10 Tips to More Productivity

culled from:http://mattclarkunplugged.com
There has been a lot of talk about productivity at work. I mean let’s face it how much work do you feel you get done after a full day at the office? Here is 10 tips to supercharge your day and increase your productivity so you can work less and play more.

1. Plan a week in advance. Take sometime prior to the start of a new week and look at what you really hope to accomplish for that week. Slot in some time for you to complete those goals.
2. Plan your day. Now  that  you have a good overview of what you want to accomplish for the week you can plan your day with some real action steps to get it done.
3. Turn off the email. If you really want to get stuff done stop checking your email. Try to set 2 to 3 time slots in the day that you check your email. Then check it respond to what you have to and use something like labels or reminders to come back to things that will take a little more time.
4. Stop the meetings. Yes that is right meetings are one of the biggest time sucks in your work day. Here is a great video on the idea of being productive at work. If you really need to have one keep it to a minimal and have a clear agenda with the goal of coming to a decision by the end of it. Also, include only those that really need to be there. Most meetings can be reduced to a 10 minute conversation with the main decision makings talking it out.
5. Take a break. Plan to get up at least every two hours and do a quick walk or stretch. If you can a 30 min workout will really get the energy flowing again. Here is a great post with some ideas for taking a short break.
6. Avoid the phone. Try to use more passive ways of communication like email or chat. Then you can be direct with your question and allow the person to respond when they have time. You are not breaking up their day.
7. Work from somewhere other than the office. If your office is a constant source of distraction book some time out and go somewhere else. I find coffee shops great, they have wi-fi and no one bothers me.
8. Leave the mobile alone. Just like email if you are busy don not answer the phone or check the text message. It will break up your flow in what you are working on. And it will take at least another 15 minutes to get back to the flow you were at prior to taking the call or text.
9. Reward yourself for getting work done. Make plans for the free time you are going to create by being super productive. Don’t just keep working, we need to play a little bit to get the juices recharged.
10. Find your productive time and plan around it. Track when you are the most focused and productive then plan complex tasks and work around this time.