Productivity goes hand in hand with motivation. If you feel a strong urge to do a task or activity, you will be able to do it productively and with less effort. Also, without motivation, it is impossible to find purpose and the work does not seem to work.
How to be more productive and deliver better results in the work environment? Sometimes, with small changes, you can introduce more inspiration and motivation into your work.
Start with the hardest jobs
The basis for structuring your workflow is to create a to-do list. By creating it, you will understand which works are more complicated and which are easier to do. As tempting as the simple tasks might be, try to start with the most difficult. You may not be able to complete a difficult task in one go, but you will be able to devote more energy to it than if you start with more manageable tasks.
Eisenhower matrix
A valuable tool that can be used for such prioritization of tasks is the Eisenhower matrix. You can divide the workload into four quadrants according to the importance of the tasks and the urgency with which they need to be completed. It will allow you to understand which responsibilities to perform first and which to delegate to others without wasting your energy and time.
Pareto principle 80/20
This law stipulates that only 20% of the whole are the most productive. Like Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, once estimated that 80% of land in Italy is owned by 20% of the population. It can now be applied in many areas, such as business, where 80% of revenue comes from 20% of customers.
Also, when planning your daily life, it is necessary to determine which 20% of the work to be performed is primarily to be completed because by completing them first, you will get more.
Distribution of bulky tasks
Starting with a lot of work is one approach to boost productivity and be more productive, but one method is not good for everyone. Try redistributing voluminous work into smaller tasks. This will allow you to pay more attention to the work to be done and do it more carefully because you know the details.
Capture what distracts you
In today’s environment, you are certainly exposed to many different impulses in your daily life, including your work environment. Countless things can distract you, especially if we are trying to find the motivation to do the work.
Although you usually try to ignore such distractions, it would be more useful to pay attention to them and write them down. When it comes to distractions, it’s important not to do multiple tasks at once. It may seem to you that it is possible to divide your attention effectively, but then each of the work you do does not receive full concentration and is not done so carefully.
Remember that paying less attention to the work will take longer to complete. Try to focus entirely on one thing; it will be possible to complete some work faster, move on to the next and overall to be more productive.
Don’t forget about the rest
When something distracts you and you are not able to concentrate fully, forcing yourself to continue working is not effective. This is how you will spend time and energy motivating yourself, not performing your tasks.
Take a short break from the work to be done, preferably if there are brief but regular breaks during the working day, for example, every 55 minutes.
Especially important if your workday is spent at the computer screen. This will allow you to refresh your mind and start working with a new focus after rest.
Don’t wait for motivation
Although breaks are necessary, don’t wait for motivation to appear on its own. Remember, motivation comes from being more productive! If you manage to do the work successfully, you will feel more motivated to continue working and perform new tasks.
To start the workday, you can start by creating a to-do list or dividing a more significant task into smaller tasks.
Plan your time
It seems self-evident that time management is about efficiency and how productive work can be, but it is often the most challenging thing to stick to the established plan. Different approaches can be used to plan time, such as a “2-hour solution,” where two hours each week are devoted to planning and visualizing the next week.
In this planning method, time is divided into four.
- “Green time” (profitable work)
- “Red time” (activities that support “green time,” such as going to work, lunch breaks)
- “Flexible time” (contingencies)
- “During rest” (for non-work activities).
The most important thing is to plan the “flexible time”, because it is impossible to predict how everything will happen. If you manage to stick to the plan and there are no unplanned delays – great! You will be able to dedicate “Flexible Time” to leisure or other activities.
Final thoughts
There is a lot of talk about time planning, but productivity and motivation also depend directly on energy planning. It will be challenging to find motivation if you have used up your power reserves for minor work. Energy, like time, is a resource needed for work.
Also, remember not to take on too much, as it can also waste energy and time on things that are not needed. If you start the day by focusing on the most critical tasks, you will do much more and your day will be more productive! There are many other articles on our blog with tips on how to live happily.
