What do you do if you're struggling to increase your productivity?

Before setting SMART goals, think first about what is most important for you have impact on, and why. Many times feeling unproductive isn't because we aren't busy enough, but because we're busy doing low value tasks that don't have meaningful impact. How do you know what's most important, as opposed to just being an immediate request that may have low relevance to you? Look to things like your team's core mission, your job description (and the job description you aspire to) and annual goals, the commitments you've already made, and your own core values. What are the 3-4 most meaningful things you could be accomplishing with your limited time and attention? Set SMART goals around those, and then break it down to specific action steps.

Before setting any goals, it is important to determine your vision and your WHY. Your why will keep you dedicated, even when motivation lacks, as you will have a bigger vision than simply achieving goals. After having identified your long-term vision and your why, you can set SMART goals along the way to help you get there.

Para elevar tu productividad, intenta: ? Establecer objetivos SMART: Concretos, medibles, alcanzables, relevantes y con tiempo definido. ? Planificar tu día: Dedica momentos específicos para tareas importantes. ? Eliminar distracciones: Crea un entorno de trabajo enfocado. ? Tomar descansos regulares: Utiliza técnicas como Pomodoro para mantener tu energía. ? Priorizar tareas: Enfócate primero en las más críticas. ? Buscar apoyo: Comparte tus metas con otros para mantener la motivación. Estos consejos te ayudarán a mejorar tu productividad y alcanzar tus objetivos más eficientemente, manteniéndote motivado y enfocado en tu crecimiento personal y profesional.

I've found that physically writing down my near-term goals is essential to ensuring they receive top priority when the ebb and flow of the work week inevitably encroaches on my time and attention. I start each week by writing down the 3-5 actions that will drive the most progress on my long-term goals. Long-term goals should be only one or two high-value, needle-moving objectives that will drive impact within your organization. Then tactical SMART goals are crafted to drive progress against those objectives. In this way, I view goal-setting as a hierarchy: 1. One to two broad, medium/long-term objectives that drive value 2. Three to five daily/weekly SMART goals that will make progress against those value-added objectives

Never confuse urgent with important: they are vectors, not synonyms. Schedule regular time on your calendar to make progress on matters that are important, regardless of whether they are "urgent." Ideally you want to keep important tasks from becoming "urgent" so you aren't constantly in fire-fighting mode. If something urgent arises, consider whether you are really the right person to deal with it - that is, is it both important enough and relevant enough to your role that it makes sense for it to displace what you had planned to work on? If not, refer it, delegate it, chunk it with other similar requests to deal with at a scheduled time, or let it go.

Personally, I would plan my week instead of my day. People often overestimate what they can do in a day, but they underestimate what they can do in a month or year. By planning your week and having your tasks written out, you keep an overview. It is important to write down your tasks, how much time they take, etc, so you can better plan ahead in the future.

Try to note down for a week or two what distracts you. Is it your thougths, is it the place you work from, or do you easily tend to grab your phone? Identify your sources of distraction in order to remove or eliminate them, and discover what keeps you focussed. It might be a specific focus music, setting some time apart of urgent tasks or simply doing a walk before working that can help you stay more focussed.

There will be an endless number of things vying for you attention, sabotaging your quest to deliver value. Planning the day often means ignoring the relentless barrage of incoming emails, Slack messages, meeting requests and more. These things make us feel productive because we are "busy." But, busy is not always productive. In fact, busy can be anti-productive. You don't need a fancy tool or planning software. Block out time on your calendar to focus on needle-moving tasks. Ignore communications from others (it won't destroy your career!). Close your email, close Slack, put your phone in another room, close all unnecessary browser windows and make progress on something of value!

When you commit to doing a task, do not stop until its done, unless you planned to spend a specific amount of time on it daily. Make sure your full focus is at the task, instead of multiple tasks at once. If you discover that you lose focus or get stuck with the tasks, stop, take a break, focus on one other tasks, and try again later.

Here's a hot take: Multitasking is badly maligned. You can use multitasking to your advantage and increase your overall productivity, but you have to do it correctly. It's true that the human brain can only focus on one thing at a time. But, research also shows that changing tasks can lead to novel ideas, regeneration of mental stamina and creative problem-solving. To do it: - Focus on one thing for 60-90 min - Follow with a 5-20 min break - Switch to an entirely new task for another 60-90 minutes This approach satisfies the brain's need for novelty while harnessing its concentration power. Sequencing periods of concentration maintains mental stamina and enables multitasking in a highly productive manner.

Go outside. Taking periodic breaks is essential to maintaining mental stamina. Nothing recharges the brain or leads to creative problem-solving like taking a walk outdoors. Just a few rules: - No headphones - No music You will be shocked at how many spontaneous ideas come to you and problems get resolved during these periods.

It depends on you for how long you can work focussed without taking a break - everyone is different. However, taking a break is essential for anyone. During your break, recharge, go outside for some fresh air or a walk, instead of scrolling mindlessly on your phone. Even shaking out your body or doing a little dance can be a great way to regain your energy!

When assessing your productivity, it's important to be brutally honest with yourself. To keep track of what needs to be done, I usually create a spreadsheet or a to-do list for the week. At the end of each day, I review what I've accomplished and make note of what I need to do next to move closer to my goal. This helps me plan for the following day and stay on track.