Productivity hacks that can change the way you work
Change your life with these simple to follow steps
Unfortunately, it often seems like the human brain is built to be exceptional at procrastinating. We may have mountains of work to complete, looming deadlines and a full inbox to deal with but of course, we’d rather be reading an article on Medium which caught our eye.
Lots of us may have a trick or two to help stay focused and on task, but how often do you implement new techniques to help increase your productivity? This short guide introduces you to some hacks to make the most out of your time. Some you may already know and some may be new to you. I won’t be able to make you implement them, but you should know that they’ve all helped me to increase my focus and improve my working life.
1. Plan your workload with the urgent/important task matrix
We probably all use plans in our day to day organisation of work (if you don’t, there’s another tip for you). As the old saying goes:
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening my axe”.
If you don’t prepare for your tasks and plan out how you’re going to complete them, you run the risk of hopelessly wasting your time. Without a plan, you can end up working twice as hard to get half as much done.
If you really want to get ahead and cut out the time you waste doing frivolous tasks you should separate your work into four categories:
- Important and urgent (for example your project deadline due tomorrow)
- Important and not urgent (for example your presentation due in two weeks)
- Not important and urgent (answering emails and calls for example)
- Not important and not urgent (reading the news or using social media)
Once you’ve categorised your work like this, it becomes a lot easier to stay focused and complete your work more effectively. Your aim should be to keep tasks in level two by clearing them out before they become urgent, limiting your stress and working more efficiently.
2. Keep track of your day with a notepad
It’s easy to forget information that we read or hear whilst we’re working. And of course, if it’s forgotten it always ends up being something critically important. You can give your poor, overworked memory a bit of rest by using a notepad throughout the day Simply write down anything that feels like it could be important later.
You don’t want to overdo it, of course, keep your notes tidy and clear, making sure key information is highlighted if necessary. If like me, you have the handwriting of a doctor using their non-dominant hand, you may prefer to use a note application on a smartphone or tablet. Even using the notepad program on windows can help.
3. Set regular breaks
Although it may seem counterintuitive to getting work done, taking regular breaks can help you be more productive. Rest is vital for ensuring our brains and bodies don’t get burnt out. Just the same as you need to take rest days whilst exercising and sleep every night, you need regular, short breaks whilst working to maintain your creativity and ability to work effectively.
A lot of people swear by the Pomodoro technique which uses a timer to break your work down into 25-minute segments, taking a break in between each interval. If you don’t have a timer, there are a bunch of different apps designed specifically for this purpose. Regular breaks of around 3 minutes are taken between each interval and upon four intervals, you take a longer break of 15 minutes.
Try it out for yourself, and you’ll see the difference it can make for your productivity.
4. Listen to music that boosts creativity
This one may work for everyone. Some people find music distracting whilst getting work done. But for me, and maybe even you, listening to some calm, relaxing music can do wonders for your creativity and even help you focus.
Personally I prefer listening to chilled out electronic music but some people prefer classical music, instrumental jazz or lo-fi hip hop. Try it out and see how it makes you feel!
