There is nothing quite so easy as procrastination. What’s worse is that, even when we’re not actively trying to put off work, the Internet makes it hard for us to tell what true productivity looks like. Should we constantly check our emails? Spend hours updating social media? Read the news? In an age when we can do almost anything to develop our business, it can be hard to decide what productivity looks like, so I’ve listed five quick and easy points below, which might help you check if you’re on the right track.
1. Keep your skills up to date
Yes, it seems counter-productive, but taking time to attend training courses and read up on new ideas will keep your brain active and make you more productive. If you’re not constantly learning, then you’re not going to find out new ways to streamline processes, get inspired and find that next big idea for your business. There are many short, free courses available online for all fields of industry, so you’ve got no excuse for not continuing your education!
2. Keep to the golden two minutes
Do you ever find yourself marking emails as ‘unread’ or ‘read later’, then coming back to them and writing exactly the same response you thought of when you first read them? Putting off messages is one of the worst ways we waste time in the digital age, and waiting doesn’t usually add anything to the communication process. It also puts strain on your mind, even if only at a subconscious level, because you know those emails still have to be answered. To help you manage your workload, try this: when you read a message, decide whether or not it can be dealt with in under two minutes – pretty much the same time as it takes to mark something unread. If it can, deal with it right away. If not, then it justifies you waiting until you have more time to reply.
3. Keep an eye on the clock
The best way to increase productivity is to allocate yourself fixed timeslots for tasks. That way, rather than staring at a blank page for ten minutes, you have the motivation to just start typing and see what happens! It may sound horribly prescriptive, but you’ll soon find yourself rising to the challenge and enjoy every time you make your own deadline. This tip is best combined with number 4…
4. Keep a good ‘to do’ list
You probably already have a ‘to do’ list. Let’s face it, you probably have several. If they’re not organised in a way that helps and motivates you, however, then they might as well not exist. Help yourself by creating comprehensive lists in a place you’ll regularly check, and never fall into the trap of thinking you’ll remember anything – a list can be a vital backup!
5. Learn to say no
There is no shame in saying no to a meeting. In fact, it can be a great pleasure! If you are invited to a meeting that you know will produce no tangible results, or will fail to progress any of your business objectives, then you should feel comfortable in declining it. Your priority is to fill your diary with meetings that will take you and your company forward, and to still have time to do your regular work – when you start seeing things from this perspective even one extra meeting can suddenly become unacceptable!
Follow these five tips and you have a good chance of increasing your productivity.