No matter what day it is, we all seem to have an infinite list of things to do in both our work and our personal lives. With multiple spinning plates that leave us with divided attention, it can be quite a challenge to focus and to decide what to prioritize. When it comes to our careers, it is imperative to be efficient with our time so that we are consistently getting our projects done and producing quality work. Here are 7 suggestions you can use to develop a productive mindset and set the foundation for productive days in the workplace.

1. Know What Motivates You

It is nearly impossible to meet a deadline or achieve a goal if you are unmotivated. While not every project or assignment will be your favorite, it is still possible to stay motivated while doing them. In this case, it is mostly a matter of mindset.  Ask yourself, “What is driving me to succeed?” It could be:

• Building your portfolio
• Working towards a promotion
• The impact you’re having
• Feeling accomplished when you cross something off of your list

Some days you will inevitably be more motivated than others. Maybe when it comes to certain projects, the motivation will be to get it done so that you can move on and hone in on an assignment or daily undertaking that you do enjoy. The takeaway is: you just have to find something to be motivated by.

2. Focus on One Thing at a Time

When you multitask, you will notice that you get fewer things done throughout the day and that the things you do get done are not as top tier as they would be if you did one task at a time. Single tasking results in higher quality work and is less stressful. If your mind is in too many places at once, what tends to happen is that you will get a portion of several things done, but not actually complete anything. This will leave you wondering where all of your time went. Avoid spreading yourself too thin by focusing on one task before moving on to the next.

3. Choose the Three Most Important Things

If you are a person who wears multiple hats within your organization or have a position that is multifaceted, starting your day knowing what the three most crucial things to get done are is going to be a game changer. It can be easy to get into the routine of doing the same thing every day, like beginning by responding to all of your emails or checking the company social media platforms. However, nothing feels better than knowing that you are only halfway through your day and have already completed the three most crucial tasks. If you get into the habit of starting your day with the most important things, you will know that you are on track to complete projects on time.

4. Just Do Something

There will be days where there is nothing particularly pressing to work on or that you are working on all things of equal importance. Don’t waste a block of time obsessing about how to be most efficient or what order you’re going to do things in. Choose something and roll with it. This way you won’t lose any time and you’ll notice that you’ve built momentum and one thing will lead to another. There is limited time in your work day, don’t waste it by overthinking what you “should” be doing.

5. Know Your Work Style

Everyone is going to have a different style of working in which they thrive. Some people do better focusing on one project in large blocks of time; others have to switch what they are doing every so often. There is no “right” way per say, the only right way is to do it in the way that is most effective for you. In general, we as humans can only be productive for short bursts of time; so every hour or so, take a few minutes to stand up, stretch, get water, or just take your eyes off of what you’re doing for a few minutes.

6. Be ok with Schedule and Plan Changes

Meetings are going to get canceled, people are going to call-in, unexpected issues are going to come up. As frustrating as this can be, it is inevitable no matter where your work or what field you’re in. You likely have a multitude of projects you’re working on at once, if something gets cancelled, use that extra time to either plan or get ahead on another assignment. This can actually end up really working in your favor if you use that extra time wisely.

7. Set a Stop Time

It can be really tempting to want to power through a project and then before you know it, it’s 7 pm and you are still in the office or on-site. It actually takes discipline to be able to put something away for the day and leave the rest for another time. If you make a habit of not stopping until something is thoroughly complete, you will eventually lead yourself to burn out. Whether it’s a time in the day or a certain point in the project, commit to being done at some point so you can recover and start again the next day with enough motivation and energy.

 

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