{"id":65601,"date":"2019-05-30T18:58:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T02:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=65601"},"modified":"2019-05-30T18:58:25","modified_gmt":"2019-05-31T02:58:25","slug":"6-less-obvious-tips-to-increase-your-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/6-less-obvious-tips-to-increase-your-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Less Obvious Tips to Increase Your Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

The Productivity Problem<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cI just don\u2019t have the time.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThere are too many things to do each day.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI feel overwhelmed.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome to the 21st Century where opportunities abound and time seems to evaporate. Depending on your situation, your time each day is limited, at best and productivity could fall by the wayside. How can you achieve your goals without overworking yourself and burning out? It\u2019s all about organizing and maximizing the time you <\/span>do<\/span><\/i> have. Here are 6 distinctive ideas you might have missed for boosting your productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Develop a Plan Before you Start<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Before you engage in your first battle, determine if you want to win a war. Having a game plan is essential in so many areas of life: family, finances, business, even a workout program. I can\u2019t emphasize this point enough. You must know <\/span>why<\/span><\/i> you are doing something if you ever expect to succeed at it. So, before you dive into a new activity or project, give yourself time to think, plan and determine what your end objective is. Write down the key points. This practice really allows you to dig to the heart of the matter before you get embroiled in the details. It\u2019s best to determine the \u201cWhy\u201d before you get too worried about the \u201cHow\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Use a Mega-Batch Mentality <\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Here\u2019s a great tip from <\/span>Michael Hyatt<\/span><\/a>, the majorly successful Leadership Mentor: Group similar types of work into the same day. Here\u2019s an example: You need to interview 7 potential candidates for an open position. Instead of scheduling 2 conversations on Monday, 3 on Tuesday, and 2 more on Thursday, why not push to set up all 7 of the interviews on Wednesday? The desired result of this \u201cmega-batch\u201d mentality is more than just simplicity. When you switch back and forth between multiple and different categories of work, your \u00a0having to switch between different contexts. You inevitably use extra time and energy to make these transitions. Grouping requires less of that time and energy because you keep your transitions to a minimum. Giving yourself one category of work to focus on for an extended period of time enables you to maximize your thinking power on that subject and allows you to focus on a different category tomorrow. <\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        Segment your Time into Smaller Portions<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \u00a0<\/span>Having a big chunk of time to devote to your project is a great way to start the day. Things look bright, your energy level is high and you\u2019re ready to get things done. The next thing you know you\u2019re staring a deadline in the face. How did it happen? With the security of extended time comes the risk of wasting it, but have you ever considered turning the tables on your deadline? Here\u2019s how you do it: Take the total amount of time available for your project. Then, instead of viewing the entirety of the timeframe as your work space, divide it into smaller increments of time like 10, 20, 0r 30 minute segments. Focus on one chunk of time and see how productive you can be. Then take a deep breath, and move on to the next segment while trying to maintain your intensity. You might be surprised at how much you are able to accomplish is just an hour.<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Choose to be Accountable to Someone<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Comradery is good for the soul, especially when it keeps you accountable in an area of personal weakness. An ancient proverb puts it this way: \u201cIron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another.\u201d Some of us need some sharpening when it comes to our work habits. Say you set the goal of writing 100 pages\/week in order to finish your book by the end of summer. Go ahead and tell a friend, colleague, or family member about your plan and invite them to check your progress periodically. Maybe they would even agree to read through your work on the weekend and offer some feedback. The key here is helping you become efficient and consistent in your work. A firm reminder, or someone looking over your shoulder, can prove to be a powerful catalyst to helping you stay productive. <\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n

            Take Breaks to Recharge<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            When you get in your groove, interruptions and distractions can hijack your productivity. Nobody likes that. The trick is realizing when you\u2019ve slipped out<\/i> of your groove. Are you overwhelmed with the number of emails that need responses? Do you find yourself obsessing over which prepositional phrase to use in your concluding sentence? Have you just spent the last 30 minutes deciding which color scheme to use for the bathroom remodel your designing? It\u2019s time to regroup. Taking a quick walk, doing a few jumping jacks, stretching your sore muscles, or just stepping outside for some fresh air can all provide the same result: a brief chance to recharge. This ability to unplug, shift your focus for a few minutes and then dive back in, will add durability to your productivity. Try it.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. \n

              Prune your To-Do List <\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Whenever you say \u201cYes\u201d to an activity you are automatically saying \u201cNo\u201d to dozens of other options. It\u2019s called decision-making \u00a0and we all do it every day. Well, guess what? For every item on your \u201cTo- Do\u201d list, there should be at least one on your \u201cStop Doing\u201d list. This is a tip from the well-known author and management Guru, <\/span>Jim Collins<\/span><\/a>. What tasks give you the most return for your time? Which projects need to be accomplished immediately? Focus on these and eliminate some others. \u00a0If you want to boost your productivity, finding out what you <\/span>shouldn\u2019t <\/span><\/i>be doing is just as important as prioritizing what you <\/span>should<\/span><\/i> be doing. <\/span><\/p>\n

              Putting it into Practice<\/b><\/h2>\n

              Now you\u2019re ready to try some new approaches to organizing your work day. No matter how productive you may already be, there is always room for improvement\u2026 if you are up to the challenge. Making changes and forming new habits takes time, so be patient, and have fun streamlining your day and maximizing your time. <\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \n

              Ben Tejes is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ascend Finance<\/a>, a platform to help people achieve self improvement in the area of personal finance. He is a writer for the Ascend Blog<\/a> where he writes on topics such as debt settlement<\/a>, bankruptcy,<\/a>\u00a0collections<\/a> and creditors<\/a>\u00a0to help people get out of debt and experience financial freedom.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              The Productivity Problem \u201cI just don\u2019t have the time.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThere are too many things to do each day.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI feel overwhelmed.\u201d Welcome to the 21st Century where opportunities abound and time seems to evaporate. Depending on your situation, your … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14252,"featured_media":65752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[45,30,112,6],"tags":[5163,3662,739,4629],"yoast_head":"\n6 Less Obvious Tips to Increase Your Productivity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"6 less common tips to boost your productivity every day. 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