5 Easy Tricks to Boost Your Productivity
Here at Meta, we love being organized and productive! Sadly, this is easier said than done. But fear not! We’ve compiled some of our favorite tips and tricks to help you crush this week!
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“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
As harsh as it sounds, our friend Alan Lakein was definitely onto something! It requires a little extra time and effort, but a little planning goes a long way! Spend 10-15 minutes each night planning the next day. Use your planner, the calendar on your phone, a sticky note, a sheet of paper, the back of your hand - whatever! Just make sure you write your schedule somewhere. You’ll never have to stop in the middle of the day and wonder what you should do next - you’ll already have laid everything out the night before!
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Prioritize!
No matter how nicely you plan your day, things don’t always go according to plan. Something unexpected will come up or a project will take longer than you thought. Don’t despair! Every day, set one item on your schedule as the most important. If you do nothing else that day, you’ll feel better knowing you accomplished the most important task.
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Take breaks
Working at 100% for hours on end is unrealistic. Schedule frequent breaks throughout your day. They don’t have to be long - get up and stretch, grab a snack, take a quick walk - just something to give your mind and body a quick break. You’ll feel rejuvenated when it’s time to get back to business! This post from the Muse has an interesting theory on breaks.
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Don’t be afraid to go off-the-grid
Trust me, I know it’s tempting to respond to a text or email right away. But dropping what you’re working on to respond immediately breaks up your workflow and squashes your productivity. Set aside a block (or two) of time each day for responding to emails. During the rest of the day, close your inbox and put your devices away.
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Get your beauty sleep
I know this is a hard one - it’s difficult to fit work, the gym, grocery shopping, dinner, etc. into a single day, let alone finish by a reasonable hour. But I cannot emphasize enough how important a good night’s sleep is! Check out this Huffington Post article if you’re not convinced! Try your best not to pack too many things into a single day. And once you finally get to bed, put away your phone and computer (and other devices) to make the most of your limited rest time.
Hope these tricks work as well for you as they do for us! And feel free to share your favorite tips and tricks with us.