Workplace Efficiency

12 Ways To Reach New Heights in Workplace Efficiency

If you want to be as efficient as possible in the workplace, there are some changes you can probably make to how you do things currently. This is all about changing your attitude and routines to reflect what you’d like to achieve, and getting into good habits to ensure you can stick to your new routine for the foreseeable.

Avoid Multitasking

Start by avoiding multitasking. Attempting to do multiple things at once might feel like you’re getting more done, but in reality, you’re just slowing yourself down. If you were to focus your attention on one task at a time, you’d likely be able to get it done much faster and to a higher standard.

Focus on The Most Important Tasks First

Prioritize just 3 important tasks that you need to get done by the end of the day and focus on those. Don’t distract yourself with smaller tasks that aren’t essential, or you might end up doing unimportant things all day long. You could still claim you were ‘busy’, but the fact is you wouldn’t have gotten anything done that you were supposed to do. Just pick 3 things and get them done, and the rest of the day should be a breeze.

Stay Away From Things That Will Clutter Your Mind

There are numerous things we come into contact with day to day that could clutter your mind. For example, looking at your emails, replying to messages back and forth, and scrolling social media. These things will distract you and stop you from getting the things done that you really need to get done. Schedule a time for emails and even social media if you have to, but try to leave the earliest part of the day free for your most important work.

Cultivate Deep Work

Cultivating deep work can take practice. Unfortunately, there’s not always anything you can do to make deep work easier. It requires time and mental effort, so schedule it in at the same time each day to make it a habit. You should get comfortable with feeling bored, too. Being bored and frustrated often causes us to seek out distractions, and this is why deep work rarely gets done.

Pick a time and try to do your deep work at the same time each day to make it a habit. Doing it in the morning is often best as there are fewer distractions and your attention tends to be more focused.

Don’t Be Available

You don’t have to be available every time somebody wants your attention. You don’t need to be immediately available when they send you an email, a text, or even a phone call. Obviously if this is part of your job then it can be tough, but if it’s not imperative, avoid responding to all messages and calls until the most important part of your work is done.

Find The Ideal Working Space

Having a great working space is a must if you’re going to get things done. It’s not always a good idea to work from just anywhere if you can work remotely. Working in your bedroom for example, can make you feel too relaxed. Working in a noisy living or lounge area can be too distracting. You still need somewhere that is going to make you feel like you have to work.

Looking at CBD serviced offices might be a good idea if you’re looking for somewhere to suit your business venture. The great thing about this kind of office is that you will have access when you need it and everything will be done for you – you can even have somebody answering the phones and taking messages.

Keep A Distraction List so You Can Stay Focused

Important thoughts may crop up while you’re attempting the deep work. These thoughts can be tough to ignore, so keep a distraction list. Simply write down the thing you thought of on the list and then go back to your work. When you’re finished, you can do the thing on your list. You won’t feel such an urgency to drop what you’re doing and get distracted this way, either.

Break Down Tasks Into A Single Next Step

Oftentimes, people procrastinate on their work because it all seems too big. If this sounds like you, then just break tasks down into a single next step. Break them down into as many steps as you need to for them to seem manageable.

Schedule Breaks

Breaks are important too. In fact, short breaks make you more productive. If you’re not scheduling in your breaks, you may not be getting enough. The pomodoro technique is a great technique that people can use to get more done. This technique advocates 25 minute blocks of work with 5 minute breaks, at least 4 times until a longer break is needed. This could help you to stay focused as you know that another break is coming in no time.

Avoid Making Decisions About Things That Aren’t Important

The most successful people avoid making too many decisions. They’ll wear the same thing every day, and even eat the same things so they don’t have to make decisions. They save all of their decision making power for the things that truly matter.

Let Go Of Perfection

Perfection is a waste of your energy. Perfectionists are often crippled by their need to get things ‘just right’, but they never actually feel like anything is good enough. Just let good enough be good enough and move on to the next thing. You’re likely way too hard on yourself.