Are you looking for tips on how to be more productive? You’re not the only one. Learners and working professionals are constantly on the hunt to manage tasks more efficiently. While there might not be a one size fits all approach, specific strategies can help increase productivity.
Five tips on how to be more productive
Many people have built entire businesses on building software to improve workflows, but what can you do in your everyday life to get more done? Here are five simple tips on how to be more productive.
1. Prioritise wellbeing
To get things done, you need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself first. This means making sure that you are eating well, exercising and prioritising your wellbeing. While the term “self-care” might be seen as indulgent, making sure your basic needs are met will go a long way to ensuring that you can be productive at work or when you are upskilling. Plus you’ll be a happier person as a result!
2. Get enough sleep
We all spend a lot of time behind a screen, which can affect our ability to get enough sleep. This is because the bright light on screens can affect our circadian rhythms, and make it difficult to drift off once you’ve decided to go to bed.
Looking at a screen might be an unavoidable part of your day, but it can be beneficial to avoid mindlessly scrolling through your phone right before bed. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can also help to establish a good sleep routine.
3. Tackle challenging tasks early in the day
Once you’ve made sure to prioritise sleep and wellbeing, one of the simple tips on how to be more productive is to tackle the most difficult tasks on your to-do list first thing in the morning. Mark Twain referred to this practice as “eating a live frog”, which means that you should do whatever you’re dreading most as soon as possible in the morning, to make sure that you get it done!
4. Use time management techniques
In our fast-paced and hyper-competitive world, there is a lot of pressure to perform and be productive, which can feel very stressful and overwhelming. However, there are also so many different tools available to help you manage your time, and a plethora of techniques and methods to help you become more efficient.
One easy and popular technique to use is the Pomodoro Method. This technique was developed using a plastic tomato kitchen timer and involves breaking up your day into manageable chunks of time while taking breaks after a certain number of “Pomodoros” have been completed. The premise is that you are more likely to complete tasks when you focus on them for a certain amount of uninterrupted time.
Apart from the Pomodoro Method, there are many other ways to approach time management, including Kanban and SMART goals, which you can read more about online.
5. Keep experimenting and learning
With so many different ways to manage your time and goals, it can be difficult to know where to start. Apart from managing your own productivity, if you’re a manager or business leader, there is also the productivity of your company and teams to worry about.
However, by following some of the tips we mentioned above, you’ll be able to lay a firm foundation for managing your own time and productivity. This can set the tone for learning more about how to find ways to encourage, motivate and promote productivity in those around you.
You can do this by taking courses in management and leadership techniques, and educating yourself more about the roles and responsibilities that managers and business leaders need to navigate. If you’re a full-time student, this is the perfect opportunity to gain a more holistic insight into business management, so you can experiment and learn before entering the workplace.
Improve your management and leadership skills
There are many different tips on how to be more productive you can follow, so it’s all about learning what works best for you. If you are looking to learn some tried and tested techniques for improving productivity and boosting efficiency in your teams and business, you can learn the relevant management and leadership skills at SACAP Global.
In Intro to Management and Leadership, you’ll gain more practical skills on how to manage and lead a business. This includes learning about decision-making techniques and models, which relate to better time management, and ultimately better productivity!
If you’d like to expand on your management and leadership skills, you can also sign up for Intro to Business Environments. In this course, you’ll learn more about how to navigate the multifaceted aspects of a business, which can help to hone your approach to time management and decision-making.
For more information about these specialised short courses, be sure to get in touch with us, and browse the short course listings on our site.