Whether you work for yourself or for a company, you are likely very aware of the idea that time is money. The more productive and efficient you are with the time you have, the better you’ll be able to work and reach your goals. This is especially vital for people who own their own businesses, as this directly affects their bottom line.
So, how can you make sure that you’re as productive as possible during the workday, both in the office and at home?
Scheduling Your Time
The best way to make better use of your time is to keep track of how you use it now, then you can see where you might need to make some adjustments. Time tracking software is a great tool for employers and business owners alike to see what they and their employees are doing with their time.
When creating your schedule, you can factor in your ideal work routine depending on how you work best. For example, time blocking is a scheduling technique that encourages you to group certain tasks together. Rather than scattering different tasks throughout the day, you can focus on one type of task at a time, like responding to all of your emails in a block of time, or doing administrative tasks.
A schedule also makes sure that you’re more organized as you work and that everything that needs to get done is finished before the deadlines, so no projects or clients get left behind. You should also set yourself goals for each project, breaking them down into smaller jobs so you can track your progress.
Take Regular Breaks
When scheduling your work, one thing to remember is to include plenty of breaks. While it seems counterintuitive, breaks can have a huge positive impact on how productive you are throughout the day. It’s easy to forget that we’re not robots, but we’re humans, which means that we need opportunities to rest and recover.
There are a few productivity techniques that integrate regular breaks in the workflow, allowing you to make sure you take breaks when you need to. The Pomodoro technique, for example, integrates blocks of 25 minutes of work time, with brief rest breaks in between. After four blocks of this, you then take a longer break.
Another technique involves working for 52 minutes at a time, then taking a 17-minute break, and repeating this throughout the day. You will need to take a longer break for lunch or other reasons, but this can allow you to focus far more during the 52-minute work session, and then you have enough time to go for a short walk, get a drink, or otherwise rest on your break.
Another thing to consider is what you should do during your breaks. Playing games like solitaire is a great way to refresh your mind without feeling like you’re switching off completely. The quick game modes are also good for short breaks, because you won’t risk getting drawn into a longer game.
It can also help to walk around, do some stretches, or try to talk to someone who is also on their break or not busy. Movement is much better for your health and can prevent you from getting uncomfortable after sitting for long periods.
Have an Appropriate Desk Setup
Speaking of getting uncomfortable, you should also make sure that your desk is set up for as comfortable and as productive a work routine as possible. There are a few ways you can do this.
Ergonomic desk chairs are a fantastic start, especially if you find yourself sitting in the same position for hours on end. You need a chair that can support your back and that won’t cause back or neck problems over time. You can also consider getting an ergonomic desk or even a standing desk so you can be more comfortable.
You also need to make sure that your monitor is at the right level for you to look at it without straining your neck too much. An extra monitor can do a lot to help you be even more productive, because you don’t have to tab-swap anywhere near as often. All the information you need can be on display as and when you need it.
Productivity Software
Another good way to boost your productivity is by looking at different software that can help you. As mentioned before, time tracking and management apps can help you to block your time more effectively, so you can focus on each task at a time.
Other apps and software might include organizational software to tell you what you need to do in each day, as well as organizing and storing the data you have. This can massively cut down on your admin work, allowing you to focus on tasks that need your attention rather than a backlog of organizational tasks.
The more organized you are, the more time you will save in the long run, which means you can get more done and move on to new projects.
Working in a Team
Depending on your field, you may work much better with other people. Even as a sole trader, you may find that you’re more productive when you hire other contractors to take on small tasks that would otherwise take away from your valuable time.
For example, if you run a business making and selling products, you may want to hire someone to manage your social media marketing, rather than having to do all of that yourself. This is a smarter use of your time and your skills, because you can focus on the things you’re actually good at, rather than busywork that needs doing, but that you don’t excel in.
One of the most important ways to improve your productivity is to work out when, where, and how you would benefit the most from outsourcing certain tasks or even projects to other people. This can help you take on more clients and grow your business.
