With such a short window of time before the summer sizzle, it’s common for us office dwellers to get a little spring fever. If you or your co-workers are experiencing this, here are 12 tips our creative team uses to boost productivity.
1. MAKE A REASONABLE TO-DO LIST
Don’t make an unrealistic list of tasks to complete in one workday. To-do lists often fail because we make them way too complex or the tasks are unequal.
2. SET SMALL GOALS FOR THE TASKS
Once you start breaking down the individual tasks and realizing what can be accomplished, you’ll notice how each part builds upon the other. One of the easiest and most practical things you can do is to break down your marketing project into smaller goals.
3. PRIORITIZE YOUR PROJECTS
One way to do this is through the 90-90-1 rule. Commit the first 90 minutes of your day for 90 days to the most important task. This will help focus your priorities before the day even really gets going.
4. TRACK YOUR TIME AND LOOK FOR PATTERNS
Tracking your time, even if no one is asking you for it, can help you understand your work habits and the time of day when you finish work most successfully. If you simply rearrange some of those things, you may be able to get more done.
5. CREATE A DASHBOARD
List out the number of times that you do certain tasks each week. The goal here is to record inputs, not just outcomes. This is especially useful for social media gurus who need to tweet or write a certain number of LinkedIn posts each week.
6. DISCOVER YOUR TWO PEAK HOURS
It’s suggested that we should find at least two hours each day to dive into the harder strategic work. The rest of the time may be left for meetings or less important tasks. This will allow you to schedule less-strategic tasks during hours when you’re not as engaged.
7. TIDY UP AND THROW STUFF OUT
Believe it or not, a clean workspace helps you be more productive. You’ll save time by not having to hunt for what you need. You’ll also get more clarity and focus for your tasks at hand.
8. WALK AWAY
Try to find time to walk at least once a day. That could be around the parking lot, up and down flights of stairs or in a nearby park. This isn’t about getting fit or losing weight. Exercise helps you be more productive because it increases blood flow and cardiovascular health. You’ll return to your desk more focused and less anxious.
9. FOLLOW THE TWO-PIZZA RULE
Meetings can slow or stall momentum, especially when there are too many in attendance. If you have to order more than two pizzas to feed those in the meeting, there are too many people in the conference room. Not enough ideas will get shared. If you decrease the number, more vibrant ideas should emerge.
10. GROUP SIMILAR TASKS TOGETHER
When we are switching back and forth between tasks, we create a lack of fluidity. Starting and stopping over and over again decreases productivity. All of those small moments add up and break our concentration. Then we get distracted and forget what we were doing in the first place. By grouping similar tasks together, you will decrease the number of times you have to break focus or flow.
11. DO YOUR MOST IMPORTANT TASKS BEFORE LUNCH
Projects with the tightest deadlines should be done first. Some days you may be working straight through lunch, but make sure you get done what absolutely needs to get done today.
12. MANAGE YOUR TIME WITH EMAIL
Spending too much time in your email inbox can drain your time and energy. Pick a few times a day, maybe in the morning, at noon and once around 5:00 to check your email. If you don’t, your priorities will take a back seat to your e-mails.