To most of us, 24 hours are not enough to fit in all the tasks that have to be handled day-in-day-out. With little free time for ourselves and families, we constantly try to make some room and be extra-productive at the same time. To stay successful and productive, the most important skills one can have are time management and organisational skills, without a doubt. To be able to stay on top of the game, you just need to work smarter, not harder. Here are some productivity hacks to make your day!
1. De-clutter your Work Desk
Time management is not about stuffing as many tasks as possible into any given day. It is about creating a simple, stress-free, and fast workflow. To do that, first organise your work desk because clutter on it will lead you to become stressed and unfocused, which is definitely what you don't need if you have to handle a lot of papers. So, have a paper tray for incoming tasks that demand your attention and another tray for outgoing tasks that are done and can be filed or sent away. Put your essentials (pens, markers, pencils) nearby and the less frequently used items out of the way (i.e. in a drawer).
The same applies to your computer. Keep it sorted with many subfolders, use anti-virus software, and keep everything up-to-date to ensure it will run smoothly.
2. Stay Focused & Organised
Don't be misled by thinking that opening Facebook for a quick peek won't bring the end of the world. You know that one thing will lead to another and one cute puppy video will make you crave for another one just below and so on. Eventually, time flies and you end up having finished nothing. It is important to stay focused and take down daily tasks, whether you are studying, working or just doing the household chores. So, stay away from social media sites and start writing down the tasks that need to be done, as well as the estimated time required to complete each one.
3. Learn to Say NO
There is nothing more frustrating that doing something that you don't really want to do. Sometimes, you have to step up and say no to a person that is asking you to help them out at a time when you are over your head with tasks. It is normal to want to be liked and considered a helpful type of person. However, it is just as normal to want to focus solely on your task until you are done with it before you can give a helping hand here and there. Prioritise and help others when you have the time.
Time management is not about stuffing as many tasks as possible into any given day. It is about creating a simple, stress-free, and fast workflow. To do that, first organise your work desk because clutter on it will lead you to become stressed and unfocused, which is definitely what you don't need if you have to handle a lot of papers. So, have a paper tray for incoming tasks that demand your attention and another tray for outgoing tasks that are done and can be filed or sent away. Put your essentials (pens, markers, pencils) nearby and the less frequently used items out of the way (i.e. in a drawer).
The same applies to your computer. Keep it sorted with many subfolders, use anti-virus software, and keep everything up-to-date to ensure it will run smoothly.
2. Stay Focused & Organised
Don't be misled by thinking that opening Facebook for a quick peek won't bring the end of the world. You know that one thing will lead to another and one cute puppy video will make you crave for another one just below and so on. Eventually, time flies and you end up having finished nothing. It is important to stay focused and take down daily tasks, whether you are studying, working or just doing the household chores. So, stay away from social media sites and start writing down the tasks that need to be done, as well as the estimated time required to complete each one.
3. Learn to Say NO
There is nothing more frustrating that doing something that you don't really want to do. Sometimes, you have to step up and say no to a person that is asking you to help them out at a time when you are over your head with tasks. It is normal to want to be liked and considered a helpful type of person. However, it is just as normal to want to focus solely on your task until you are done with it before you can give a helping hand here and there. Prioritise and help others when you have the time.
4. Get out of a Boring Situation
If you feel that you are doing the same things every day to the point it gets to you, you have to do something to give your brain some slack. If you cannot make your job more enjoyable, then you can try to organise your free time so that you start feeling good about yourself. Simply put, do anything possible to get out of the rut. Yes, after a long and tiring day, the only thing you probably want is to go home and straight to bed. Don't let yourself fall into such a routine, when you feel your days are repetitive. Call a friend and have a cup of coffee, instead.
5. Get a Good Night's Sleep
Your body needs efficient time to shakeup and prepare itself for the next demanding day. Allow your brain and body to flush off any toxins and fill your batteries with a good night's sleep. Research has shown that if you change your metabolism even for one day and sleep late at night (or less than 7 hours), you could risk health hazards. Try to get up early, have a shower and a healthy breakfast, and prepare for school or work. I bet you will be feeling full of energy and anticipation for the new day.
If you feel that you are doing the same things every day to the point it gets to you, you have to do something to give your brain some slack. If you cannot make your job more enjoyable, then you can try to organise your free time so that you start feeling good about yourself. Simply put, do anything possible to get out of the rut. Yes, after a long and tiring day, the only thing you probably want is to go home and straight to bed. Don't let yourself fall into such a routine, when you feel your days are repetitive. Call a friend and have a cup of coffee, instead.
5. Get a Good Night's Sleep
Your body needs efficient time to shakeup and prepare itself for the next demanding day. Allow your brain and body to flush off any toxins and fill your batteries with a good night's sleep. Research has shown that if you change your metabolism even for one day and sleep late at night (or less than 7 hours), you could risk health hazards. Try to get up early, have a shower and a healthy breakfast, and prepare for school or work. I bet you will be feeling full of energy and anticipation for the new day.
6. Don't Engage in Multi-Tasking
Everybody loves being able to handle a couple of things simultaneously. There is something in multi-tasking that makes us feel powerful. However, the human brain and body are not created to perform multi-tasking. So, take your time and devote your full attention to a single process at a time. Otherwise, you will most likely fail on both tasks you are called to deliver, feel more stressed that you should, and realise that you have pushed yourself to unnecessary extremes.
7. Take Care of Yourself
Being in a good physical condition helps in many different ways. If you are not healthy, you will never be satisfied with the work you are doing. Plus, you will feel lacking the necessary energy to accomplish all your tasks. Exercising properly, preferably early in the morning before you do anything else, keeping your house tidy, eating healthy foods, and drinking lots of water will give you the boost you need to seize the day.
Don't forget that you won't find any such thing as a magical solution to be truly productive at a workplace or school. What you CAN do, though, is have fun, spend time with your loved ones, create a goal and stick to it. Success will definitely come.
Everybody loves being able to handle a couple of things simultaneously. There is something in multi-tasking that makes us feel powerful. However, the human brain and body are not created to perform multi-tasking. So, take your time and devote your full attention to a single process at a time. Otherwise, you will most likely fail on both tasks you are called to deliver, feel more stressed that you should, and realise that you have pushed yourself to unnecessary extremes.
7. Take Care of Yourself
Being in a good physical condition helps in many different ways. If you are not healthy, you will never be satisfied with the work you are doing. Plus, you will feel lacking the necessary energy to accomplish all your tasks. Exercising properly, preferably early in the morning before you do anything else, keeping your house tidy, eating healthy foods, and drinking lots of water will give you the boost you need to seize the day.
Don't forget that you won't find any such thing as a magical solution to be truly productive at a workplace or school. What you CAN do, though, is have fun, spend time with your loved ones, create a goal and stick to it. Success will definitely come.