If you only had more hours to work with, you would surely be more productive throughout your days, right? Well, that might not actually be the case. In fact, most people who complain about not being able to maximize their days have problematic strategies to support their lack of productivity. If you fall into this category, fret not. Here are a few solid tips to help you reverse your luck.
Work With Deadlines
Even if a task doesn’t come with a set deadline, you should still set one to avoid falling into the trap of procrastination. Strategically choose deadlines that will add enough pressure to push you to completion in a fair amount of time without sacrificing your quality of work.
Handle the Big Fish First
If we have a list of short and sweet tasks, it is only natural for us to gravitate towards those first. And while this might be okay in isolated instances, generally, prioritizing the small stuff is a bad idea, especially when there is a more pressing matter at hand. This is true because even the smallest of tasks eat away at your energy levels, leaving you with less to work with later. You will feel more accomplished and less stressed if you knock out the most important task first.
Cut Down on the Meetings
Adults tend to have a love-hate relationship with meetings; we are quick to agree to them but even quicker to regret doing so, mainly because the amount of ground covered in the typical meeting could have been satisfied via email, phone call, or text message. So, before scheduling your next non-mandatory meeting, ask yourself if the situation at hand could be handled in a more time-effective manner and proceed accordingly.
Stop Trying to Be a Multitasker
When you are constantly dividing your attention, you end up welcoming distractions, missing important details, and taking longer to complete what’s in front of you. Kill the concept of multitasking, and give one task your full attention before venturing off to the next.
Reconstructing the way you manage your time will take a lot of conscious effort. But, if you stick to it for long enough, you will soon see that you are capable of achieving far more in less time.