10 Easy ways to increase productivity

Let’s face it – we are all busy these days. But is being busy such a bad thing? A big chunk of your success is how well you can organise yourself to get work done.

Here are 10 ways to increase productivity and get more done in your personal and professional life.

1. Schedule Your Work

Outlining exactly what you have to accomplish each day and managing your tasks. gives you a nice visual of all your work, and allows you to choose which to work on next. And nothing beats the feeling of checking things off your to do list!

2. Take Notes

Have you ever left a meeting and forgotten your next steps? Take notes when in meetings, on the phone or anytime they pop into your mind. This saves time by not having to revisit the conversations later.

3. Organize Your Workspace

A chaotic workspace can distract you from the work at hand. Make sure your desk and computer desktop are neat and organized prior to beginning your work.

4. Open the Doors of Collaboration

Brainstorming with team members is a powerful tool. So is the opportunity to run an idea by a coworker to see if you’re on the right track. Team collaboration tools help to open the doors and keep team members connected all day.

5. Attack the Big Rocks

There are some tasks, however, that need to be worked on right away. Start working on those “big rocks” first thing in the morning. Once you get them done, you’ll feel more accomplished for the day.

6. Delegate to Team Members

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the work in front of you, ask a coworker for a bit of help. Taking 5 minutes to reassign a task and explain it to someone else will free up a lot of task time for you to accomplish everything else.

7. Exercise

A mid-day heart rate boost can increase productivity for the afternoon. If you can’t do jumping jacks in your office, a lunchtime walk works just as well.

8. Keep Team Members in the Loop

By sharing your to do list with coworkers, you are instantly held accountable for completing that work. Ensure you are using a team collaboration solution that offers transparency and allows team members to see other’s work easily to manage that accountability.

9. Work When You’re Productive

There are always going to be times in the day when you are more productive than others. For me, it’s first thing in the morning. Identify these times for yourself, and plan your work accordingly.

10. Just Do It

Sometimes the best way to get things done is to start working. Get to work and see how much you can do:

How productive are you? Do you have any points to add to this list?

Author Bio: Dana Larson is the marketing manager for OnePlace – an online small business organization solution that empowers individuals to be successful, so their business is, too. Dana helps others understand the importance of online team collaboration and online project management through OnePlace. To find out more about Dana, visit her online at www.oneplacehome.com.

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