Become a productivity master in 2022

A great number of task management books, articles, and elaborations have already been written on how to become a productivity master. A human being is not a machine and procrastination is a fact, but when there are financial benefits employees are likely to be more effective and engaged at work. There are important tips on how to act to boost productivity and prioritize work.

1. Establish priorities to become a productivity master

Do you know that feeling when you have no time for anything and you are working all the time but your to-do list is not getting shorter? The basis for high productivity is prioritizing tasks and sticking to them. Divide tasks into important and urgent ones and less important ones from the perspective of a day, week, or month and your superior's perspective as well. Decide which tasks should be done without delays and which can wait. This will help you focus on the goal.

It is worth mentioning the Pareto principle, stating that 20% of habits are responsible for 80% of results. This has its reflection in your work, too. The trick is to find this 20% of actions that are responsible for most of the results. If you do, you can focus only on them.

2. Start with the most demanding task

This is the one task that you will procrastinate on. You know that it will take you a lot of time and you think, meanwhile, you can catch up with other smaller matters or you just do not like to do it. If you force yourself to do the task, though, its completion will be a prize in and of itself. Leaving it for the end of the day will herald the entire day of awareness that the task is waiting for you, or maybe for one of your co-workers whom you have to delegate it, which is stressful and discouraging.

3. Combine similar tasks

Do you have to make several phone calls? Do it all at once, one after another. You have to go to HR, print something, etc. Go to those places in one go. You will save time by doing comparable tasks in one session.

4. Keep track of your deadlines

If the deadline is not imposed from above, set one yourself. Determine exactly how much time you need and the date when you plan to complete the task. Tasks management without specified deadlines can stall for eternity. Try not to exceed the set deadline, avoid procrastination and draw conclusions if you fail. On the other hand, if the deadline is imposed beforehand, try to set yourself a tighter one. This will give you a safety buffer for any necessary adjustments or explanations of doubts with your contractor.

5. Take frequent breaks

Even if you are in the midst of tasks and you postpone them for later, remember: do take a break. It is important to give your brain some rest. Stop for a moment, walk for a bit, and stretch your body. Working with 5–10 minute breaks every hour will help you work with energy for the entire day. Give your eyes a break as well. It is recommended to close them or look at some distant point for 20 seconds every 20 minutes in front of the screen.

6. Start with the vision

Your mental image of the task execution allows you to plan for all of its stages. The path through which the task is carried out frequently changes; after all, there are many factors over which we have no control. But the very vision of finishing the task will motivate you to work on it. Depending on whether penalties or rewards work better for you, choose visualization with negative or positive results. By creating an image of success in your mind, you somewhat program yourself to achieve it.

7. Stay away from multitasking

One of the things that reduce our productivity is doing multiple tasks at once and quickly switching between them. There is a phenomenon known as the "saw-blade effect": if you break away from the task you are performing, even for a moment, you will need additional time to work at it efficiently again. When you work the best, you find yourself on top of the cutting disc tooth, and when you break away from the task, you fall between those teeth and some time has to pass before you climb that top again. If you work at a computer, close programs that you do not use anymore and any tabs that distract you. It is better to focus on one thing.

8. Understand and allow yourself to be understood

Most people do not listen with the intention of understanding, but to reply. Before you propose a solution, give advice, or start to act, make sure that you have understood the sense and perspective of the other person. Usually, we focus on being understood. If you write messages or delegate instructions, do not do it laconically. Trying to figure out what is on your mind is a waste of time for others. On the other hand, overly verbose descriptions are also undesirable as well. Strike the balance between these two.

9. Tell others what you want to do

Sharing your goals with others makes you feel more motivated to achieve them. A kind of positive pressure to act shows up. After all, we do not want to come off poorly to others, so we try even harder.

10. Do not avoid difficult topics

Sometimes it is difficult to express your opinion openly. It is avoided for fear of the breakdown of good relationships. It happens that if certain topics are not picked up and certain problems indicated in time, they can accumulate and explode with redoubled strength. Do not linger on the subject.

11. Make use of technology

There are many solutions on the market that help in increasing productivity. Make friends with the ones that benefit you most. Do not waste time working on inefficient equipment. Surround yourself with new solutions, test them, and become a productivity master.