How can i be productive at work

Time management strategies like the Pomodoro method, the two-minute rule and time blocking are just a few of the strategies you can use to increase your productivity.

Also, you can apply organizational strategies such as prioritizing your tasks by order of importance and urgency. The following 10 tips offer ways you can increase your work productivity. While you ultimately may be able to get things done when you juggle projects or tasks, focusing on one at a time may actually help you be more productive.

When we concentrate on more than one activity at a time, we tend to use more of that time just for transitioning between tasks. This can result in some of the tasks remaining incomplete being done at a lower quality than if each task had been a sole focus.

Additionally, concentrating on one task at a time until it is totally complete can help you increase your productivity because when you focus on one project at a time, you are setting a single objective at once instead of many. This is likely to motivate you to complete one task before moving onto your next assignment. If you are dedicated to multitasking, but you see that you start more tasks than you can finish, consider prioritizing your tasks in order of importance so you can start on your most demanding assignments and finish your day with lighter and less time-consuming tasks.

It can be tempting to avoid taking the time for a break, but when you neglect to give yourself a time-out for a few minutes, it can harm your overall productivity by resulting in fatigue or burn-out. If this happens, you may not have the energy or motivation to continue making progress. Consider planning out several short breaks during your workday.

Most workplaces have a mandatory schedule with dedicated break times, so employees can take at least a five- to minute break after every few hours of active work. These short breaks can allow you to recharge, clear your mind and get ready for the next task.

Focusing on your biggest and most time-consuming tasks before any other assignments can actually help you stay more focused than working on smaller and shorter tasks first. Consider planning your assignment list according to these tasks, where you may dedicate your time in the morning when you first arrive to work or at a time of day when you are most alert and energized. Rather than approach large goals that would require multiple outlets and longer amounts of time to achieve them, consider planning out small objectives throughout your day.

Things like filing required paperwork, responding to those four client emails or compiling all the resources together that your team will need to complete a future project are small, daily objectives you can set and reach during your eight hours of work time. Similarly, you may use these short objectives as milestones to measure your progress toward a larger goal.

The two-minute rule involves completing tasks that are two minutes or less as well as taking two minutes to get started on small tasks that you may have been putting off. Instead, you should set yourself up for success by planning ahead so that you have time for each of these tasks. All Rights Reserved. Skip to Main Content Skip to Search. News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content and other products and services.

Dow Jones. Increase your productivity by identifying your motivations. Show Conversation Hide Conversation. Sponsored Offers. Most Popular News. Most Popular Opinion. Most Popular Videos. Join the Conversation. It's better to complete the task and move it off your plate; if need be, you can always come back and adjust or improve it later.

Using work time to exercise may actually help improve productivity, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

If possible, build in set times during the week for taking a walk or going to the gym. Getting your blood pumping could be just what's needed to clear your head and get your focus back. Allowing incoming phone calls and emails to dictate how you spend your day will mean you do a great job of putting out fires--but that may be all you get accomplished.

My friend and business partner Peter Daisyme from free hosting company Hostt says, "Set aside time for responding to emails, but don't let them determine what your day is going to look like. Have a plan of attack at the start of each day, and then do your best to stick to it. No one can be expected to resist the allure of an email, voicemail, or text notification. During work hours, turn off your notifications, and instead build in time to check email and messages. This is all part of being proactive rather than reactive see number Researchers at Florida State University have found elite performers athletes, chess players, musicians, etc.

They also found that top performing subjects tend to work no more than 4. Sounds good to me! It may sound unlikely, but some research shows outfitting an office with aesthetically pleasing elements--like plants--can increase productivity by up to 15 percent. Surprisingly, it only takes one night of sleep deprivation to create big deficits in our abilities. So how much sleep do you need? But certainly not least: Take care of yourself.

Getting enough sleep and making exercise part of your routine are just two of the things you need to do every day to be at your best and most productive.

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List of Partners vendors. Small Business Management. By Susan Ward. She has run an IT consulting firm and designed and presented courses on how to promote small businesses. Learn about our editorial policies. Stop Multitasking.