When we are faced in completing multiple tasks, our level of productivity becomes relevant. While everyone has their own method of tackling a multiple commitments, doing them effectively and proficiently allows us to get the maximum work done with the least amount of effort.
There are many ways to be more productive. I have highlighted some of my top tips that help me achieve a better flow. If you wish to read more about my work, please check out my site (influencer marketing agency) or follow me on Instagram.
1. Organize your tasks according to their importance and urgency
Instead of rushing head-first into your list of tasks, take some time to analyze their significance and organize them accordingly. Order your tasks based on importance and urgency.
You should do the most important and most urgent tasks first. Plan for the tasks that are important but not urgent. Unimportant but urgent tasks can be delegated to someone else. You can disregard everything that is neither important nor urgent.
This mode of work is known as the Eisenhower Matrix—named after the address by President Dwight D. Eisenhower—and is a proven method for increased productivity.
2. Get away from distractions
Many people feel a compulsion to check their phones every few minutes. Even if they temporarily forget about it, a small ring can immediately catch their attention. For increased productivity, keep your phone silent and away from you.
Distractions not only include idle chit-chat and checking social media, they include everything that isn’t needed at the time. This means checking emails, making phone calls, working on tasks that are neither urgent nor important, are all distractions if they take your focus away from the job at hand.
3. Schedule your breaks
You might think that you can work non-stop, but you’re not a machine—you need a break every once in a while. Set a time for stepping away from work, readjusting your focus, and refueling yourself. The effectiveness of breaks has been scientifically proven to increase productivity.
Make sure the breaks aren’t so short that you’d need them too frequently, nor are they so long that you lose your flow. Schedule them at sensible intervals—not too often, not too rare.
Scheduling a break also keeps you from being tempted by distractions. Whatever distracting itches you may need to scratch, you can tell yourself that you’ll do them in your break.
4. Only take what you can handle
Some people often try to lift more than they can carry. It could be to please someone, to prove themselves, or just because they can’t say “no”. As a result, they not only do a poor job at it, but they also derail their own workflow.
If you have your plate full, you must learn to refuse more work. You should know what your limits are—both physical and mental. You must also know if you have the expertise to complete the task you’re taking on.
Instead of doing a poor job, let someone more equipped do it. Focus on effectively completing the tasks you already have.