7 ways to be more productive at work

Say goodbye to unhealthy work ethics as we provide you with these work tips to propel you to even greater heights


 

Any honest worker will attest to the fact that maintaining productivity is no walk in the park. Monotony and fatigue are just some of the factors that can begin to make anyone become counterproductive.

Moreso, as the end of the year approaches, its not uncommon to find folks beginning to slack off owing to a long year of almost-constant activity. But its never too late, or early for some much needed motivation.
As we begin the march to the end of the year, and the start of a new one, here's 7 ways you can greatly improve your productivity for a happier and healthier work life.

1. Plan your time/make a to-do list: A wise man once said, 'he who fails to plan, plans to fail'. Planning is key to any successful venture so do yourself a favour and incorporate this into your work life. Lay out your goals for the week and then break them down to daily goals. As you go along, you can cross them off your list. You'd be amazed at how much better organised you'll be and in turn, how much more you'll achieve when you start planning your time.
2. Prioritise: Having identified what you need to get done, the next step is deciding what needs to be done when. It goes without saying that the most pressing deadlines should be met first and others following.
3. Start the day with purpose: Arrive your desk with a clear idea of what you want to achieve and dive straight into it. Sometimes there could be a tendency to want to catch up with colleagues or do a round-up of the morning headlines but this can sometimes prove to be distracting and redundant. Start your day off immediately and then you can take quick breaks in-between.
4. Ward off distractions: You'd be surprised how much time goes on responding to seemingly quick messages on your phone, receiving phone calls or a quick snoop on Facebook takes. Try to identify the things that provide the most distraction for you and do away with them - put your phones on silent or phone-call only mode and leave the social media snooping till the end of the day.
5. Work with a time-frame: Set goals to be achieved within a time-frame to help boost your productivity even more. Also to spice things even more, you can set up a reward system of sorts for yourself when you achieve a goal. 10 minutes surfing your favourite site or a 5-minute call with a loved one could be little rewards which will provide you with a much-needed kick.
6. Say no to procrastination: This can be a major work buzz kill. Putting things off that you'll still do eventually is not healthy for your work life at all. Tackle everything in a timely manner.
7. Rest: The last but by no means the least important thing is rest. Maximise your weekends by getting as much rest as you can as this will energise you and leave you feeling ready to take on the world the following week.