Everyone is busy, busy, busy these days ... There is so much coming at us. Never has there been more distractions than today. From morning to night we are inundated with phones, emails, social media messages ... We have to do more and more, with less people ... How do you keep that up? At our team meeting, we did a poll and our coaches have the following tips for you.
- Become more productive by moving more
Take the stairs, take a walk during your break, take a bike if you can ... move! Your body and mind will benefit! You get more energy and you can handle everything better.
- Increase your productivity by creating goals
Where do you want to be in 6 months, in 12 months? Make a weekly schedule at the beginning of the week and see if these things contribute to achieving this goal. Take a moment on Friday to evaluate whether you achieved your goals.
- Make a written daily schedule with priorities
Start with your most important task in the morning. If you don't do this, you will have been busy with all kinds of things and at the end of the day you will feel like you did nothing. Goals are your "guide" and determine what you do and don't do.
- Attention management instead of time management
You can't manage time, but you can manage your attention. Attention management is about doing one task at a time, with your full attention. Neuropsychiatrist Theo Compernolle debunks the myth of multitasking (doing multiple tasks at once) because it affects your productivity. Stop multitasking! Focusing on one task not only makes you more productive but also more creative and less stressful.
- The Pomodoro technique
This technique is indicated for larger jobs. You set the alarm clock after 25 minutes and work through with concentration. Take a short break each time after 25 minutes. When you have done 4 rounds, take a longer break. Taking occasional breaks does you good. If you don't do this, your productivity drops. You are still present, but not with full attention.
- Check your mails 2x a day at set times
The ideal time would be just before your lunch break and before your workday ends because that's when your attention level is a little lower ...(Source:Tony Crabbé, Never too busy again).
- You're more productive when your workspace is tidy
Tidying up creates space in your head. Clutter creates distractions, provides too much stimulus.
- Super tip to increase your productivity: good is good enough
Perfectionism can kill you. You can also apply the 80/20 rule here: with 20 % of your effort you can achieve 80 % of the result. While the last part (20 %) takes much more effort and work to achieve the full 100 %. In many cases, achieving 80 % is already more than enough. And that results in a much more effective way of working. How do you apply the 80-20 rule in your work? In 20% of your time, achieving 80% of your results may seem like an impossible task. Therefore, look carefully at the tasks that are most important. Which ones ultimately deliver the most?
Focus on those, think about your productivity and improve your working methods where necessary. For example, keep track of how long you spend on certain tasks and see if you can shorten them.
- Should I do this now?
And parse the sentence with emphasis on "should," "I," "this," "do this now"? This makes you much more aware of what you are doing.
- Find a buddy
Find someone you can implement these tips with and talk to each other for 15 min weekly to see if you can manage to keep the focus. You keep each other accountable. This costs nothing and is very nice to support each other in this.
- Take a monthly look at your processes for greater productivity
We are creatures of habit and we sometimes do things "because we are used to doing them that way." Questioning your habits and involving another person can give you suggestions that are much more productive.
What can you automate? What can be done faster and easier?
- And last but not least: find work that suits you
Make sure you are energized by your work, then you will be much more productive! The secret? A match between your values and the values of your company. A match between what you are good at and would like to develop and your tasks. Choosing a job that suits your personality, that gives you satisfaction, happiness and fulfillment. Then you can move mountains...