10 No-nonsense Tips for Being More Productive

Every business leader wishes there were more hours in the day.  Since that’s impossible, the next best thing is simply being more productive in the time we have. There are plenty of tips for being more productive, but there are a few tried-and-true methods to increase productivity that I return to repeatedly.

How to Be More Productive Every Day

1. Take better care of your physical health. If you’re not eating wisely, sleeping soundly, and moving your body, you’ll feel tired and sluggish throughout the day.  Making healthy lifestyle choices is the first step towards being more productive.
2. Set mindful goals. One of the best tips for being more productive is re-evaluating how you track and measure productivity.  Be sure your goals are measurable and specific and that you set a deadline for accomplishing them.  Tasks without due dates tend to fall by the wayside.  If the job is not in your schedule, the odds are that it won’t get done.
3. Close your inbox. The constant notifications every time a new email comes in will kill anyone’s productivity.  Set a time to read and respond to emails, possibly once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  Then, stick to it.  Let your teammates know to expect a delayed response.  If there’s a real emergency, they’ll find you in person.
4. Crackdown on pointless meetings. As a business leader, you’re in a position to reduce or even eliminate the pointless meetings that occupy so much of the day.  Consider creating a checklist for employees to consult and complete the steps before scheduling a meeting on a particular topic.  Many sessions can be quickly resolved over email or a quick conversation.
5. Use the Pomodoro Method. It’s one of the most well-known tips for being more productive because it works.  Set a timer for a certain amount of time (usually 25 minutes) and focus on only one task.  When the timer goes off, take a short 5-minute break and then dive back into another timed sprint.
6. Eat that frog. Another of the great tips for being more productive, Brian Tracy suggests tackling the most complicated item on your to-do list first thing in the morning.  This way, you’re guaranteed not to put it off or dread it the rest of the day, and the momentum will carry you forward.
7. Get organized. Take a day to deeply clean your inbox and desktop and sort everything into an easily accessible folder.  It is the same with your files, both physical and digital.  If you know exactly where to find any particular item, you’ll cut down on search time in the future.
8. Do one thing at a time. Anyone who says they can multitask successfully is a fool, yet we always attempt to do it.  The truth is that you’re always going to focus better and get better results when you’re tackling one task at a time.
9. Create systems when you can. The best kind of work is work that does itself!  Automate processes, create templates, and set reminders to ease the stress on your brain.  Ask your most organized friend or coworker and “borrow” their best organizational ideas.
10. Don’t be afraid to delegate. You don’t need to tackle every task yourself.  It can be much more helpful to outsource the less important tasks to your teammates who might be better suited to handle them.  Always ask yourself repeatedly, “Is this the best use of my time.”

 Productivity improvement is as simple as instituting better habits throughout your day. If you’re wondering how to be more productive every day, fill out my contact form so that we can discuss these tips.

Coach Dave