9 Tips to Improve Productivity

With constantly increasing demands on time, we are under more stress to accomplish more each day. Moreover it has become difficult to balance work and life hence we are required to be more productive and squeeze more out of each moment.
Read on to know some tips on how you can juice more value out of your time.

 Tip 1

80/20 Rule
You can learn to be productive from the 80/20 rule. Basically it says that 80% of your results come from 20% of the tasks that you do. You should ask yourself what is that 20% in your day to day work and focus on that.

Tip 2

Start with the End in mind
Always start any work you want to do by thinking and knowing what you will achieve at the end of it. Having a clear road map in your mind helps you validate your progress and acts like a compass to direct your activities in the right course.
I always write down the intended results of any work I start. It helps create a goal and motivates me to aim for something much higher than what I am used to.

Tip 3

Prioritize
Apply the “first things first” rule and nail the highest priority tasks first to avoid delaying the most important work. Ideally, stop multitasking as it reduces productivity and increases stress levels.
List down the work which are of high priority, do them first and then move to other pending work.

Tip 4

Break down work in to small chunks
Break all the tasks you have in to small size tasks. This helps you stay focused, motivated and maintain optimum concentration level.
Working in short bursts also helps. I break up my work down into 30 minutes of work, followed up with 10 minutes of rest. These micro breaks help me maintain energy and focus.

Tip 5

Time Bound
Set a time limit for the accomplishment of each task. This will reduce the risk of overrunning time and tracking progress.When you start a work, you should know when you have to finish it. If someone assigns a task then ask that person for a deadline. Or set it yourself and communicate it to him.

Tip 6

Don’t be a Rocking Horse
Moving doesn’t always mean progress. If you are moving and still not learning or reaching your set goals then you are just like a rocking horse which moves but doesn’t go anywhere.
Analyzing and evaluating your progress periodically is very important.

Tip 7

Learning & Sharing
Adopt an approach of learning mutually. You get back what you give to others.
If you work in a company you should share your knowledge with other employees, this would encourage them to be more open towards you. Gradually you will earn their respect; gain more insight and a broader context of different professions.

Tip 8

Avoid Procrastination
It’s easy to delay your work and blame your inefficiency on slow internet, system or short deadlines. Instead of making excuses, find creative and innovative solutions.
You’ll see an obvious improvement in the productivity if you focus on solutions rather than focusing on problems and issues.

Tip 9

Reward yourself
One of the best ways to improve productivity is to reward yourself or your employees to reinforce success.
Rewards don’t always need to be monetary. In many cases, reward can be verbal appreciation too. This increases motivation and the productivity level of your employees.
What are your top tips for improving productivity? Share it in the comments below.