Who doesn’t want to get more work done in as little time as possible? If your answer is yes but you are having a hard time achieving this aim, then grab a cup of coffee and stick around. (1)
We have listed 8 tested and trusted tricks that will help you get more work done in no time. You can find more such tricks at self help websites such as Tools for motivation. The best part is that they are easy to follow and workable. Let’s take a look at them:
- Set up a routine
Many of us love the idea of flexibility. It’s not always easy to create a routine and be consistent with it. But if you really want to be more productive, it’s time you make up your mind to toe this path. Creating a routine will help you get more done than when you have put none in place. For instance, you can set aside 8 AM to 1 PM as the time you get to tackle your daily tasks that have to do with working on your laptop. It doesn’t matter if you work in an office or at home, making sure that nothing else interferes between this period will help you get a lot done. Just make sure you are sited on your desk by 8 AM and won’t get up except for bathroom breaks. Do this for one week and compare it to the previous week when you didn’t have a routine in place. You will find the reason to continue.
- Face the most challenging task first
The secret to getting more done in a day is to tackle challenging tasks head-on. If you are like most people, then your energy level is at its peak in the morning. And this is your best shot at following on up those tasks that are the hardest. Ever heard of the term: “face your fears”? This is so true and applies to this situation. Once you can attend and get done with the hardest task for the day, you will find that other tasks will be easier to tackle. To determine what your hardest task for the day is, make a list of all the things you are to do for the day and prioritize them according to their level of difficulty.
- Break the most challenging task into mini-tasks
Sometimes, we dread starting something simply because the task looks daunting. And this happens to the best of us. Once, you are faced with such a situation, what you have to do is to look for the easier part of the task. The idea here is to start with the part that seems less demanding, and before you know it, you will move into the tougher part without knowing it. Starting with the easier part of the task will give you the needed momentum and sense of achievement you need to tackle the rest of the task.
- Socialize/Share ideas
Sometimes when you are stuck with a particular task, you might get some inspiration when you socialize. This could be as simple as walking from your office to a colleague’s office for some short chatting. It helps to relieve you of the tension and stress and might help you get another perspective. Writers who experience writer’s block usually find that going to an online community or forum that they belong to seek new ideas often helps them get past the block.
5. Get rid of distractions
It might look like we are suggesting that you socialize and at the same time ask you to isolate on the same breath. Whole socializing might work for some people, it might not work for everyone. If you find that going on social media like Facebook takes you off your task, make sure you don’t open your browser until you are done with the main task. If your distraction is your TV or phone, move away from them until you have gotten through some task for the day. And if your distraction is your family or friends, then you need to find someplace away from them.
- Don’t focus on perfection initially
Ask a writer how he or she gets to have a lot of writing done in as little time as possible. You will hear something like: “I just went off with the idea that came to my head and ran with it.” Waiting to have all the ideas in one place might take longer than necessary. But jotting down points, or simply writing as the inspiration flows will have you get a lot done initially. This is not the time to focus on perfection (except your job requires that you are 100% sure all the time, as doctors and scientists). It’s easier to go through the work you have done and make the corrections than wait until every line and step is perfect before moving to another task.
- Be conscious of time
Intentionally keep track of what you have achieved every 15 to 30 minutes. If you find that keeping to a routine or setting aside some hours to get some work done is not your thing, you can try keeping track of time and what you have achieved so far. This will remove the sense of being tied to a routine or stuck in the job for some hours.
- Have a reward system in place
A reward could be anything; binging on your phone and following up on social media gist, going to the cinema to watch that blockbuster movie, or taking a trip to ease off the stress. Whatever your fancy, knowing that you have something to look forward to rewarding yourself will help motivate you to get that job done. Just tie the reward to the accomplished tasks. (2)
Final thoughts!
We have listed out 8 tricks that can effectively help you get more work done. But not all of them will work for you. Stick to the ones that work and then keep working on it until you can adopt more strategies. Whatever you do, leave procrastination and start off today not tomorrow.
