Douglas: Welcome to the Unleash Your Potential Blog, what question can I answer for you today?
GoalGenius: How can I increase my productivity?
Douglas: Excellent question! Productivity is how move towards our goals. The more we get done, the closer we get to our goals (assuming our actions are in line with our goals…see previous posts on achieving goals). Here are a few tips to increase productivity.
STOP multitasking – This may seem counter-intuitive. Many people are proud of the fact that they can do many things at the same time. The reality of multi-tasking is that you are not multi-tasking at all. Someone who appears to be effectively multi-tasking is just quickly switching focus between a variety of tasks. Each time you switch tasks you have to stop and start the mental processes involved in each task. In actuality, when you are multi-tasking, all the tasks suffer a little as you switch because your focus is never completely on any one task. The more effective process is to devote a set amount of time to each task. I like to use the timer app on my phone. If I am going to work on theology, I will devote 60 minutes to reading. When the timer goes off, I pack up the book and move on to something else. This way I can completely focus on the task at hand.
OPTIMIZE your workspace – Along with focusing on one task, make sure that your workspace is optimized for the task at hand. This is my greatest struggle. My desk is usually a mess. I will have 2-3 projects strewn about my desk. As a result, I am constantly shuffling through papers. One way I have found works for me is to have separate spaces for each task. If I am working on my coaching, I am at my desk. If I am studying theology, I am sitting in a chair with a portable desk. And if I am doing university work, I go to my office on campus. Each space is designed for the work that I need to be doing at the time. This is similar to the suggestion that when you have trouble with insomnia you need to make sure that all you use your bed for is sleeping so that you associate the bed with sleep (as opposed to reading or watching TV).
Take a BREAK – If you stay hyper-focused for too long you can begin to develop tunnel vision. You start to lose perspective and get locked into thinking. Walking away from a task for a little while allows you to step back and re-examine the task. This is where the timer again comes in handy. Work for an hour then schedule a 15-minute break to go outside and walk or meditate. Something to refresh your mind.
GAMIFY your tasks – There is a growing body of research that suggests when we turn our tasks into games (even if they are internal competitions), it improves productivity. I know that I work more efficiently when I try to “beat” the time it took me to do the task previously. We are hardwired to enjoy games and if we can gamify our tasks, it will add to our productivity.
Find out what TIME you are most productive – We are all wired a little bit differently. When I was younger, I functioned much more effectively at night. I was a night owl for a long time. As I have aged and worked in fields that required me to be functional much earlier in the day, I have found that the morning is when I am most effective. Observe your productivity for a few days and see when you feel most productive. Then schedule the most difficult tasks to fall during that peak time.
I am sure there are many other tips and tricks for increased productivity. Try these and see if it helps you.
I hope my answer sheds some light on your question. If you want to dig into this concept further, I encourage you to reach out and set up a conversation. In the meantime, check back tomorrow for the next question in the Unleash Your Potential Series!
Be Well!
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