A Final Thought

Productivity: work smarter, not harder!

by HELEN MANCHIP, BR6Life

Ok so you’ve had a bit of a break over the summer, have put things to one side and now you’re feeling the overwhelm of what you have to do. Is it you putting unnecessary pressure on yourself or do these jobs need to get done right now?

Perhaps you are reading this article BUT you really should be getting on with a work matter that you keep putting off - the total art of procrastination! You are not alone - we all do it.

So here are five pointers to help you become productive, keep you motivated and work smarter, not harder…

# Focus on most important tasks first

MIT’S = Most Important Tasks. At the beginning of your day choose 1–3 MITs - the things that, no matter what, you need to finish by the end of the day. By focusing on just a few things that are important, it’s easier to create a meaningful to-do list, and make sure those MIT’s get done!

# Keep a distraction list to stay focused

We have all been there, deep in middle of a project then suddenly a social media distraction comes along, a thought that we need to call someone, pay an invoice etc… so simply just keep a spreadsheet or a piece of paper to hand and jot down your ideas/distractions and deal with them after the job you have in hand is done.

# Break tasks into smaller pieces

Do some of your jobs seem too daunting? Maybe you don’t even know where to start? Start by breaking the job down into smaller to-do jobs and then it won’t seem so daunting.

# Don’t multitask

Do you multitask? If you do, then perhaps you need to rethink. Every time you switch your focus between two things, you have to re-focus on the new task. Because it takes a few minutes to get up to speed on a task, these ‘switching costs’ make multitasking extremely inefficient. However, if you’re cleaning your home while listening to an audiobook/podcast, you’re probably going to be ok. The reason being is that the two tasks - cleaning and listening - don’t use the same mental resources. But if you’re writing an email while trying to follow the words in a podcast, both tasks are competing for your language resources so your work will slow down and quality will suffer. Plus it also saps your energy and makes your brain more tired, which means that you slow yourself down on future tasks too.

Simple ways to stop multitasking

• Close the tab with your email • Mute Slack/Trello, email and any social media notifications • Don’t respond to calls whilst emailing, writing, typing or researching

# Recharge

Templates, tactics and prioritisation can all help, but they won’t help if you aren’t taking care of yourself. You need to spend time recharging. That means getting enough sleep every night, exercising and eating healthily. Take time to get outside and get some fresh air. Taking care of your healthy habits is a crucial part of efficient work habits.

I hope you enjoyed the read, and if you’d like to be accountable for your productivity then why not join us for free weekly ‘Productivity Pod’ sessions on Zoom. You’ll be amazed at how much you can get achieved in our two-hour ‘Deep Dive’ sessions! Email us at productivitypod@post.com to register.

Quick productivity tips

• Manage your time well • Make better to-do lists

• Take care of yourself • Be proactive • Know when to ask for help!

Caring Dental 19 Station Square Petts Wood 01689 664600

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Having been a local dentist for over 20 years, I would love to welcome you and your family to Caring Dental, our beautiful, new practice on Station Square, Petts Wood. With bespoke, modern facilities and a team of friendly dentists, hygienists and specialists, we can provide all your treatment needs under one roof. We look forward to seeing you! Dr Chris Prange and the Caring Dental team

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