Daily productivity is critical for everyone, whether you’re an entrepreneur looking for the next big opportunity, or an accountant trying to get everything in during tax season. However, being consistent is a lot harder than it sounds.
Fortunately, Omar Ascha, an experienced and driven finance professional, confirms that there’s a lot you can do to keep the ball rolling as smoothly as possible. Below, Mr. Ascha reveals 10 ways you can keep the productivity levels high, regardless of mood or energy:
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1. Be More Grateful
The daily grind gets to everyone eventually. Do something over and over again, and the love might fade, slowly replaced by a sense that you’re not getting anywhere. Reignite the spark by looking at everything you have to be grateful for. This look at your life and what you have going for you might just be what your morale needs to rise and push you forward.
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2. Create a Sense of Urgency
A sense of urgency isn’t just great for getting customers to make a decision – it’s also fantastic for lighting a fire under you and getting your engines going. Some people need that kind of situation to flourish, and if you’re one of those people, you might need to generate one for yourself to get going on a slow day. There are many ways to do so, but the most straightforward manner is to simply set aside less time for a task than you think you’ll need, and fill in the rest of your schedule with other things. This tight schedule will push you forward.
3. Read Faster
You’re likely going to need to do a lot of reading, regardless of your career, and it’s going to take a surprising amount of your time. Learning to speed read can make you a lot more efficient, and can stave off boredom because you’ll get done faster. As a bonus, it can free up much of your day to rest or to attack other essential tasks.
4. Group Similar Tasks Together
The more time you spend doing one thing, the easier it is to get into a rhythm. You get into a zone, where you feel little fatigue and perform at maximum capacity. However, it’s also easy to get knocked out of it if you keep switching tasks. Keep as much of your momentum throughout the day by grouping similar functions together, so you don’t make a massive mental leap between objectives.
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5. Apply the 50/10 Strategy
Time management is a critical factor in being more productive. Unfortunately, many believe that merely pushing and working non-stop is the key to getting more things done, which is untrue. You’re not a machine. You need breaks to rest and recharge, which means the only concern you have is scheduling those breaks. Many people elect to utilize the 50/10 strategy, which means working for 50 minutes out of each hour and resting for the last ten. If you find that you’ve hit a good rhythm, you can elect to work through those ten minutes and get even more things done.
6. Take Naps
Big hits of coffee might seem like a good idea, but taking it too late in the day can mangle your sleep schedule, making it a little counterproductive. A good alternative is to take a quick nap. Power naps to the tune of 20 minutes are ideal, but a quick ten-minute nap can do wonders for your energy and mental acuity.
7. Eliminate Needless Push Notifications
Push notifications on your phone are great when you’re chasing a specific flash sale, but they’re also huge distractions. They’re noticeable, which is what makes them useful notifications. They can knock you out of your rhythm, and since you likely use your phone for work-related applications, you can’t just put your mobile device away. Fortunately, you can just cut down on the apps allowed to give you notifications, so you’ve got fewer things on your mind.
8. Stick to Instrumentals
Working along to music is a tried-and-tested way of increasing productivity. It provides a rhythm and serves as white noise that allows people to focus. Unfortunately, many people elect to listen to songs with lyrics, which can quickly become a distraction. If you want to work to music, keep it instrumental to maximize its effect.
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9. Automate as Much as You Can
No matter what industry you’re in, there’s probably something about it you can automate. Writers can set up automatic cloud back-ups for their work, and accountants have software they can use that will automatically make calculations for them – the sky’s the limit. Look for something you do a lot, something that doesn’t require creativity and a lot of repetition, and look for a program that can do that for you.
10. Dump Subscriptions and Follows
Social media platforms make an effort to let you know whenever someone you’re following posts something new – it gives them extra value as platforms for personalities and influencers to ply their trade. However, if you’re not getting anything from them professionally or personally, it’s time to take them off your feed. You’d be surprised how much mental freedom you’ll get from merely not wondering if a new post has popped up.
It’s a rough world out there, and you’ll need to get more out of your work hours if you want to succeed. Learn to be a more productive person, and you’ll be a more successful person.
