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Top Tips for Leading a More Productive Life

March 20, 2017

Productivity

Did you know that despite the influx of productivity apps, technology and research in the past few years, that productivity in the US has grown at a historically low rate of only 1% from 2007 to 2016.

So what can we do about it? In this blog post, we share some of our tips to help boost productivity in your life and workplace.

Stop multi-tasking.

Believe it or not, but having 12 tabs open and 4 programs/apps at one time is probably not going to help with your productivity levels. It’s almost impossible to do more than one thing at a time – especially to a high standard – so you’re best closing everything except what you’re actually working on, and concentrating on the one task.

 

Track how long you spend on e-mail for a week.

In fact, track your time in general. ‘RescueTime’ is an app you can use that helps log the time you spend doing individual tasks. It sends you a weekly report that breaks it down for you, and the results can be alarming to say the least. However at least once you know where you’re spending the most time, you’ll be able to assess ways to be more efficient.

 

Write tomorrow’s to-do list today.

Instead of coming into the office fresh in the morning and writing out your to-do’s, try doing it at the end of the day in advance of the next. This way you know exactly where you left off and can jump straight into the tasks.

 

Tackle the hardest items first.

If there’s something on your list of tasks that you’re really dreading, or know it’s going to be a time-consuming job, try and action this first and clear it off your list. It’ll make your head space a lot better, and you can reward yourself by doing the tasks you love most at your own pace – without a dark cloud hanging over your head.

 

Log off social media.

I know, we’re a social media agency encouraging you to switch off social media! But, if there’s one thing that Facebook and Instagram are great for – besides you know, amazing targeted and cost-effective advertising campaigns – it’s for procrastinating! So if you know you’re going to be tempted to scroll through your daily news feed, it might be best to log off for a little while.

 

Exercise, and get some fresh air.

Make sure you stand up from your computer and even just do a quick walk around the block every few hours. Not only is this helpful for your health and clear your mind, but it will help you re-focus and energise you to get through the next task.

 

Create an inspiring work space.

All of the team at Milkbar Digital know how important this is to me! I need to be in a clean, inspiring work space in order to be the most proactive and most productive version of me. Use cool, calming colours, surround yourself with an environment that makes you feel positive and if you’re feeling particular stressed, we also love burning some lavender essential oils.

 

Learn to delegate & don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Believe it or not, but you don’t need to be doing everything! Especially difficult if you’re a small business trying to do everything from pack parcels, e-mail customers, write blog posts and take Instagram photos… but if you have the scope and budget to delegate tasks elsewhere, make sure you do it so you can focus your energy more effectively.

 

Utilise your work commute.

If you take public transport, utilise this time to go through e-mails, catch up on reading or do research. If you’re stuck driving, why not use this time to listen to podcasts relevant to your industry. I personally love listening to Being Boss!

 

Put your goals on paper.

If there’s one thing I have learnt from my business coach Warren (and I’ve actually learnt a LOT) it’s that it’s important to not only keep your eyes on the prize, but to write down exactly what your goals are and the steps (with a deadline) required to achieve them. Think of it like a savings goal – if you don’t break it down into doable increments – chances are it won’t get done. Don’t pop it into a spreadsheet or Word doc and file it away forever, if it’s visible everyday, you’re more likely to keep focusing on achieving these goals.

 

How do you stay productive? Do you have any amazing tips and tricks you can share? Be sure to leave them in the comments below.

If you need help delegating your social media and digital marketing tasks, be sure to get in touch. Milkbar Digital is a Melbourne social media and digital marketing agency here to help small businesses.

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