10 Ways to Increase Productivity at Work

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In this article I’m going to share 10 ways to increase productivity at work. If you want to know how to be more productive at work these productivity tips will help you be more effective, reduce distractions , increase focus and boost your productivity.

Let’s start with a productivity definition. Productivity is a measure of effectiveness of a person achieving a result in the quickest, simplest and most productive way possible. We often assume that productivity means doing more things to achieve the result we want, but that is the opposite of productivity.

For me, increasing productivity at work is abut working working less to achieve the result you want. There is no one size fits all to being more productive. Being able to increase productivity at work is actually about being more productive on the activities that deliver the results you want in less time,.

Increasing productivity is not about working longer and harder.

If you want to increase your productivity at work it’s essential to identify your most important tasks and work on them in the most productive way possible.

Being productive is about making consistent, measurable progress on a small number of important activities. It is about working smarter, not harder.

Let’s jump in to the 11 way you can increase productivity at work.

11 ways to increase productivity at work

Here are 11 productivity tips to increase productivity at work.

1. Track your time

It’s difficult to increase productivity at work if you don’t know where you’re currently investing your time. You can’t be more productive at work until you know if you’re currently working productively or not.

To increase productivity at work, it’s important to take a time audit to give you clarity on how much time you’re spending during the week on which activities.

Taking a time audit helps you track activities so you can understand how much time you spend on each one. A time audit gives you a big picture view on your most productive activities and your least productive activities.

When you understand if you’re investing your time on your most productive activities you can make the necessary changes.

You can expand your time on your most productive activities that create the biggest impact and eliminate, delegate or outsource those activities that take up too much time and don’t support your goals.

Read more about how to manage time effectively.

2. Set a time limit for each task

If you want to increase your productivity at work it’s important to set a time limit for each task. Setting a time for your work will help you stay on task and avoid distractions. Having a time limit helps you stay focused on one specific project for a specific period of time.

This focus raises productivity levels and stops multi-tasking. It also ensures you don’t waste valuable time by spending too long on projects.

Start by identifying your most important activities and then set a time limit for each task.

Setting a time limit for each task ensures you don’t waste time going down endless rabbit holes.

3. Take regular breaks

If you want to increase productivity at work, it’s essential to harness your energy for your most productive tasks. You can expand your energy and focus by taking more breaks.

It’s easier to maintain high performance and high productivity when you take breaks throughout the day.

Taking breaks ensures you stay energised, focused and productive. If you don’t take breaks it’s easy to feel exhausted and fatigued which reduces productivity.

Try taking longer breaks while working on your most important work to rejuvenate your mind and body. It’s also important to take shorter breaks to stay productive throughout the day. These shorter breaks could include meditation, going for a walk or taking some exercise.

4. Set daily goals

If you want to increase your productivity at work and achieve more each day, the key is to set goals daily. By focusing on a a small number of important goals you narrow your focus to your most productive activities,

Instead of feeling overwhelmed, which is the opposite of productivity, you will be more effective and more productive.

When you set goals daily you know what results you want to achieve and have clear direction and focus.

The key to increased productivity at work is to keep your daily goals short. Write down your goals the night before so you are focused in the morning.

If you set daily goals you will transform your work day from one of busyness, to one of increased productivity.

Read more about effective goal setting.

5. Stop multi-tasking

To increase productivity at work it is important to single focus on your most important projects. Multi-tasking may sound like it will improve your productivity but the opposite is true.

You can be more productive without multi-tasking. Multi-tasking exhausts your energy and focus. When you keep switching between tasks your brain doesn’t know what to focus on.

In addition, when you keep switching between tasks it takes longer to focus again. To avoid multi-tasking, and increase productivity, set clear priorities for the day, reduce distractions and be aware of what may cause you to multi-task.

6. Eliminate distractions

It’s difficult to be productive at work if you can’t manage distractions. If you want to increase your productivity don’t ignore the distractions.

Identify the things that distract you and create an environment where you won’t be distracted.

With so many distractions competing for your attention, it’s essential to manage your attention and focus on your most important work.

To increase productivity at work and eliminate distractions turn off notification, work in a quiet space, clear physical clutter and simplify your to-do list so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

7. Set a smaller to-do list

You will be more productive at work with a smaller to-do list. Imagine that someone took away all of the items on your to-do list and you could only choose to work on three crucial activities. What would they be?

To achieve increased productivity at work, choose only activities that create the biggest value and achieve the biggest results.

Making better to-do lists simply makes you more productive and effective. We all have skills and capabilities that represent us at our most productive. These skills are unique to each of us.

We lose productivity when we have too much to do. To be truly productive at work it’s important to narrow your focus down to only your most important work and do that work more often. Having 30 items on your to-do list won’t make you a productive person.

Narrow your focus if you want to improve productivity at work.

8. Identify crucial results for the day

It’s easier to increase productivity at work if you focus on achieving specific results each day. By knowing exactly what results you want to achieve each day you can focus your time and energy on the activities that support those results.

This focus on results not time spend will improve your productivity at work. It ensures you avoid distraction and the low -value tasks that don’t support your result achievement.

When you know what results you want to achieve each day you can be more focused and productive. Simply identify three crucial results you want to achieve each day. Then write down a simple to-do list of activities that will help you achieve those results.

Then work on making progress on the most important result first.

9. Be accountable

To increase productivity at work it’s important to be accountable to yourself and to others. When you are accountability your productivity increases.

Accountability ensures there are no missed deadlines. When you are accountable you do what you say you’ll do.

Accountability increases focus and lowers stress. When you are accountable at work you avoid distractions and stop procrastinating.

Be accountable by setting daily goals for yourself to complete each day. If you want higher levels of accountability work with an accountability coach or find an accountability partner to check in with every day.

The simple act of staying accountable increases productivity at work and helps you achieve bigger and better results.

Read more about the benefits of working with an accountability coach.

10. Plan in advance

The key to increasing productivity at work starts the night before. By planning your day in advance, you can guarantee having a productive day.

When you take the time to plan your day, you can save hours of unproductive time. By spending just 15 minutes in the evening getting clear on your most important activities for the following day, you will be more focused and more productive.

When you plan your productive day the night before, you choose to focus on your most productive activities. You know exactly where to invest your time and energy for increased productivity.

Instead of reacting to your day, you create your day.

There are many benefits of planning ahead. The biggest benefit is greater direction and focus. Planning ahead ensures you stay productive without getting distracted or overwhelmed.

Read more about creating an evening routine.

Summing up

These 10 productivity tips will help you increase productivity at work. By planning ahead, focusing on results and avoiding distractions you can stay focused and productive every day.

Now I’d love to hear from you.

What’s your number one tips to increase productivity at work?

Which productivity tip will you take action on today?

Let me know in the comments.

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About the Author

Mark Pettit is a productivity coach based in Colchester, Essex, UK. He is the Founder of productivity coaching company Lucemi Consulting. Mark provides productivity coaching programs to entrepreneurs and small business owners in Colchester, Essex, Suffolk and across the UK.

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