For most of us, productivity is all about getting more done in less time, which is not the right way to look at it. Productivity at workplace implies doing the most important things in the most efficient manner possible. Francine Jay sums it up brilliantly, “My goal is no longer to get more done, but rather to have less to do.”

If you want to be more productive, then you should follow Leo Babauta advice “Identify the essential, eliminate the rest.” In addition to this, you need to get things in order to achieve a higher level of productivity. Here are some productivity hacks that can make a huge difference to your productivity at workplace.

1. De-clutter Your Desk

It all starts from a desk. You cannot achieve a higher level of productivity with a cluttered desk. Productivity experts suggest that employees should keep their desk neat and clean and avoid wasting time on organizing the desk daily. An article published in Forbes highlighted the negative impact a messy desk could have on not only productivity but also other aspects of work.

2. Manage Emails Effectively

One of the biggest productivity killer at the workplace is email. If you do not manage it efficiently, it can put a serious dent on your productivity. Stop checking your email first thing in the morning because it would eat up time you have allocated for other tasks. According to the experts, frequently checking your inbox contributes towards lower productivity. Try to check your inbox couple of times a day and batch-process them.

3. Conduct Productive Meetings

According to Salary.com survey, non-productive meetings are the biggest reason behind time wastage at the workplace. Make your meetings fruitful by keeping distraction at bay and having an agenda for every meeting. You can easily save hours from going to waste if you conduct short and meaningful meetings. Do not forget to recap at the end to refresh what you just discussed in the meeting.

4. Make the Most of Peak Hours

Every employee has a peak time and down time. Take full advantage of peak hours and complete the most difficult and important tasks of the day while leaving less important tasks for down time. That is where effective time management comes into play. By following this rule, you can not only put your peak hours to good use and get better results out of it but also cover up for the shortcomings in down time.

5. Prepare a Schedule

Without proper scheduling, you cannot achieve the productivity level you want to. Preparing a to-do list is not enough, you will have to assign tasks to each time slot in order to achieve your productivity goal. Make sure you take a realistic approach when preparing a scheduling rather than setting ambitious goals for yourself. Even if you can schedule your free time, you can reap rewards as depicted by this study.

6. Prioritize Tasks and Batch Process Them

If you sit back and analyze your workday closely, you will find yourself working on wide variety of tasks. Switching from one task to another could result in an adjustment period. You can easily minimize the time wasted in making the adjustment by prioritizing and batching tasks together. You don’t have to jump back and forth many times which have a positive impact on your productivity.

7. Get Over Procrastination with Two Minute Rule

Procrastination is a bad habit that not only has a negative impact on your personal life but it can also wreck havoc on your professional life. Fortunately, getting rid of this bad habit is not that difficult. David Allen, a productivity consultant and author of the famous book “Getting Things Done-The Art of stress-free productivity” gave his formula in the form of two-minute rule. It simply means that if a task can be completed in two minutes, you should do it now instead of delaying it.  

8. Take Advantage of Productivity Tools

For those who want to take their productivity to the next level, technology can prove to be a great aid. With so many tools and task management software out there, you can easily automate and streamline tasks to save time and boost productivity. If you use technology well, you can easily maximize your productivity and get more done in less time.

9. Don’t Shy Away From Asking For Help

Do not let your ego and hesitation get in the way and ask for help when needed. There is nothing wrong in asking for help from your co-workers. Wasting time on solving a problem when you are not getting it resolved will negative impact your productivity. Moreover, poor productivity by an individual affects the team, which eventually translates into poor company performance. It’s like a virus that spreads from bottom to top but you can easily avoid it by working cohesively as a team.

10. Take Care of Your Health

Last but certainly not the least, is your health. “Health is wealth” and “A sound mind in a sound body” emphasizes the importance of health. How does employee health affect productivity? According to research conducted by Health Enhancement Research Organization, a worker who exercises regularly and eats healthy meals performs much better and has a higher productivity level. Research conducted at Centre for Health Research at Healthways also points in the same direction. This simply means, “You are what you eat” even at work so make healthy food choices and exercise regularly.

Conclusion

The key to being more productive at the workplace is to get organized by preparing a schedule, de-cluttering your desk and batching similar task together. Take advantage of technology to optimize your efficiency and do not hesitate in asking for help. Maximize peak hours to cover up for your downtime. Lastly, take care of your health so that you can give your best in the workplace. After reading this article, you will be one-step closer to being more productive. All you have to do is to put the aforementioned advice into practice and will see a positive change for sure.