3 Simple Tips to Make Your Workday More Productive
In today’s fast-paced business world it has become common to feel like we’re constantly short on time. On your daily commute to work, you will commonly see people replying emails, studying or reviewing their busy agendas. You might have also asked yourself how to be more efficient and optimise my workday. After doing some research and interviewing a few of our coworking clients across our London offices, the eOffice team has put together 3 simple tips that will help you maximise your productivity and save time at work.
Make the Most of Your Mornings
According to social psychologist Ron Friedman, the best time to focus and do your best work is during the first three hours of your day. Friedman told Harvard Business Review that we typically have a three-hour window where we’re really focused and in which we’re able to have some strong contributions in terms of planning, thinking, and speaking well.
This makes sense on different levels, starting with our sleep, as research confirms the brain is most active and creative immediately following sleep. At the same time, our willpower is at its highest too. So start your day with focus and clarity to make the most of your mornings, as they are precious for maximised productivity!
Be Where You Are
Quality over quantity is a simple concept taught to us throughout our formative years. In today’s fast working environment, favouring it fits like a square peg in a round hole. If you’re like most people, it is easy to get continuously distracted and your “working time” is not done at peak performance level. However, if you choose quality over quantity and you become more results-oriented, rather than “being busy,” you’re 100% on when you’re working and 100% off when you’re not. So, in the words of Dan Sullivan, “wherever you are, make sure you’re there”. Why do anything half-way? It will only take you longer and use twice the energy.
Keep Your Focus
Learning how to stay focus is rapidly becoming one of the main workplace challenges. You might blame technology or your coworkers for getting you distracted, but it really depends on you. But, how can you find your focus and sharpen your concentration in today’s chaotic world? Research has found that shorter but more intensive activity is more effective than a longer drawn-out performance. Your best work happens in short intensive spurts followed by high-quality rest and recovery, and curiously, your sharpest thinking and most creative insights actually happen while you are away from work, “recovering”. People tend to get the best solutions and inspiration while they’re at home cooking dinner, exercising, meeting up with friends or commuting to or from work.
The reason for this is simple. When you’re working directly on a task, your mind is strongly focused on the problem at hand. When you stop working and relax, your mind loosely wanders, activating your creative spark and allowing your brain to make connections related to the problem you’re trying to solve. In other words, by taking your mind off work and actually recovering, you’ll get the breakthrough you were seeking related to your work.
We all need to work within the constraints of our unique contexts. This may require waking up a few hours earlier, listening to music to find your focus or simply focusing hardcore the moment you get to work. Whatever your situation, protect your mornings, set your priorities and do whatever it takes to find your focus!
