Now’s a perfect opportunity to renew your focus on what matters in life. If late nights at work and hectic weekend work deadlines have been the norm, make the remainder of the year about achieving better work-life balance.
The most productive people don’t magically have more hours in the day to get everything done. Most of the time, their secret to success is the art of efficiency — working smarter, not harder.
Incorporate the following simple tips into your day and you may find yourself spending less time at work and more time doing the things you love.
Focus on one task at a time
You may think multitasking makes you a more efficient worker. On the contrary, trying to type an email while on a conference call while brainstorming a new business idea only makes your brain work harder to switch between different tasks. This slows down your thinking and makes errors more likely.
Instead, commit to working on one thing at a time. Close your email window and put your phone in a drawer so you aren’t tempted to respond to any messages. Set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on that one task until your alarm goes off. Even small increments can make a difference in boosting your productivity.
Track your to-dos
A to-do list is essential for productivity, in more ways than one. Keeping a mental note of everything you need to take care of, from bills to kids’ school schedules to work meetings, can be exhausting and distract you when you’re trying to focus on any one task. Writing down everything you need to do helps combat distraction and allows you to prioritize your tasks accordingly.
You can use a simple Post-it or journal to write your to-dos, or take advantage of the many technology-enabled options out there. Project management tools such as Trello or Asana allow you to keep track of projects and assign tasks to team members, while apps such as Evernote act as a virtual repository for you to write down thoughts, save websites, articles, photos and more.
Prioritize and delegate
Part of working smarter is knowing that not all tasks are created equal. Some of the items on your to-do list need to be taken care of sooner rather than later. Some will require more effort and brainpower. Some will need your specific expertise, while others can easily be handled by someone else.
Identify your most important tasks, organize them by deadline, and make a plan to tackle between 1 and 3 every day. Then, identify which tasks you can delegate and who you can hand them off to, and start handing these projects off. Organizing your to-do list in this manner allows you to break down your tasks into more manageable chunks.
Take breaks
It may seem like in order to get more done in less time, you need to work nonstop from the moment you get to work until you leave. On the contrary, taking breaks throughout your workday helps improve your mood and gives you a chance to refocus. Go for a 5-minute walk, eat lunch with coworkers instead of at your desk, and don’t be afraid to put aside a project for the day if you get a mental block. Chances are, you’ll come back to your work with renewed focus that allows you to get the job done right.