Increasing your output isn’t rocket science, but it does require better manage your tasks and time. By making small changes to your habits you can drastically improve your productivity at the office. There are only so many hours in the day, which is why making the most of your time is essential – treat every second of the day like it’s a piece of gold. Replace bad habits with ones that enhance your productivity and take charge of your workday. Follow these strategies to boost your productivity at work.
- Track how much time you’re spending on tasks
You may think you have your time management down pat but research suggests that approximately only 17% of individuals are accurately able to estimate the passage of time. There are various apps that can be used to help you manage how much time it takes to complete various tasks. These apps can also be useful when tracking how much time you spend on unnecessary things such as smoke breaks, social media, and other distractors. By understanding the amount of time you spend on different tasks you can try to build up your efficiency by increasing your output while taking up less of your time.
- Set self-imposed deadlines
We often paint stress as the villain in our work story, but oftentimes a manageable level of self-imposed stress can help increase your focus and improve your productivity to help you meet your goals. When you have open-ended tasks or projects, give yourself a deadline, and make sure you stick to it. You may be surprised how much you get done while trying to complete a task by a certain task.
- Give up chasing perfection
It’s common for people to get hung up on the idea of perfection when the reality is that nothing is ever perfect. Don’t waste your time trying to get something perfect, rather complete your task to the best of your ability and move onto the next item on the list. Remember you can always come back and adjust or improve it later.
When trying to get more work done throughout the day, take a step back, and think about how you can work smarter before you load more hours onto your plate.