Whether you have begun to work remotely from home or you are simply one of the millions of people who are trying to do more with less time, you may find yourself trying to discover ways to be more productive. No matter the reason, everyone would benefit from avoiding procrastination or from simply being able to get more accomplished in the time they have.
Use Digital Tools
Technology has a lot to offer in terms of productivity. There are a number of digital tools that can help you complete your tasks more easily, more efficiently, more quickly or all three. It is difficult to suggest any one specific digital tool (or tools) because different people have different needs, but with the number of digital tools available–from apps to websites–there are bound to be options available that will help increase your productivity. Even professional developers seek faster ways to get things done, hence the development of low code. So, take the time to investigate and implement the digital that will help you cut time from a task or make completing the task easier.
Address Physical Distractions
Perhaps you need to consider the physical aspects of your life that are decreasing your productivity or are at least not conducive to being more productive. One of the first things you can do is take inventory of the physical items that prevent you from being productive. For instance, if you are trying to work in a room that is visually cluttered, that may make it difficult for you to focus on the tasks you are trying to complete. In order to help yourself be more productive, you should take the time to reduce the visual clutter so that you are able to focus better. Your ability to focus better will increase your productivity. This same principle applies to your phone, tablet or even people. Things that serve as distractions must be removed if you wish to be more productive.
Create Practices
Once your area is conducive to being productive it is important to create practices that will allow you to complete your tasks. One such practice is to create a list of the tasks that you need to complete and to begin with the hardest task first. This will help you avoid procrastinating to avoid difficult tasks. You will also feel good knowing that the most difficult task is completed which will make you move into future tasks encouraged. Another practice is to create a schedule. Once you have your tasks listed and the hardest tasks identified, create a schedule for the day that designates when you will work on each task. This will make it easier to hold yourself accountable for getting tasks done on time and will increase your efficiency. Also, it is important to be sure that you include breaks in your schedule. You are not a machine which means you cannot remain endlessly productive. Trying to work without breaks is a great way to be unproductive without realizing it. So when you sit down to complete your schedule, include breaks and take them in intervals that are best for you.
Discovering how to be productive is really individual, but these general suggestions and principles are a great place to begin in setting up a system that will allow you to be as productive as you can possibly. The connective tissue between each of the suggestions and principles is planning. You will not accidentally stumble into being more productive. Productivity is intentional and requires attention to discover what ways you are sabotaging your productivity and how to overcome that sabotage. So, assess your situation and address the issues that are hindering your productivity.
