Being productive makes us feel good, but sometimes it takes a bit of work to achieve it because distractions trap us and our minds go where they don’t have to go. A study conducted by Microsoft indicates that every time we look at our cell phone, it takes 15 minutes to refocus on what we were working on. So if your mind gets restless from time to time, follow these tips to stay focused and productive.
- Set daily goals – To achieve a great goal, you have to take small steps every day. Those steps are nothing more than daily goals. Instead of getting bogged down with a huge task or project that you don’t know how to do, focus on breaking it down into smaller daily goals. It will be much easier for you.
- Get organized – Leave some things done from the day before. For example, the ‘To Do List’ for the next day, the clothes you are going to wear, the food you are going to take to work, confirm a meeting, etc. Doing this will give you extra time to focus on the day’s agenda.
- Set priorities – The more things you have in mind, the less productive you will be. Studies even indicate that with the famous multitasking, productivity drops by up to 40%. The best thing is that the ‘To Do List’, you do it in order of priorities.
- Create a pleasant environment – The work area is of the utmost importance to feel good, focused and productive. An orderly, comfortable and pleasant place gives you focus and clarity.
- Avoid distractions – If your work is in front of the computer, turn off notifications from chats and social networks. If you are at home, do not turn on the television. On the contrary, integrate what keeps you away from distractions, if the music helps you, put on your headphones.
- Set a schedule – Challenge yourself to finish a task in a set time. For example, one hour for X task, or 30 minutes for another. This allows you to save time and focus only on that task for that period of time. You can also go to “The Two Minute Rule”, if you have tasks that take two minutes or less, do them first: send an email, read a document, approve something, coordinate a meeting.
- Rest – A stressed mind does not work well. So after finishing a task, get up and walk, go for a coffee, eat a snack or answer the messages that you had pending. You have to disconnect for a few minutes to be able to be efficient the rest of the day.
