Do you ever get frustrated with your level of productivity? I know that I do. Whenever I feel a slowdown happening I employ this productivity technique and it has never failed me. On average, I would estimate that I get at least a 3-fold boost in productivity every time I use it.
Here's how you can boost your productivity too!
1. Energy Check. Make sure that you're not exhausted. If your productivity is suffering because you have an uncontrollable urge to sleep, then I suggest you click here to find out how to take a nap at work. Do this first and then come back to the remaining steps once you've refreshed your energy. You could also refresh your energy with a quick 5-10 minute brisk walk, jumping jacks, or power stretching at your desk.
2. Timer. Get a timer of some sort even if it is an analog kitchen timer. If you work on the computer here is an online timer and here is a timer that you can download. If you work on the go, then you could use a digital watch countdown timer or your cell phone timer.
3. Plan Your Day. This step is crucial considering the amount of distractions we all encounter everyday, and it's not that hard. Just take 5-10 minutes to brainstorm your day. Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center of the page. Create your blueprint for the day on one side of the center line. Label one side "To-Do" and the other side "Done." Write out the things you want to do today. Prioritize them and then set realistic time frames for their completion. Be sure to schedule in buffer and transition time. Schedule the most important tasks first. And leave time at the end of the day for processing your inbox and capture notebook.
4. 30 Minute Productivity Parcels. OK, here's the real juice of this technique. Set your timer to go off every 30 minutes. When it goes off, get up from what you are doing and take your blueprint for the day and your capture notebook with you. Go somewhere else. Take 3 minutes to review what you've accomplished in the last 30 minutes. Write down the main things you've done in the "Done" column and review where you need to be according to your daily plan. You might even want to take a moment to do a quick stretch while you're up. When you go back to your work, adjust your focus accordingly or just continue to crank if you are already in line with your blueprint for the day.
5. Distractions and Unplanned Interruptions. Running your day according to a plan is all well and good, but each of us know that every day presents roadblocks to completing our plans. Here's how to handle them:
Interruptions: Anytime you are interrupted, take a split second to determine how you should handle it. Place these questions next to your usual workspace to help remember them:
- Is this interruption more important than what I am doing right now?
- Should I:
- Do it?
- Delegate it?
- Defer it?
- Delete it?
- "I'll be finished with this task in X minutes. May I get back to you then?" (If it is your boss, you may want to throw in a line about how your current task is aligned with your team's number one goal.)
- "I'm unable to speak with you about that right now as I have a deadline on my current task at hand. May I get back to you at time X when I can give you my undivided attention?"
- "Those requests are now being handled by X. Would you like their number or an introduction? Person A is a good contact there."
- "I'm sorry to say that I can't help you with that request right now. I can help steer you in the right direction at my next break."
Written for Dumb Little Man by K. Stone, author of Life Learning Today, a blog about daily life improvements. Popular articles are Lose Belly Fat - Is It Really Possible? and Quantum Leap: What’s Your Next Big Thing?
