Productivity improvement is a choice, If you are reading this that testifies that you are open to learning and change but let me make one thing clear to you, I learned and consistently applied it still some time I come to square one, but you need not worry it happens with everybody. Change is difficult but not impossible.
“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill, the willingness to change is a choice”
1- What you will gain from this article?
i‑You will stop wasting your time instead you will value your & others time.
ii-You will easily achieve your planned task.
iii-You will be organised & have sense of accomplishment.
iv- You will achieve more by doing minimum activities.
2‑What kills productivity ?
Before I take you on the journey of productivity improvement let us do some self questioning and understands our activities which actually make us less productive. You dnt achieve more no matter how much effort you put in to your work, this is because,
1- Imbalance of body & mind
2‑Doing multi tasking & being busy.
3‑Lack of priorities.
3‑Productivity improvement steps.
i- Healthy body & mind is foundation of productivity.
To start with productivity improvement the foundation should be solid e.g A building to be strong enough for years its foundation base has to be strong enough to hold the load, now think of your body as foundation and to be productive your foundation has to be strong without which your body & mind will not function properly.
Sleep- Have you noticed when you dnt have enough sleep the next day you feel tired , lazy, you cnt concentrate on any work, you get irritated easily, this is because your body has not got proper rest therefore shows these signs.
What to do?As per science minimum 8 hrs sleep is required for proper functioning of the body, some people might need less but on an average 8 hrs is required.
Nutrition- Your body & brain need nutrients if you are eating any thing to fill your stomach it will only help to curb your hunger and not proper functioning of your mind & body as per science there are lot of foods which boost concentration, and energy level.
What to do? Eat foods like almond, dates , drink green tea which is known for boosting concentration and energy level.
Exercise- Lack of physical & mental activity destroys concentration and energy.
What to do?- Any physical exercise will do, however I suggest you to try alternate nostril breathing which I have tried & found effective.
ii-Avoid multi tasking.
Lot of people have a habit of doing multiple task at the same time like , talking on phone and working on computer, cooking while talking on phone and they think themselves very productive because they do lot of things in short time but in reality they are damaging their brains and quality of work.
What to do? focus on one task at a time and then move on to another by doing this, you can fully focus on each task well.
iii- Understanding your optimal working time.
If you are a student , programmer or writer then probably you know what is the best time for you to study , writing codes or writing articles respectively our mind & body are different some will be more active in evening, some in early morning & some in afternoon.
What to do? you have to understand your best time when your mind & body is active , choose this time for your important task.
iv Keeping distraction at minimum.
Distraction leads to lack of concentration which hampers productivity, the biggest culprit is smart phones you get notifications( messages, emails, calls) which keeps you checking your device every 5 to 10 min.
What to do?- While you are on a task you can switch off notification or simply switch off the internet.
v- Plan your day & do important task first.
Doing task as an when it arrives is bad idea, I know there will be times where a certain task will demand your immediate attention however planning of important task in advance will help a lot in achieving greater out put and please do not make a huge list of to do list , choose the important few.
Delegate
You are not a super man therefore you cannot do all things on your own,you need to think and understand the task which is important &needs to be done first and then delegate certain task to others to do it on your be half.
These activities has helped me a lot in being focused & productive by doing only what is important and delegating the rest which gives me time for other activities.
Note ‑It will only work when you apply it in your daily activities
You can use “to do apps” to help you manage your time well, there are many to choose from use couple of them and see which suits you better, I use google keep as I am hooked to android ecosystem.
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