5 Sleek Tactics to Redefine Productivity in Your 9–5 Career
Being productive does not indicate you will feel good and accomplished constantly. Accept it!
Could you have worked a bit more when you shut down your computer? Could you have contributed more in the meeting, answered one more query from the client, or implemented two more workflows in the system?
We all want to be insanely productive. We all want to do a bit more. We do not want to cut short anything. But where do we find the push and the motivation to do so?
First and foremost, you can be unmotivated to do a job and still be hugely productive. You concentrate on your tasks and get into action! Come back the next day, and repeat. That's it. Really!
But it is easier said than done!
So, let's understand the word itself. What is productivity? A quick Google search will show you that it refers to a state where the rate of output per unit of input measures effort.
Keeping this definition in our mind, let's compare it to our day-to-day lives. Most of us define "how productive we are" by how many meaningful tasks we have successfully completed in a unit of duration. The unit duration can be one hour, day, week, etc., depending on your work.
Through this article, I encourage you to evaluate how you feel after implementing individual methods and accept them. Because once you acknowledge them, you can either choose to feel the same way or change them.
You could feel lousy after your working hours. Then that was an awful productive work session. You could experience euphoria. Then that was a euphoric productive work session. So, you get the idea of where I am going with this.
Let's begin.
What does a working day at my job look like?
Before diving into things I do to stay on top of my tasks, I will break down 9 hours of my job to show you at what point I implement what. Yes, you read it right! It's 9 hours, not 8.
I work as a Ph.D. student. It is a long day, and it took me a few good months to uncover habits to stay productive the whole time.
My typical working day mostly looks like this:
*Arrive at work.
8:30 am — 9 am: Build a quick TO-DO list for the day using pen and paper
9 am — 10 am: Attend meetings (I prefer morning meetings.)
10 am — 11 am: Mandatory research paper reading
11 am — 12:30 pm: Deep work (No phone and no emails!)
12:30 pm — 1:00 pm: Lunch and tea with colleagues
1:00 pm — 1:30 pm: Emails!
1:30 pm — 2 pm: I do NOTHING. No work! Sometimes I stretch, go for a walk, or sit in front of my computer.
2 pm — 3 pm: Online group reading/coding sessions
3 pm — 4:30 pm: Deep work (No phone and no emails!)
4:30–5:30 pm: Conslodate the implementations, cross off items from my TO-DO list, and update my collaborators on the work.
*Leave for home.
5 Core actions I take to stay productive.
If you read the section above thoroughly, you will notice five things.
- I write down my task every single day.
- I operate in a work environment (office/lab).
- I schedule distraction-free "Deep Work" sessions.
- I spend time with fellow researchers and build accountability.
- I create time to do nothing. I allow myself to be unproductive.
I repeat these every single day. Exceptions are made on days filled with presentations and meetings.
I will explain these points individually and why they are essential for a productive working day.
1/ Noting down tasks
Sit down. Get a pen and notebook. Write down what you would like to achieve on that day. Build an overview in what order you are going to perform them. You can number them 1,2,3… depending on priority, or use bullet points and complete them as required in your day. Let whatever is on your brain flow through your hands onto a paper.
Research conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, confirms that one has more than a 60% chance of executing the goals if penned down.
Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; cant’s into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don’t just think it — ink it!
- Michael Korda
Our hands and brain work together. Writing down your tasks brings clarity and will make you aware of the necessary steps to take toward your visions. It works like a charm.
So how do you feel after writing your tasks down?
How I feel after noting down tasks:
- Focused as I know what I am going.
- My brain builds a map to attack which task first and which one later.
- I am ready for the day.
2/ Operating in a work environment
Next on my list is the work environment. It is the physical atmosphere where you perform your tasks.
This physical atmosphere will affect your motivation. The more suitable the environment to execute the task is, the better your drive will be to finish them. Make sure to have your workspace more accessible to you.
During the pandemic, most of us got used to the comfort of personal space and the ease of working from our homes. If your "home office" is your most conducive workspace, so be it.
I always prefer to go to my office, because the computer is already set with a good internet connection. I always have access to a finer working situation with minimal effort. I just have to log in and begin my work.
I also keep my desk cluttered-free — no unnecessary paper, old sticky notes, or an extra box of tissues. I keep the physical environment clean.
I aim to draw a soft line between work and home. Going to the office helps me to turn on my work self, and leaving the office allows me to turn off my work self.
I decide when I want to be productive and when I don’t want to be productive. I allow my brain to adapt to it.
When I enter the office building, I imagine myself wearing the cape of a superwoman to smash the day. When I leave the building, I fold my imaginary cape, put it into my bag, and look forward to a relaxed and calm evening.
So, how do you feel after elevating your work environment?
How I feel when I work in a proper work environment:
- I am on my battlefield.
- A little bit anxious as I do not know how the day is going to look like.
- It's time to start hacking.
3/ Distraction-free deep work
I have a thing for my phone. As we know, every relationship requires some boundaries. I realized I needed some space between me and my phone to be productive. You may need that space too.
Fascinating research published in 2019 studied distraction and cognitive functions. The study sheds light on the depletion of our cognitive abilities every time we reach for our phones compared with picking a paper and looking at another computer screen in the middle of a task. And guess what? They found that we lose 18% more cognitive capabilities if we pick up our phones than other distraction modes.
So, remove the distractions surrounding you. Put your phone in airplane mode, stop peeping into your mailbox, turn off notifications, and so on.
When you are in the office, colleagues might want to come to your desk for a chat, share some chips, or need some dating advice. But, during focus work, you say, "Please come by later. I am on a critical task."
You have to learn to say no to your colleagues, your pretty expensive smartphone, and your monkey brain that wants to jump from one task to another.
I block my calendar for two 90 minutes sessions of deep work. I pick a few tasks from your TO-DO list and start working on them. I do not use the Pomodoro technique. I prefer to sit and work silently for a more extended period and experience a prolonged flow state.
How do you feel when you finish a bout of deep work?
How I feel after a distraction-free deep work:
- A bit tired. My brain did a lot of work.
- I am hungry. My brain needs sugar.
- A bit happy because I was able to ignore my phone.
4/ Finding an accountability companion — Asking for help
We, as humans, need support. We work faster and better when we receive the proper assistance.
Who can better assist me in my work when I am stuck? I spend at least 30 minutes a day with my team. I also observe my colleagues talking to each other and sharing insights.
I also attend 1-hour online group working sessions where many fellow researchers work individually, share their workload and help each other out.
Asking for help is essential. Finding someone to discuss your task progress is even more valuable. Seeing different people work, discuss, and support each other will steer you to believe in your work. It will boost your spirit and build a solid connection to the success you expect at your workspace.
I’m not the smartest fellow in the world, but I sure can pick smart colleagues.
— Franklin D. Roosevelt
It's the team where you find support to manage stress when the tasks get overwhelming. You will also see that your colleagues struggle to stay productive, and you can extend a helping hand to them too.
If you work individually, I encourage you to find like-minded people and discuss shared opportunities. Join communities where you can express what you do, and you can improve the products you are building.
When you interact with people, two fine things happen:
- You learn improved methods to perform a task, and
- You discover new ideas.
How do you feel when you consult with your accountability partner/team?
How I feel when I have an accountability companion:
- I am not alone anymore. I feel supported.
- I have access to more weapons (ideas, methods, etc.).
- I smile.
5/ Creating a space to be unproductive
Ah, this is the best part. You have to be unproductive to understand productivity. You have to unwind and rest. I block my calendar to do nothing. I choose to walk away from my tasks.
I call my partner or family for a quick chat. Sometimes, I surf the web and catch up on my friends' Instagram stories. I have colleagues who go for walking mediation. I do chair Yoga sometimes to feel relaxed.
There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.
― Alan Cohen
The same research investigating cell phone distraction also emphasizes that our cognitive function decreases even more when we take no breaks between tasks. And the funny part, it is even worse than picking up your phone. Phew!
If you are at home, go for afternoon power naps. Studies show that 20 to 30 minutes of power nap enhance long-term memory retention and cognitive functions.
Try 10 to 15 minutes of meditation if you are in the office. You may like drinking hot beverages with your colleagues. You could do ten jumping jacks or push-ups, whatever feeds the beast inside you. You can also sit at your desk, staring at the good old ceiling, and do breathing exercises.
Take your breaks. Own your breaks.
So, how do taking breaks make you feel?
How I feel when I take a break between my tasks:
- My eyes love me more.
- Sometimes, anxious if I have a lot to do.
- I get bursts of ideas occasionally.
- I am not sharing my cookies.
In the end…
One single strategy will not make you productive instantly. It is the interconnection of all of the techniques that will produce a sense of productivity over time. You compound over the feelings you get after executing each one of them. Give yourself time to build these habits and the sense of being productive.
There will be times when unexpected duties pop up, and you tackle that accordingly. Nothing in life is written in stone.
Work hard. Rest harder.
Thanks for sticking to the end!
