8 Tips To Structure Your Workday For Increasing Productivity

Coffee at 7, work at 8, and lunch at 2; everything seems a breeze when tasks are performed at their designated time. Anything out of the ordinary and your routine goes down the drain. Many people are familiar with this situation and have had to deal with severe consequences as a result. But who says that you also have to suffer the same fate?!

So, to alleviate some of your burdens, here are 8 tips that will help you increase your productivity with a structured workday routine!

#1 Plan Your Workday In Advance

Successful people have one thing in common; they plan out their workday activities to lessen the chances of any unfavorable occurrence taking them by a surprise. Generally, people take breaks to lighten up their mood. However, if you are paying your side-activities more attention than your actual work, then you could be in trouble.

So before you indulge yourself into useless activities; create a to-do list and mention all your work-related activities. If possible, you can also allocate time for each task to be more efficient. Tick off each task as soon as you accomplish it. Also, do not forget to treat yourself once you religiously follow your single workday planner!

#2 Schedule Tasks Based On Importance

More often than not, individuals busy themselves with other tasks while ignoring important or crucial tasks. Although this routine does not harm, it compels individuals’ brains to adopt this practice as a habit. Since it is difficult to rewire your brain, make it a habit of enlisting your tasks based on their importance. You do not need to write all the day’s task; just three crucial tasks would be enough.

Additionally, having a schedule would keep you on track and will stop you from accomplishing non-important tasks first!

#3 Create A Checklist

Whether your crucial task involves transforming documents from PDF to doc or some other task, having a checklist would help you move through your work routine much faster. Generally, individuals have tons of tasks but the lack of planning costs them time.

So before the actual workday, make a checklist of all the tasks and arrange them on the basis of their importance. Through this way, you will know what tasks should be done at what time.

To be more productive on your workday, time management plays a crucial role. With the help of a checklist, you can not only manage your entire day but also save time! You can create a checklist the traditional way or you can utilize various apps for this purpose.

#4 Juggle Between Tasks

Sticking with one task can be mundane, especially if the task is time-consuming. What’s more, such kind of tasks compel individuals to take more breaks than required. This kills productivity and consumes additional time. To stop yourself from wasting too much time, you can juggle between tasks.

For instance, if you have a couple of tasks at hand, you can give each task a total of twenty minutes. Set a timer and start working on the first project and when the timer goes off, move on to the second task and so on. If you like, you can take short breaks in between the tasks. This will cause you to be more productive and will keep you motivated for longer periods.

#5 Never Put Off Important Tasks

Many individuals have the habit of putting off tasks for later, especially the ones that they dread. It is their way of avoiding the important yet crucial task. So instead of worrying about that particular task all day, it is better to tackle it early on.

If you handle the task efficiently, it will make your other tasks seem less daunting in comparison. Also, you may feel proud of yourself for accomplishing the dreaded task. This will further push you to be more productive!

#6 Check Email At A Designated Time

If you want to kill your productivity, checking work emails is the best way to go. This is because it contains all sorts of emails, from co-workers, clients to your supervisors. Although many of the emails require short replies, there are always some emails that demand attention. Before you know it, you have already spent an hour trying to figure out a reply!

Things like this happen at the workplace this is why it is better to reserve a specific portion of your time for workday emails. Moreover, never constantly refresh your messenger in hopes of receiving an important email.

Here is a tip: Just leave your messenger open in the background, if the email is important, reply to it instantly, and if the reply can wait, leave that email for later.

#7 Group Similar Tasks

Many people like to multitask and there is nothing wrong with it. However, research claims that a person’s productivity decreases by 40% if they try to multitask!

So, instead of trying your hand at a couple of tasks at the same time, learn to group your similar tasks and accomplish them in a specific time frame. For instance, if your work schedule requires you to make a couple of phone calls throughout the day, you can reserve an hour and place all your calls in that time period. Or if you have to prepare some drafts, you can do all the drafting at the same time.

#8 Take Real Breaks

To keep your mind and body performing well, always ensure to take small breaks. As no one can be productive 24/7, it is important to listen to your body as a relaxed mind can help you perform better. However, keep in mind to never exceed your breaks past the 20-minute period because anything more than that would be procrastination.

That said, you can plan ahead your activities for your off-time. So anything between lunch, coffee or exercise can help you recharge your battery. Additionally, you can meditate or go out for a walk. The point is, you can do whatever you want as long as you are away from the screens and that includes your cellphone as well!

Conclusion

Structuring your workday is not difficult because the key to a productive day lies in planning ahead. So, after the end of each day, reserve a few minutes and schedule all your tasks. Additionally, prepare a blueprint that will help you navigate all the important tasks. So while everyone is working hard, you will be working smart!

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