Productivity means dedication, determination, and strive for excellence. It’s a continuous process during which you’re trying to shed off all damaging practices and stick to those making your efficiency level rise. Adopting new behavioral models is not easy and missteps are bound to happen but it’s important not to get discouraged. As Paul Meyer said:
“Productivity is NEVER an accident, it’s the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”
In this text, you are given 5 habits that will enhance your creativity and focus while also getting rid of routines that are holding you back.
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Avoid Multitasking
Although many people brag about how they are great at multitasking, recent scientific studies have shown that this type of behavior is significantly reducing your productivity. The thing with multitasking is that it creates the illusion that you’re tackling several things at once. In reality, your brain is being overwhelmed with different information and is trying to focus on too many tasks. This leaves you vulnerable to distractions and can lead to creative blocks that will delay your progress.
To be honest, juggling many things at once has become a regular occurrence in this day and age so much so that the majority of us is not even noticing it. Simply, it has become the way we function in the world. But given this new data on the effects of multitasking, we should take a fresh approach to how we conduct our business.
Even though you might not be able to completely avoid multitasking, being aware of how it affects your productivity is a good place to start. So the next time you feel like you have too many things on your plate, the wise course of action would be to do a quick estimation of how urgent are those tasks and what are you trying to achieve. Maybe you’ll be able to postpone some of them and concentrate on one assignment at the time.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
One of the perks of living in the 21 century is access to new technology which makes the work run more smoothly and increases productivity. Managing a project can be a very stressful process, it can take up most of your time, and make you feel like you’re running up the hill constantly. That’s where hardware and software products come in handy.
The technology is moving forward at a fast pace. Professionals in every field can choose from a diverse and big pool of products that will raise their efficiency daily. Using productivity tools such as Nifty – a powerful Clickup alternative you can delegate tasks, and communicate with your coworkers and clients while on the go. It will allow you to use numerous tools and rise the collaboration of your team to a higher level. You can keep everyone in the loop by sharing new and important information instantaneously, talk about plans, ideas and thoughts concerning a project in real-time while working from a remote position. These software programs and apps are allowing you to spend time outside the office and manage your schedule in a more efficient manner.
Start Exercising
Although when we talk about getting more exercise, we are generally thinking about staying in shape or losing weight any form of exercise will also increase your productivity. How? Well, people who work out regularly increase blood flow to the brain and trigger BDNF protein, both of which will make you more alert and energetic. Also, people who are in good physical condition deal with stress much better. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that physically active professionals are more prepared to confront everyday work challenges whole-heartedly.
Going to a gym might be difficult to incorporate into your busy daily schedule but even small changes in your behavior will be significant. Make simple exercises part of your daily routine. For example, take stairs instead of an elevator or start having short power-walking sessions. Maybe you can kick off your day by waking up 15 minutes early and doing some easy work out at home.
Identify and Eliminate Distractions
Learning how to identify and eliminate all the things that are distracting you from the task at hand is not an easy procedure but it is necessary on the road of becoming a more productive individual. In modern-day and age, one of the biggest and the most obvious distractions is without a doubt Social Media.
The number of notifications we get on our phone every single day is rather big. It has become quite hard to ignore the sounds informing us about something happening to someone, somewhere. After all, we are curious creatures by nature. So, the logical course of action would be to mute all possible devices and maybe place them out of your eyesight. Even better would be to erase all applications from your smartphone but some of you use these apps for business purposes as well.
Your coworkers are also an important point of distraction. It’s great if you were able to establish a friendly environment at the office but they can shift your focus from an assignment towards something insignificant with their questions and small talk. The suggestion is not to alienate people you’re working with. Positive and friendly working space can also affect your productivity but you should find a subtle way to indicate you shouldn’t be interrupted. Putting headphones on seems to do that perfectly for the majority of people.
Know When to Take a Break
To keep the work moving forward, take a short break from time to time. After all, no one can stay focused on one thing for 8 hours straight. The study from the University of Illinois has shown that short mental breaks help you stay focused on your task. They will also give you a chance to regroup your thoughts and come back to your assignment with fresh vigor. Also, they are good for remembering important information, forming creative ideas and solutions. Fatigue can seriously impair your decision-making process and cause stress build-up. So, if you want to stay on track with your goals, make sure you take 15 to 20 minutes breaks when you start to feel you’re losing your focus.
Author bio
Ana Markovic is a content writer in Nifty with a special focus on all things tech. After a couple of years in the legal sector where she worked as a client relationship representative, she decided to follow her true passion – writing. She is a history buff excitingly looking at the future, avid book reader and passionate about aquarelle painting.
Neha Nidhi
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