We live in a time where everything has to be fast. There is big demand of time today, one thing after another comes by. At times we feel lost and buried in work load that we start to lose it. A few good tips on time management and productivity can help tremendously. Being productive is efficiency, being able to do more in a short period of time. Productivity doesn’t equal multi-tasking, it’s about getting more work done in the end of the day with less mental breakdowns.
To get the most of your day, you need to focus and control your time. Decide what is important and what can be done in your free time. Follow this tips to help you become a more productive person.
1. Have an Action Plan/ Have a Back-up Plan too
If you have project or an activity you need to do, there will always be a course of action. Listing it down one by one can help you perform it more efficiently. This is a great for people that tend to panic in stressful situations. Holding onto a list of things you’ve done and are about to do can calm the mind down. For situations that can have unexpected circumstances it’s also best to create a plan B action plan.
2. Priorities/ Make a Priority List
When creating your schedule jot down the task that need immediate action and break it down to make it easier. Create another chart for your less important task, keep it behind your immediate action task. Doing this will prevent you from getting sidetracked or distracted.
3. Scheduling/ Time Management
Keep track of your time and the amount of time you are planning to use for each activity. Is it going to last a day, a week or unknown? Knowing the amount you need to spend on a projects allows you to control the situation. Breaking down activities by time can help keep things going, but not being able to follow this schedule will not ruin everything. A little time management and adjusting can do the trick. Don’t over schedule yourself either, cramming every possible task to your schedule will only frustrate you and make you overwhelmed. Be realistic can you really attend 5 meeting, finish 2 projects, have lunch, prepare dinner and perform on stage within 24 hours with or without sleep?
4. Space and Distraction
You cannot perform to your optimum level if your do not have a quiet space or relaxed space to work in. Distractions such as electronic devices, your leering officemate or your talkative roommate will only delay your purpose. Find a space that you can call your “work space”, a place where there is no distraction and no unnecessary clutter.
5. Pop-up Notification
Just turn it off, that distracting ping or that new tweet from your favorite star will be there after your finish your paper or project. Keep your focus and finish the task at hand.
6. Positive Mindset
Stop doing the “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “It’s too hard”. You can do it! At least try to do it. Putting it off for the next day will only stress you out and will only create a pile of things you have to do. Believe that you can finish the task on hand. Being negative about your task will only demotivate you and make distractions more appealing.
We all require help or suggestion to keep us organize and effective. Doing everything alone and nonchalantly will always be chaotic. Keep your head on straight and be organize and you’ll surely finish any task on hand.
