Many of us would like to be more productive but we just aren’t sure how. You probably know at least one person who somehow manages to get an insane amount of work done in what seems like a short period of time, perhaps even someone who might be described as a machine because surely a human couldn’t be that productive – yet there are people like this that exist, so there’s obviously a way.
If you’ve just purchased a house among the Little Rock homes for sale, or anywhere else, and are starting a new job, you know that being as productive as possible will win you lots of brownie points, but how do you go about it? While it may take some effort, you can become more productive too by following these tips.
Walk or Bike to Work
By walking or biking to work, it will put you in a more positive frame of mind, boost your energy level and ultimately help make you more productive. You’ll even be more likely to come up with creative solutions for problems. This isn’t New Age mumbo jumbo – scientific studies have found that walking rather than sitting boosts creativity and problem solving. When you travel on foot or two wheels back home it will give you that all-important time to wind down too.
Start With the Most Important Tasks First
The MIT theory of starting with the most important tasks first is one of the most important things you can do to boost your productivity. It works because when you finish the hardest tasks first, it provides a sense of accomplishment and it makes the following easier tasks seem even easier. It also helps that most people tend to have more willpower earlier in the day and experience fewer interruptions. Take a few minutes at the beginning of your day to think about which things you must finish before it ends and prioritize them first.
Eliminate Distractions
It’s easy to get distracted by the Internet, social media, and phone calls, which can seriously harm productivity. Thankfully, it’s also easy these days to set up simple apps that will help you stay focused. As willpower rarely works, if you don’t need the Internet for the task at hand, try downloading Freedom. It will block your access to the web for up to eight hours and is available for Windows, Mac and Android. If for some reason you absolutely have to get online, you can disable it by rebooting. If your real problem is social media, try Anti-Social, it will block all your social media networks while still allowing Internet access for any research you might have to do. You can block them for any period from 15 minutes up to eight hours.
Schedule Regular Breaks
While you might think that working nonstop is the best way to increase productivity, it can actually harm it. Research has found that periodically taking short breaks can help you maintain focus and a more consistent level of performance. Working at a task for long periods without is likely to lead to a steady decline.
Stop Multitasking
While it may seem like multitaskers are the queen, or king, of productivity, the reality is the opposite is likely to be true. When you try to do several tasks at the same time, it decreases productivity. Instead, aim to finish one thing at a time so you can focus on the task at hand.
