Written by: Sandra D´Angelo, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Do you know the feeling when you are super busy, doing way too many things at once but keep feeling frustrated because you aren’t getting the desired results?
You feel stressed, a bit overwhelmed, and yet you continue to pile on the pressure. So you work even more, harder, longer, and eventually, all that work yields results. But at what cost?
In this article, I will be sharing 5 quick ways to increase your work productivity. These quick hacks will help you focus your energy and use your time more wisely.
1. Set weekly and daily goals.
Imagine getting into your car and start driving without having a clear destination. Initially driving around will be interesting as you will get to know new places, but eventually, your car will run out of petrol, and you need to refill. Your petrol bill will start getting higher and higher, and with time, you start getting tired of driving around aimlessly.
The same can be applied when setting your work goals. If you don’t set them, you will spend your work hours jumping from one task to another without a clear plan. It will be easy for you to get distracted by all the tasks that come your way, and it gets hard to say “no” because all of a sudden, everything starts to seem urgent and important. You find your energy and efforts to be all over the place, which results in you getting more tired, stressed, and distracted.
In the long-term, wandering around without a clear goal and plan won´t bring many positive results. Instead, it is more likely to impact your motivation and your physical and mental well-being negatively.
Remember: A confused mind cannot take effective action.
If you aren’t clear on the exact destination – how will you know which path leads you there?
Now you might be saying to yourself, “Sandra, I already have my goals set,” to which I would reply, “do you get them done?”
To help you reach the goals, you set it is important to break them down into smaller, more obtainable goals. Breaking your goals down into smaller pieces helps your brain process them more efficiently by knowing exactly what needs to be done every day and helps track your progress better.
If you haven’t done so already, start setting up your weekly goals as of this moment. Start by asking yourself:
What do I want to achieve by the end of this week? (be as specific as possible)
Why do I want to achieve that? Why is that important to me? What difference will it make once I have achieved these goals?
After you have identified your weekly goals, identify your daily goals:
What do I need to achieve each day to get to where I want to be at the end of the week?
Once you have your daily goals, think about specific daily tasks which will propel you towards reaching your daily goals. Write these tasks down on your to-do list (priorities, secondary importance tasks, additional tasks + set clear deadlines).
*If you wish to receive a free Worksheet that will help you outline and customize your step-by-step Weekly Action Plan – reach out to me!
2. One task at a time.
A lot of us consider ourselves to be great multitaskers. The truth is that by multitasking, you end up constantly switching your focus from one task A to task B or C, Which can be very distracting. You may feel as if you are super productive because you are doing many things at once. But at the end of the day, when you reflect, you realize that you might have compromised the quality of the tasks you performed, or you may have actually taken longer to perform them together rather than focusing on each task separately.
Focusing on less, you actually achieve more because you will be “all-in,” so to say. All your energy, focus, and effort will be dedicated to that one thing in front of you. Higher quality and greater results are guaranteed!
3. Get comfortable with saying “no.”
Being a “yes-person” won’t make you more liked, appreciated, or respected.
You cannot please everyone, and you shouldn’t strive to please everyone. Especially not at the cost of losing your own authenticity.
Setting your goals will help you understand what your priorities are. According to that, you will understand what you need to do and say “no” to everything else that doesn’t serve you. You can come back to those extra tasks later once you have checked off the priorities of your list.
Being able to say “no” doesn’t mean that you are arrogant or selfish. It means that you respect yourself and your time. It means that you know how to spend your time and energy wisely and therefore achieve higher results.
4. Take breaks.
Working long hours without taking breaks won’t increase your productivity or effectiveness at what you do. Working without breaks does exactly the opposite. It makes you less focused and more stressed.
You are no good to anyone if you are running on empty.
Make sure not to skip your lunch breaks and take regular small breaks throughout your day. Ideally, you want to distance yourself from your desk. Get a glass of water, get some fresh air, and change your environment, even if it is just for a minute.
5. Be the first one in the office and do hard tasks first.
Now I know this might not be for everyone, but you may need to work harder to improve your productivity. Not everyone wants to start their workday earlier than they have to. It can, however, turn out to be very productive! I used to do that all the time, not because I had to do it but because I wanted to do it. Your focus is normally at the highest in the morning so being in the office before your colleagues will allow you to have your peace and quiet time — no distractions. You will be able to achieve more in less time. Additionally, dealing with difficult tasks first will give you a sense of accomplishment early in the day, which will help you go through the rest of your day in a less stressed and, therefore, more effective way.
Interested to learn more about increasing your focus, taking effective action, boosting your productivity, and achieving outstanding results in your career & privately? Learn more about my services & reach out to me.
Sandra D´Angelo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sandra D´Angelo is a full-time Certified Life Coach & Trainer dedicated to coaching Business Professionals in being more successful and making a bigger impact in their careers & privately. Sandra believes that every individual can achieve whatever they set their minds to and that all they need is already within them. She helps them analyze where they currently are, where they want to be and then bridge that gap through her specific coaching program. Sandra holds an MBA in Communications & PR and has years of experience working in sales & consulting in Switzerland and Germany. Including building two successful business units from scratch. Before becoming self-employed, consulting & coaching have always been a part of Sandra´s professional life. Behind her is a strong track record of professionals from different backgrounds who she helped to explore their true potential and create the lives they want.
