3 Quick Productivity Tips for Busy Folks — Just the right guide you need
As a programmer and entrepreneur many times I struggle myself to find the right balance between meeting expectations and overworking.
In this article, we’ll look at 3 tips to help you improve your productivity and finish assignments faster so you can devote more time to other things in your life, like building your next big idea or relaxing 🏖.
While not all of tips can serve you in the same way, any advice can be adapted to your specific needs and habits in order to achieve the best long-term performance.
BREAKS AREN’T ANYTHING TO BE AFRAID OF.
What if I told you that taking breaks helps you become more productive? At first sight, it can be counterintuitive. However, this is the reality that is backed up by years of study and evidence. When we try to remain focused on a job for an extended period of time, our minds become tired and our decision-making process becomes less successful.
You’ll notice that you’re easily overwhelmed by your surroundings or that it takes you longer to work out obvious ideas. This mental exhaustion causes a reduction in productivity, resulting in you spending hours in front of the machine without accomplishing much.
Humans can’t focus on the same thing for an indefinite period of time, which is particularly true for mental tasks like programming. Various experiments have been conducted on the number of times people can concentrate on a job without their attention drifting about anything important.
Then there’s the popular Pomodoro Technique, which is a time management framework. It uses 25-minute blocks of time, with 5-minute short breaks and 10-minute long breaks. The Pomodoro Technique has become quite widespread in many industries. There are even several Pomodoro software programs that can be used when working.
GO FOR A WALK OR PLAY AN INSTRUMENT
While you might not wanna go for a walk when is 100 degrees or -10 degrees outside; walking does improve your productivity. It was a favorite past-time of Albert Einstein as he had various eureka moments while walking. Many studies have shown that walking can boost your productivity as it stimulates your brain.
So what if walking is not an option? If weather or other impediments don’t permit walking then learn to play an instrument. You don’t need to be good or aspire to be a pro musician, just playing stimulates your brain as much as walking. And guess what? Einstein also played his violin as a way to boost his thinking — or maybe just to take his mind off to a stroll.
EVERY DAY, BEGIN WITH THE MOST DIFFICULT TASK.
It’s possible to get lost in everyday projects, and developers (or maybe it’s just me) are notorious for procrastinating — particularly if you work as a freelancer with your own deadlines to meet. As a result, it is common to work all day just to find at the end of the day that you have done so little.
However, you can prevent this by creating a hierarchy of everyday tasks and starting with the most challenging task each day, rather than multitasking. While multitasking has long been regarded as a positive trait, it has since been discovered that it is not appropriate for the majority of citizens. Many experiments have been conducted to determine that the hardest-first technique does make people the most effective.
According to research, people who begin with the most challenging tasks are more efficient and high achievers than those who start with the easier tasks and work their way up. The burden of putting off a tough job has a negative impact on success in all other areas. If you start with the most difficult mission, you’ll be more able to finish it.
Willpower has a limit and does not last forever. Getting the most difficult job out of the way helps you to relax and enjoy yourself, which boosts productivity. According to scientific research, the fear of failing to complete a big assignment necessitates a significant amount of involuntary concentration.
The pressure of a big challenge on your mind will cause you to lose concentration on the current task. Because of this lapse in concentration, the job takes longer to finish. It can also result in the less successful completion of the mission.
People want to finish simpler tasks first not because it is more efficient, but because it makes them feel better. But now that you know better, use this workflow approach not because it elicits optimistic feelings that deliver a short-term psychological high, but because it performs well.
⚠BONUS⚠ USE TASK SCHEDULING APPS OR TIME TRACKING APPS
TLDR;
For me it has worked in the past but it can become a very rigid practice, specially if you overdo it. But this is can be particularly effective if you are freelancer.
Organizing the activities ahead of time will also help you be more productive. When it comes to job management, you’ll need to experiment and consider what resources you’ll really need. You may always use many applications to manage projects, tracking-tine, but there is a chance of complexity by using too many resources at the same time. Too much complexity can, in some cases, result in a lack of efficiency.
To-do applications and time-trackers can be found on all app-stores. Notwithstanding the fact that not everyone enjoys monitoring their hours, using a time tracking system can be extremely beneficial if you are having trouble managing your time.
When you monitor your time, you can see all of the roadblocks that are getting in the way of your fruitful job. These can range from meaningless sessions to time-consuming procedures and mundane administrative activities. You will figure out the greatest drains on your efficient productivity by tracking your time.
Time monitoring also shows when you get distracted, as well as sobering statistics on the overall effect of your bad habits. It places you in a safer spot to make effective changes, such as automating simple administrative tasks and changing your contact availability, as well as building a more efficient working atmosphere.
A related approach to this is the Pareto Principle which probably you’ve heard of, but do take the time to learn more if you haven’t.
FINAL REMARKS
By executing these ways of increasing productivity, you can make more use of your working hours while also improving your production workflow. Developing a new habit can be difficult at first, but it soon becomes second nature.
Keep in mind that the secret to productivity is experimentation. If a strategy or tool doesn’t work for you, abandon it and move on to the next before you find the one that better suits your process and personality.
We hope this article will help you make more use of your limited time. Wish you luck with your work :)
