There are only so many hours available in the day, and many of us feel like it’s never enough to accomplish everything we have set out to. What’s even more frustrating are the co-workers that seem to have just as much responsibility as you do, but who manage to get everything done and leave it a decent hour while you are stuck at the office catching up on emails way past 8PM.
The difference between efficient individuals and those that need a little more help may simply be the ability to prioritize the day. Read on to find three useful strategies to make yourself more productive at home and at work:
Start the Day Before
If you were to finish reading this article with one takeaway, it would be to plan your day the night before. Truly productive people review their calendar the day before so that they are aware of meetings, deadlines and tasks that are set for the following day. This way, you won’t be coming into the office prepared to work on a project only to be blindsided with an offsite meeting that you completely forgot about.
If you make it a habit to review your calendar the night before, you will be able to not only become aware of the plan for the following day, but also rearrange your schedule to focus on the most pressing things first. Then, you can create a daily schedule and pencil in allocated time slots for each activity to make sure you stay on track and meet all your deadlines.
Create a Successful Morning Routine
If you just can’t seem to get going in the morning and are a habitual user of the snooze button, that may be hindering your productivity throughout the rest of day. In order to make yourself ready for the day ahead, wake up early enough to complete your morning routine before you head out of the house.
This means waking up early enough to shower and have a sensible meal full of healthy and nutritious ingredients that will provide you with enough energy to last until lunch time. Running out of the house at the last minute and grabbing a sugar-laden pastry or donut will only leave you with a sugar crash as soon as you get into the office, making you feel lethargic and sleepy.
A successful morning routine may only mean waking up 30 minutes early, but that will allow you to work smarter and faster, thus leaving you with more free time in the evening to relax and focus on personal tasks.
Cut Out Time Wasters
Some people are better at time management than others, but it is never too late to learn new skills. This is where technology can be a beneficial tool, with apps such as RescueTime helping you monitor your behavior and understanding how you spend your time.
This app will generate weekly reports of your online and mobile activities and how much time you spend on each website. You can set goals for productivity in this app, which will stop you from visiting websites and apps that will waste your time, such as social media platforms and entertainment sites.
Although you can’t add more hours to the day or likely lessen your load, you can prioritize your day so that you can be more efficient and productive. With just a few adjustments to your process, you can be prepared for the tasks ahead and manage them in the most responsible way to feel accomplished at the end of every day.
