As remote working becomes increasingly popular, you socialize, exercise, and sleep in your office. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Gallup’s recent report showed that about 85 percent of employees are disengaged at work, and the resulting losses total over $7 billion dollars.
In an effort to be more productive, most people try using checklists. Unfortunately, roughly 41 percent of tasks on to-do lists remain uncompleted. In fact, making a checklist in the first place is often a procrastination technique.
Therefore, instead of using a checklist, here are some productivity tactics you can try that will allow you to enjoy extended periods of laser-focused thought.
Your phone is probably one of the biggest distractions in your home office. Many of us are addicted to our phones and waste time engaging in online games or social conversations that can wait until after work.
Even if you don’t engage with conversations or apps, constant interruptions can break your concentration, and research shows the average person unlocks their phone about 96 times a day.
Instead, consider placing your phone in a different room and only accept scheduled calls. If you absolutely must converse with teammates, consider adopting a work-related messaging app, such as Slack.
Another great way to remove distractions is by using a website blocker. For example, if you find yourself distracted watching YouTube videos, you can block the website or use a free extension to limit your time, such as StayFocusd.
You can also use these plugins for social media websites such as Facebook and Instagram.
If you’re a manager tracking employee productivity remotely, applications like TimeDoctor allow you to track which websites employees use and how much time is spent on each website.
If you’re struggling to complete your to-do list, it’s often because a difficult task you’ve been dreading is looming over you. Therefore, instead of allowing it to loom over you, tackle the most difficult task first, preferably within an hour of waking up.
For example, if you have to write a large paper, start by writing the opening paragraph within an hour of waking up. Once the hardest task is in motion, the rest of the day will become easier, and you’re more likely to avoid procrastination.
Excessively checking email is another way that employees are easily distracted. Instead of checking email at random, consider checking it three times throughout the day and alert colleagues of the three times you’ll be checking email. If they need to get in touch with you immediately, they can use an application such as Slack.
Whenever you receive an email, either delete it or respond to it immediately. By responding to it immediately, you avoid wasting time reading it and writing a note to respond later.
One of the best ways to increase your productivity instantly is to say no to opportunities.
Warren Buffet famously said, “We need to learn the slow ‘yes’ and the quick ‘no.’” Steve Jobs also has a similar stance when he said, “Focusing is about saying ‘no.’”
We often say yes to opportunities in an effort to avoid conflict, though they ultimately distract us from what we should be doing. Therefore, take a minute to think about your yearly goals. Then, whenever you’re presented with an opportunity, take a step back and ask yourself if these opportunities will get you closer to your goal.
If you find yourself procrastinating, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, analyze the situation and think about what is causing you to procrastinate. Eliminate distractions, stand your ground, and reward yourself for bursts of laser focus.
About the Author: Brad Wayland is the Chief Strategy Officer at BlueCotton, a site with high-quality, easy-to-design custom t-shirts.
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