Most of us want to be more productive, but how do we go about getting everything done we need to? Do we sacrifice our productivity to get smaller non-essential tasks done in lieu of the more difficult, larger tasks? Are there activities we unconsciously do each day that make our efficiency drop dramatically?
When we think about all the things we do each day we feel so much more accomplished when we can list ten or more items we completed versus one. However, how many of us have that one big task hanging over our head because it takes a significant amount of time to complete? I will admit I am guilty!
We are under the assumption when working on that big task, all the little tasks don’t get completed. Even worse, if we do not finish the big task in the time we allotted to complete it, we feel stressed out and very unproductive as a result. How many of us have said, “I didn’t even get to these 10 tasks and I worked all day and didn’t even finish this one task!”
How to Completely Change Your Productivity
Luckily, there are changes we can make each day to increase our productivity and get more tasks, big and small, completed. One of the biggest changes we can make is to control distractions.Though we cannot control every distraction, there are a number of distractions we can control.
Think about the internet, our Smartphone, and social media. Though technology would appear to increase our productivity, it lures us to check emails, chat with friends, and surf the web. All are distractions from what we need to focus on.
How many of us say “It will just take a second to check my email,” or “I will quickly check with Jim about tomorrow’s meeting.” or “I will make a quick update to our company’s Facebook page.” Before we know it, one, two, or more hours are lost doing these tasks.
Other breaks in our productivity include multitasking, not following a routine, allowing constant interruptions, and not having the strength to say no to every request. By saying yes to so many extra tasks, constantly check emails, attempting to multitask, and not following a routine, we may unconsciously fall into becoming workaholics.
With not managing our time appropriately and with the smaller, inconsequential distractions taking over our days, we never catch up so we work longer hours. All these things cause stress to our days and drain our productivity.
In this Productivity Series, we will take a look at what is cutting into our productivity, stopping us from getting our work done, and causing us unnecessary stress.
The articles below will help you get back on track, accomplish more each day, and learn how to manage your daily tasks.
This Productivity Series is an ongoing project based on the feedback I receive, so please make comments on the articles and check back often to check out new articles that will help you be the most productive you can be.
Current Articles on Productivity:
