How to get things done faster and better at work

It not about the hours you put in or how hard you work, all that counts is results. Have you noticed that when you look around the office everyone is at their desk hard at work, but somehow there are always those people who are able to get more done.

Many studies have shown that there are many external influences that influence productivity from office environments, motivation, and personal health impacts, however there are also personal productivity attributes that contribute to being more productive.

We all want to get through our daily tasks, whether it is work we have to do so that we can get to the things that we want to do. This might be a crazy idea, but I bet there are those that avoid getting things done a work, but not on purpose. This might be because you are struggling with motivation or overdosing on caffeine. Whatever the issue, getting focused takes lots of time and effort.

You might feel that you are overwhelmed by the never-ending to-do list or distracted by social media, sometimes it feels that you just cannot get enough done and that there are not enough hours in the day.

Here are a few ways to help you increase your productivity:

• Avoid multitasking and focus on what is in front of you. Slow down and work more deliberately.
• Assign less time on important tasks and crate a sense of urgency and avoid procrastination.
• Make sure you do the most important daily task first thing at the start of your day or shift.
• Focus on work that is more critical and assign more activities as unimportant. All business task are not equal.
• Take midday break and go to the gym, take a run, or walk to help boost your energy level.
• Don’t set things aside hoping you’ll have time to deal with them later. Either do it, schedule it for later, delegate the task, or file it.
• Meeting are time-consuming and should be scheduled and kept to a minimum.
• Create a daily to-do lists and avoid those huge long lists.
• When reading your email decide what you want to do with each message immediately. Either deal with it or add it to your to-do list.
• There is nothing wrong staring at a blank screen and procrastination. It can make you a more productive employee. Adopt a strategy of recognizing and using one’s procrastinating tendencies to get stuff done.
• Make sure you break ups day and take short break during the day to help you keep focused and energized.
• Tidy your workspace and reduce the clutter.
• Kickstart your productivity and learn to say no to fellow employees who ask you to do things and increase your workload.
• Shut off all social media and unplug when you have more important to do on your desk.
• Make sure you get enough sleep which is essential for your health, learning and awareness.
• Turn off your phone and don’t check your email.
• Make sure to have a good balance between work and personal time.
• Focus on your top three tasks to better manage your time, energy, and attention.
• Distractions like your cellphone, snacks and peer conversations are the enemy of productivity, so keep them at a distance and move away from them.
• Wake up earlier and get an early start before other arrive and impose on your time.
• Start brainstorming and use mind maps to generate ideas. Don’t worry if the ideas are good or not, just get out of your head.
• Sign up for a time management course

There is huge value to being more productive. Reduced costs, improved competitiveness, better employee morale. Higher productivity can mean the difference between success and failure. So find the right approach that works for you.