7 Tips to Stay Productive at Work

Dozens of WhatsApp messages are flashing up on your phone, three new client emails land in your inbox and your colleague has pinged you for advice on a report… would you be able to stay focused? There’s no quick and easy fix but these tricks and tips will help! So, if you’re finding it difficult to be productive, check out what the experts say: 

1. Zoom Out

Zooming out to see how a task fits into the bigger picture of your life will help you understand its purpose and see how important the task actually is. And if it turns out a task has no purpose or doesn’t make an impact in your life, you should probably eliminate, delegate, or shrink it instead.

Chris Bailey, Author, https://alifeofproductivity.com/10-ways-stay-productive-dont-feel-like-it/ 

2. Learn How to Prioritise 

Prioritisation means you are identifying what is important at this point in time. Not yesterday, not two weeks ago, but now. It’s all about living in the present moment and making decisions based on the information and resources you have available to you at this very moment. 

Rashelle Isip, Productivity Coach

3. Work backwards!

Count back from the deadline date you want to complete a task, to give yourself plenty of time. Set a ‘false’ end date, to give yourself a buffer. If you hit a problem or get delayed, you’ll still have time. Set reminders and alerts to pop up in advance – a constant nudge and a reminder that this task is important.

Clare Evans, Time Management and Productivity Coach  

4. Resist the urge to multitask 

 While listening to a conference call about one project, are you tempted to check your email, scroll through social media, or jot down notes about something totally unrelated? Or do you keep several screens open on your laptop, switching from one document or spreadsheet to another? Contrary to some perceptions, multi-tasking can damage productivity rather than enhance it.

Juliet Landau-Pope, Productivity & Time Management Coach

5. Deal with distractions

The number one enemy of focus is distraction. Identify distractions and eliminate them as much as you possibly can. While it might not be possible to stop them entirely, you can at least turn off notifications from most apps such as Facebook, Twitter, email, and if any, games. 

Samphy Y, Business Consultant

6. Block out time

Block out at least 2-3 HOURS to focus on ONE item on your list for today. This is ONE BLOCK OF TIME. Cobbling together 10 minutes here and there to add up to 120 minutes does not work. If you get distracted or start procrastinating, don’t freak out and downward spiral; just gently come back to your ONE to-do.

Tim Ferris, Author

7. Reward your efforts

Whether you find incentive in rewards or internal gratification, you should reward good progress. As you set goals and then work to accomplish your goals, you will find that recognising your achievements will help keep you motivated.

Jake Smolarek, Time Management Coach