Finding that you’re struggling to get up to speed?
Feeling that you could be getting a lot more done in the time you have?
Try out these techniques for a week start using the ones that work for you
Objectives – get clear on what being productive means to you
- Write your goals on a whiteboard or paper and keep them somewhere that you see every day. Make your goals SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound) and focused on what you will deliver in the next month.
- Each morning make a list of 3-5 things that you will do that day that will move your goals forwards. They can be very small steps. Keep the list somewhere prominent so it doesn’t get buried and forgotten.
Objectives – get clear on what being productive means to you
- Write your goals on a whiteboard or paper and keep them somewhere that you see every day. Make your goals SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound) and focused on what you will deliver in the next month.
- Each morning make a list of 3-5 things that you will do that day that will move your goals forwards. They can be very small steps. Keep the list somewhere prominent so it doesn’t get buried and forgotten.
Organise – get your working space more organised so that your mind feels clearer and papers are easier to find.
- File papers (or scan to your computer then shred) and clear your desk of stuff you’re not working on. Set a time every day to file and tidy.
- Keep the important stuff (relating to your goals) near you
- Incorrect posture may make you feel tired quickly and may, in the longer term, cause back, neck or arm pain. So check your chair is comfortable and that your posture is correct for your computer. See HSE website for more information
Optimise – the way you work to keep you energised and in top gear throughout the day.
- Ensure you have regular short breaks to keep your concentration levels high. For example, get up, stretch your legs, walk around for a couple of minutes every hour will set you up to be really focused for the next hour.
- We all have particular times of the day we feel more energised. For example, if you’re more alert in the morning then do more complex work then.
- We’re all aware of the post-lunch lull. Instead of trying to struggle through it why not use this time to do something that’s more active (eg errands, file papers) or go with the lull and have a 20 minute snooze (might be a bit tricky if you work in an office!).
- Avoid swapping from one task to the other and then back again. Every time you turn your attention to different task it will take up to 10 minutes to get into it and to be working at a high level. Better to spend 2 hours and get a task finished than to spend 1 hour moving a bit further forwards on one task and then switching to another task. If you have lots of meetings consider booking a 2 hour meeting with yourself to ensure you have time to focus on the important stuff.
Socialise
- Spend some time each day with people who will support your success. These might be people who believe in you and will cheer you up when you’re feeling flat. They might also be people who will act as a sounding board to bounce ideas around or critical friend to ensure you’re making the quality decisions and not wasting your time.
Support for managers and leaders 