For many, work can be a slog. Whether you’re in the office or in a retail store, your mind goes into autopilot at the worst time possible. 

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We all know the importance of good work productivity, but we feel that the workload is simply too much to “go with the flow.” Though you might have a lengthy to-do list, there are ways to check everything off without completely losing your mind. 

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Here’s how you can enhance your work productivity. 

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Try an Age-Old Classic 

Productivity hacks are all the rage. But like all trends or fads, there will always be certain staples to work productivity. 

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Enter the Pomodoro timer, an age-old classic of work productivity. For those who don’t know, the Pomodoro technique is a time management method that breaks work into intervals in 30-or-60-minute increments (work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Double that if you prefer an hourly model). 

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Adopting the Pomodoro technique gives your workday greater stability and flexibility. More importantly, it gives you time to breathe. 

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Those 25 or 50 minutes can fly by, and those precious few minutes of break time can give you some clarity to tackle the next task. 

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The Pomodoro technique makes you work smarter, not harder. Embrace this work productivity staple for a smoother work day. 

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Put Your Phone Away 

We’ve all done it. It’s the middle of the day and you’re on an all-time work productivity streak. You’re completing those tasks at the speed of light with fantastic attention to detail. Simply put: you’re on a roll. 

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Then your phone rings (or vibrates for our librarian readers). It can be a text or social media notification. You check it and — before you know it — you’ve already scrolled through an hour’s worth of posts. So long, work productivity. 

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We all know how truly wonderful our phones are. When used right, they are a bicycle for the mind, to quote Steve Jobs. They can jumpstart creativity and innovation. However, our social media apps beg to differ, giving us the internet equivalent of empty calories.

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The solution is simple: put your phone away. If you’re in an office, place it in a drawer or the other side of your office away from you. 

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For our work-from-home readers, put your phone in a separate room or somewhere where it can’t distract you. 

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The initial phone withdrawals will come in waves, but you’ll be a better and more efficient worker because of it. 

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Schedule Out Tasks

If you work in an office, you know the importance of scheduling. Everything revolves around time management, whether it’s meetings, deadlines, or even celebratory lunches. 

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Give your work productivity the same kind of focus. If you have several tasks to complete by the end of day, it makes sense to schedule your day accordingly. 

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Don’t start your day by barrelling into a single task and go wherever the Teams notifications take you. Sure, you have a lot on your plate, but finishing everything halfway for the sake of time only gives you an illusion of progress. 

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Sometimes your work day doesn’t feel long enough (hard to believe, right?) and it feels like you can’t get everything done on by the end. That’s perfectly fine, so long as you maintain steady and consistent productivity. 

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Schedule your day and give those tasks your all. If you can help it, stay within those parameters and move on to the next one. This will only work if you keep tabs on your progress. Stay on top of things and make sure you can see that light at the end of the work productivity tunnel. 

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Take One Thing at a Time

Contrary to popular belief, multitasking is not as cool as you think it is. Being able to walk and chew gum at the same time won’t get you far if you don’t give each task your undivided attention. 

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Yes, you likely have a lot on your plate, deadlines to meet, and meetings to attend. Time is of the essence and it often feels like you don’t have enough of it. 

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The best way to get work done is to, well, get the work done. Rome was not built in a day, and that blog or annual report won’t generate out of mid-air. It requires you to start from scratch and go from there. 

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Eventually, the page will be filled and all those charts and graphs will make up your presentation. What matters is you focus your attention on one thing at a time. 

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It’s like cleaning a room: start with one area and work your way through the entire place. Before you know it, the essay is done, the room is clean, and the puzzle is complete — all it takes is taking it one step at a time. 

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Get the Hardest Task Done First 

No one likes eating their vegetables first, but we know it’s the right thing to do. The workday can give you a sense of dread for various reasons: that Monday meeting, that one-on-one with your manager, or that super-important presentation. 

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It’s human nature to push those off to the last minute. Why willingly go through something difficult when you can coast by for now, right? 

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But we all know that never works. That delayed dread only grows into more stress and a heavier workload, so knock that hard task out first thing in the morning. 

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Not only does this work from a logistical perspective, but it puts you in a clearer work headspace. If you finish the most difficult task first, the rest of the day feels is a breeze by comparison. 

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Work productivity is all about consistency. The most productive workers are in a flow as they go from one task to another. Though it feels like venturing into the unknown, finish your most difficult task first to make the rest of the day a little easier.

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Conclusion  

You have things to do and seemingly not enough time. Establishing excellent work productivity habits gives you the best shot at tackling everything on your to-do list. 

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You can’t climb Everest in a single step. Truly good work is done through consistency and an unwavering good ethic. 

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Try out these work productivity hacks to make the most out of your workday. The results will follow in due time. 

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