It’s difficult to stay focussed sometimes and most people succumb to the temptations of procrastination. Whether you daydream, or have too many distractions, it’s frustrating when you know that you’re not using your time as well as you could be. Self-discipline can be hard in any job and even when you are following orders it’s hard to get things done sometimes. Time-management is an important skill to have and it’s a good idea to get organized. Here are some things to think about to help you be more productive.
Get to the root of the problem
Have a think about what kind of things are distracting you from your work. Why do you find it difficult to concentrate? Do other people distract you like co-workers or your family if you work from home. Is there too much noise, or not enough light? If you can figure out what's distracting you or causing you to lose focus you can eliminate the problem.
Bad habits
Do you take regular breaks when needed, or sit at your desk all day? It’s a good idea to take short breaks to disconnect and look at the task with fresh eyes. Make sure you’re eating properly and drink enough water. Certain foods can improve your productivity. Think about changing your packed lunch ideas. It’s easy to get stuck in a boring routine.
Other people
Do the people around you encourage you or distract you? It might not be a good idea to get into the habit of chatting all day with coworkers, save this for break times. Talk instead to someone about increasing your productivity and tell them how you’re improving.
When is your most productive time of day?
Check your productivity and the tasks that you do. What time of day do you normally complete the most tasks? This is key to understanding your most productive time of day and you will be able to assign yourself more urgent or difficult tasks during these hours, to ensure that they get done well and efficiently. Are you more productive in the morning or the evening? Before or after lunch?
Time yourself
In order to make a more realistic to-do list, time how long it takes you to do typical working tasks.
Working environment
Is there enough light for you to work at your best? If not consider switching your lighting to LED bulbs which are bright but less offensive than fluorescent, and also more ecological. There are many available at https://www.lepro.com/led-bay-light. Make sure your work environment isn’t too noisy, consider noise-cancelling headphones.
Don’t take on too much
Avoid multitasking. Make a list of what you need to do a prioritize, you will be able to leave certain things to tomorrow or a later date. Deal with each thing you on your to-do list separately, and don’t start another job until you’ve finished the first one. Set small goals that you can achieve in less time. Separate each task into manageable chunks.
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