For most of us, productivity and procrastination go hand in hand. For every five minutes of studying we go on Facebook for an hour. For every page of a paper we get to hang out that night. Or in my case, for every assignment I finish I get to talk to my coworkers or take a super long lunch. While we’re still getting things done, we’re also stunting our general productivity with distractions and timewasters. Here a few ways you can maximize your productivity in the workplace, but still make time for some of the fun procrastinations:
-Don’t check your email first thing in the morning (unless you’re expecting something important). Give yourself the first 30 minutes of your day to get organized and put together a to-do list. It’s easy to get caught in the email vortex and not get anything accomplished until 11 a.m.
-Set aside at least two hours of your day to do nothing but work. Disconnect from all communication and turn off your phone if you have to. This way you will have uninterrupted thinking time and chances are your work will be better quality and will take you less time.
-Don’t respond to every email as it comes. Set aside time to check your emails and knock out a few at a time. You waste more time and energy checking each individual email when half of them are irrelevant to you
-Don’t be afraid to say no to the unimportant question, the YouTube video your friend insists you watch, your coworkers going on a coffee run. You’ll get to those things later when you have time.
-Make time to procrastinate and enjoy your workplace. Part of being in a work environment is enjoying the people around you. When you have downtime, make an effort to walk over to someone’s desk and have a conversation. Clearing your mind with a little procrastination is good for productivity.
These are some principles I use in and out of the workplace when things just need to get done. It’s easier to get side tracked than it is to stay focused, but these tips can help you increase your productivity while still enjoying some procrastination.
For more tips on being productive, visit morethanadiploma.com
