In today’s world, many young professionals struggle to balance all of the responsibilities they hold. This can be overwhelming and leave you trapped in a cycle of constantly feeling like you are behind. Fortunately, there are tried and true management tactics that will help make you more productive. When you’re working smarter instead of harder, you’re achieving your personal and professional goals. That not only leads to a feeling of accomplishment but also enables you to better tend to your health and well-being. If you can change the way you think about your daily tasks, you can increase your productivity once and for all.
Stop Multitasking
Though many people like to think they’re good at it, the human brain actually isn’t built for multitasking. When you multitask you might feel like you’re being more productive, but that actually couldn’t be further from the truth. Your brain is designed to focus on one complex task at a time. Only after it has completed one train of thought can it fully dedicate itself to another one. When you multitask, you may be maintaining two trains of thought simultaneously, but neither of them will be running very well. In fact, your brain will be so busy switching back and forth between two different modes of thought, that it will be unlikely to effectively complete either task.
Multitasking is also very taxing on your brain. This means that you’ll end up feeling stressed out and overwhelmed much faster than if you were to focus on one task at a time. So remember, multitasking may feel productive, but it’s actually worse for productivity in virtually every way. You’ll feel exhausted faster, and the quality of work you complete while multitasking is worse.
Never Stop Learning
One way to be productive is to add new tools to your skill set or sharpen skills you haven’t used frequently. Thankfully, this is easier than ever before with the level of technology we have achieved. Online courses discussing just about any topic under the sun are available to complete from the comfort of your own home. Additionally, courses range in length, complexity, and cost, meaning everyone can find a course that is perfect for them. For example, you could take a course in leadership development consulting to learn how to effectively manage a team in the absence of a senior position holder.
Do Less
Many people confuse being busy with being productive, but there is a difference. Being busy means you have very little or even no free time throughout the day. On the other hand, being productive implies that you completed all of the necessary tasks for the day regardless of how long it takes. It is possible to be productive without being busy, just as it is possible to be busy without being productive. You can have a productive day that still leaves time for personal enjoyment.
This may sound counter-productive, but sometimes it is actually wise to lessen the load of tasks you have for your average day. Focus only on your priorities and remove everything else, such as unnecessary errands, from your schedule. After identifying what deserves your focus, make sure you give it 100% of your attention. To be more productive in the workspace, consider finding ways to streamline operations and free up time for higher priorities. For example, investing in an AI to automate your shipping processes would open up more time to focus on elements of the business that need human attention.
Start and End Your Day Right
The mindset we have when approaching a long day of work is one of the most crucial factors in deciding how we handle it. If you are tired, stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed there is a good chance that you’ll run out of steam before the end of the day. However, if you take the time to treat yourself properly, you’ll find that you might have much more energy than you expect. In order to prepare for a long day of work, you need to reevaluate your early morning and late night habits.
Take some time every night to prepare yourself for the next day. Everybody does this differently, so what’s important is that you find what works for you. For example, making a list of everything that needs to be completed the following day can help you wake up feeling organized and ready to start the day. But don’t immediately jump into a stressful day once you get out of bed. Remember to set yourself up for success by eating a healthy breakfast and taking a moment to relax.
By Uma Campbell
