Productivity for Dummies Secrets: 7 Easy Tips
We are always looking for ways to help us get our work done a little faster or to squeeze a little more time out of our day. These tips will help you get a little further ahead. Productivity for dummies has nothing on us. Let’s keep it our little secret.
Check out our list of tips to help you boost your productivity.
Do those Dreaded Tasks First
You know which tasks I’m talking about. The ones that are on your to-do list but you target doing them towards the end of the day. They just never seem to get done. In other words, you procrastinate. Put them first and get them done. The rest of your day will be so much more enjoyable and feel more productive because those dreaded tasks are out of the way.
Break Large Tasks into Smaller, Manageable Chunks
Sometimes a large task can seem overwhelming. You are not sure what to do first and begin to delay getting the task done. Start small. Break the task into smaller ones and just get started. You can always make adjustments after. The most important thing to do is to start completing tasks.
Set Deadlines
Have you ever sat in a meeting and had a team member question why do you need deadlines? Deadlines give goals for the team to strive for. Hitting that deadline gives the team a sense of accomplishment. To help you determine if your deadline is realistic, take advantage of a task management tool. Use it to plan and track your tasks to determine if that deadline is really achievable.
This is where a tool like Kanbanchi can help. Kanbanchi integrates into Google Drive and synchronizes with your Google Calendar. The Gantt Chart feature displays how all the tasks or cards relate in time making it easy for the team to plan. It’s the perfect task management and project management tool to help you determine what can be achieved in the time you have.
Say No
It’s tough sometimes. You are bombarded with requests and you know you can’t do them all. Sometimes you have to say no to protect the quality of the product or to keep the team from being overworked. If you can’t say no, there has to be a compromise. The customer may want additional features. It will take more time and resources that will increase the cost of the project and extend the delivery date. Are they willing to do this?
Take Breaks in Your Day
To truly be effective and charged up throughout your day, you need to take breaks. Breaks are an opportunity to replenish yourself. Sitting in front of your computer to eat your lunch does not count. Skipping meals will kill your concentration and productivity. Get up and stretch. Take a brief walk. Eat with your colleagues. The change of pace will feel good.
Use a Calendar App
A calendar app gives a visual aspect on the tasks at hand. You can quickly see what needs to be done today and when it’s due. Kanbanchi integrates with Google Calendar so you can plan out all your project tasks. Updates in a project can occur hourly, daily or weekly. You constantly need to review and update your project plan as the information comes in.
Review Your Past Week
Take the time to review what you have accomplished and congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come. If you don’t feel you were productive enough, check out where you are losing time. RescueTime is a helpful tool that tracks where you spend your time. A report is delivered to you every week for your review. Do you have some time wasters in there? If so, this tool can help you weed them out.
Conclusion
We need to always make the most of the time we have available to us. Time will always challenge us to find ways to work more efficiently and effectively to get our tasks done. Try some of the tips above to help you successfully complete your projects.