to decompress. This will help you stay energised and motivated for longer!
