7 Productivity Hacks to Succeed in Your Career
How many times have you asked yourself questions like: ‘How can I be more productive? How can I spend less time working on daily tasks? How can I be more efficient?’ I’ve asked myself the same questions while trying to accomplish more in less time and become a more efficient professional.
Based on my personal experience and a lot of information sources I have read within the last five years, I have compiled a list of productivity hacks that I’d love to share. Maybe some of them will help you to structure your working day and progress in your career.
Hack #1
Use your notebook and a pencil to plan your working day.
This is really easy to do but brings so much value into your day and lets you be more productive. Use low-tech high-touch tools to write down the list of work items that you’d like to accomplish during the day. By creating a list of tasks you are going to be working during the day you create a work plan and can focus on exact items instead of trying to recollect what should be done next. Having everything written down in a notebook or on a flipchart will save your time and let you focus on actually doing the work instead of thinking about it. Create the list early in the morning before going to work or do this first thing when you arrive in the office.
Hack #2
Prioritize the items that bring more value and start working on them immediately.
When the list of things you need or want to be done during the day has been compiled, it is high time to prioritize them before actually starting working on anything from the list. You can use simple points system by assigning points to every item the same way you do it in Scrum for user stories or you can use the ABCDE gradually descending system, where A — stands for a high priority task, and E — a low priority one.
When the prioritization has been set, start working on one item marked as A or the one that has the greatest number of points assigned to it. Obviously, those work items should be the ones that are urgent and can bring value at this specific point in time. Don’t work on items that can be delegated and done by someone else. Don’t work on items that can be postponed or do not make sense. Your main goal should be to focus on those tasks that will bring the greatest amount of value to your organization and will help you to succeed and move fast on your career path.
Hack #3
Always complete the work items you have started working on, unless they become irrelevant.
If you have started working on one of the items from your prioritized list, make sure that you complete it. To be efficient your work should be visible based on the results and delivery. It may be hard at first, but later on, it turns into a habit. Don’t worry if the work item is really huge. You simply need to do your best and gradually move forward to reach the final goal. By completing a small piece of work daily, you will easily finalize the whole task. Every step brings you closer to your final goal.
Hack #4
Your workspace should be tidy and look neat to start working immediately and be more productive.
If your workspace is dirty and crammed with unnecessary stuff, please clean it. Your working station should help you be efficient. When you have enough space to breathe while working, this will add to your productivity. Your desk should have only those items on it that can be helpful during your working day. Get rid of extra folders, stationery, cups, souvenirs, etc. that clutter up your space and don’t make you feel happy. Remember how the office room of the directors looks like in the movies? You should strive for the same.
Hack #5
Determine 3 main responsibilities for your current position and stick to them.
Spot 3 main responsibilities that are required at your current position and produce 90% of the value that you bring to the company. Stick to them. Focus on those activities and prioritize them when writing down the list of daily tasks. If you focus on these main responsibilities, you will be productive, the results of your work will be visible to the company and you will have more time to spend with your family and loved ones.
Hack #6
Find your weak spots and work on them to get better.
Determine which professional competencies or personality traits may slow you down on the way to your career growth. Those may be connected with external obstacles or be internal demotivators. You need to focus on overcoming those issues to become more productive and efficient. When you have determined what those spots are, you need to start working on improving those things. This may include such activities as attending workshops and conferences, consulting your colleagues at work who excel in those fields and working with a personal coach.
Hack #7 Develop a sense of urgency to get things done faster.
Imagine that you have to go on a business trip for a month and you must complete all urgent matters before leaving. Remember this every time you start working on something and put a lot of effort in completing those tasks on time and with proper quality to be able to leave on a business trip with a sense of completeness and internal satisfaction. Put some pressure on yourself with some proper deadlines. Вevelop that sense of urgency and be ready to use it to facilitate your professional growth.
To sum it all up, I’d love to say that efficiency or productivity is a habit. Completing the tasks you have started working on time is a habit. A habit can be trained and later on it will definitely help you out in your professional growth and career. No pain no gain. Just stop procrastinating and start doing it today!
