How to be (more) Productive
Shift your mindset to be more effective and happy
What's the secret to your best productivity? Is it making a killer to-do list? Or focusing on getting up earlier every day? Maybe you have tried the trick of "doing on the hardest thing first."
Those may be good ideas, but the secret to productivity is much more personal and relevant to you. Read on if you want to find ways that change how fundamentally productive you can be.
Productivity means doing the right things right. This requires that you learn how to minimize the noise in your life so you focus on your most important goals.
Our efficiency and effectiveness ebb and flow with many things: our health, the amount of sleep we get, and other factors. The good news is you can focus on several factors to improve your productivity, leading to greater results, personal satisfaction, and long-term happiness. And who doesn't want that?
Focus on your Energy
We all know that time is a limited resource - once past that time is gone. But the fact is an even more rare resource is your energy. Have you found it difficult to focus for a long period on something complex maybe it's hard to get started with something that you don't have a lot of love for, or possibly you are in a low energy state you've been ill you're stressed you're lacking sleep with those moments happen. Your energy is the thing you need to protect the most.
So, here is the secret to unlocking your productivity. Check your energy level. Are you at your best early morning, midday, or afternoon evening? What are the elements that keep you happy and energized? Whatever it is, assess how to stay in that space for as long as possible.
Be more Mindful
Related to energy is happiness. As mentioned above, if you are in an exhausted, depressed, down, tired, or overwhelmed state, you're going to have low productivity, so knowing that helps you figure out if you need to step outside of your work, productivity, flow, and work on recharging your energy and happiness levels or two if you need to choose some things that are more housekeeping, actions that get things done. But data suggest focusing on the most important things is the most important thing to do the things with the biggest outcomes. Therefore, focusing on getting your happiness and energy equilibrium back is a priority over any of these small mundane tasks.
Set Boundaries on your time
What you do and how you use your hours in the day ultimately comes down to you. While you may have work and family obligations, it does not mean you must say yes to everything. You may need to do a task, but you can do it in your own time and way that makes you more effective.
Need to cook meals - try batch cooking.
Need to create reports - block the best time for your concentration.
And the best time saver, say no. Say no to meetings you don't need to attend. Social calendar events that bring you no joy. And sometimes, you even need to say 'no' to yourself. You don't want to let others bully you into using your precious time unwisely - so don't do it to yourself.
Give yourself grace. Time management and productivity take a lot of work. We have things we need to do, want to do, and time to take for ourselves.
Use Tech Effectively
ChatGPT has revolutionized how we create content. This amazing tool can save you time and money. However, be sure to learn how to use it effectively to ensure that your voice and unique view point are coming through. After the novelty wears off, people may tire of computer generated generic content. But you can find ways to use tools like ChatGPT and make it your own. Youtube has some very good ‘hack’ videos showing how to customize the tone, language, and content of ChatGPT.
But user beware, check the tone, voice and statements, since the tool can produce outdated or harmful content.
ChatGPT is not connected to the internet, and it can occasionally produce incorrect answers. It has limited knowledge of world and events after 2021 and may also occasionally produce harmful instructions or biased content.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a phrase that has come to define the ever-expanding networks of physical items that are online, linked, and capable of interacting and exchanging information with one another and with us. It is expected the number of connected devices will exceed 30 billion. Smartphones, routers, TV sets, wearables, and consumer electronics will be connected, enabling remote monitoring and control. This will enable companies to access and analyze vast amounts of data, which can be used to make informed decisions and improve productivity.
For example, companies can use data collected from the IoT to manage the supply chain better, create more efficient processes, and monitor employee productivity. This will also result in a more connected workplace, where everyone can work in real-time and access information from anywhere. This can help teams remain productive even when people are working from different locations.
Big data and analytics technologies are becoming increasingly important in the workplace. In the coming years, we expect these technologies to become even more pervasive, with data becoming an integral part of decision-making. Data-driven decision-making can help managers spot problems before they become too costly or time-consuming to fix, thus improving overall productivity.
Flex your Work
Increased flexibility in working arrangements is a trend that started in 2020 and is one that experts say will continue into the future. While some companies are demanding a return to office and business as usual, more adaptive companies have understood the value of remote work on employee satisfaction and cost reductions related to office expenses. For this reason, many companies continue to be more open to remote and virtual work options. This enables staff to work flexible schedules and will allow them to accommodate different lifestyles. Studies have shown that providing employees more freedom can help them be more productive and effective in the long-term.
As technology advances, more businesses will realize the potential of hiring remote employees. Tools that enhance collaboration continue to be a major influence in a more adaptive and responsive workforce. Products such as Monday and Trello help organize teams regardless of location or work hours (see my video on top tools for project teams for more examples of how these tools improve teams).
Furthermore, remote work eliminates the 'cube culture' and encourages collaboration among team members. Finally, it also gives employees more freedom and flexibility, which can result in higher job satisfaction and improved performance.
All of these traits have been shown to improve work efficiency and efficiency. But more importantly, building these ways of working into your life will make you happier and healthier overall.