Boosting productivity is a common desire, but it is easier said than done.
Often increasing one's productivity is a complicated process that involves a number of adjustments. It often isn't easy to make the necessary changes quickly. There are a number of simple ways to ensure that you aren't wasting time as you work to build your small business though. Check out the advice below for tips on boosting your day-to-day productivity:
1. Designate specific weeks for meetings
Constantly sprinting back and forth between appointments can become overwhelming quickly. This is why Entrepreneur suggested a new way of doing things that may relieve stress – designate one week for meetings, and the next week for completing work. Utilizing this schedule you will spend one week meeting with clients, employees and contractors, and do small tasks during your free time. The following week will be completely dedicated to completing work. You can use highlighters in order to create visual reminders in your calendar about which week should be for what. This will ensure you have the time you need to delve deep into projects, and schedule meetings in a way that doesn't become a burden.
2. Work on your body's schedule
Everyone's body has a natural rhythm, and you should make sure that you adapt your schedule to your body's timetable, Carson Tate, founder and managing partner of management consultancy Working Simply, told Forbes. If you're more of a morning person, then utilize the energy you have fresh off of a night's rest in order to tackle complicated responsibilities early. Then, if you usually feel your energy levels begin to slump in that afternoon, save that stretch of the day for relatively simple tasks. The way this schedule works is unique to everyone, so make sure you understand your body's rhythm first, and then schedule the intensity of your day's tasks according to your natural timetable.
3. Reduce project stress with buffer zones
No, this isn't sending the Costanzas to Del Boca Vista. When you have a big project deadline or event coming up, designate a goal for when you'll finish preparation, such as 48 hours ahead of time, Entrepreneur recommended. Then, stick to your early deadline instead of the actual date. This will allow you to take a step away once you finish the project, in order to give you time to review your work, make tweaks and relax before the deadline.
4. Throw together a five minute list
During times of the day when concentrating is to difficult, Tate suggested creating a five minute list. This is a list of things that you can do in five minutes or less that are simple and require little effort, such as printing documents or doing a quick internet search. If you can't think about your financial plan, do something easier. The tasks that you put down may seem meaningless, but this will help you remain productive during the parts of the day when you can't seem to concentrate on anything. For example, save the five minute list for the time of the day when your natural rhythm slows down.
5. Utilize Post-It notes
Multitasking isn't the way to get things done, in fact, it is a great way to get less done, Entrepreneur explained. Instead of trying to do as many tasks at one time as you can in order to get them all done, start your day by taking a look at things you need to do over the next week. Take a regular-sized Post-It note and write down as many of the tasks as you can. Spend the day working through each task one-by-one and get as many done as possible. This will ensure you don't waste time multitasking and don't forget anything.