You’ve got a dozen items on your to-do list, but you’re still recovering from the progress report you just turned in the other day. It seems that you’re always in a state of rush, going from one task to another. How can you make the most out of every day? Well, here are four ways to get you more productive.
1. Get started.
The first step in accomplishing a task is pretty simple: Get started. Scientific studies show that the human brain is wired to see a task through its completion. When you start a task and leave it undone, you experience feelings of restlessness and unease which compel you to finish it. So if you want to accomplish a task, start it. Your wiring will make sure that you see it through the end.
2. Screen your email.
Let’s face it: email is one of the biggest roadblocks to productivity. When you check your message while in the middle of accomplishing a task, you break your train of thought. It might be difficult for you to get back to your rhythm. To get more out of every day, avoid checking your email compulsively. Instead, set a time during the day to check your messages. Learn to identify which messages you need to open and reply to right away, and which you can come back to later.
3. Take breaks.
When you’re running low on energy, take a short nap. While you can keep on working, you won’t be as efficient as you usually are. Sometimes, you really just need to reboot. Listen to your body; it will let you know when you need a break. Go for a walk, grab a snack, or take a power nap. Productivity is not about working non-stop, it’s about maximizing your time and effort, and working efficiently.
4. Don’t be a perfectionist in everything you do.
Pick your battles. Choose which of your tasks demands perfection. If you’re striving for perfection in every task you do each day, you won’t finish them all or you’ll end up shortchanging some of your projects. Choosing to perfect something inconsequential—like the background for your PowerPoint presentation—may take away precious time from perfecting something that is infinitely more significant—like the actual data in your presentation.