Fast track to productivity

Fundamentals / 01 February 2010

Getting things done

The start of a new year for many means making resolutions and setting new goals – so why not make the decision to become more productive? Edge shows how planning and review can make the most of your time at work

Start early
Start your week fifteen minutes early to give you time to plan the things you’d like to do. Many people find that having a to do list is helpful. Prioritise your tasks from urgent to necessary 

Identify your highs
We all suffer from ups and downs throughout the working week, but if we work out when they are, you can plan your time accordingly. Keep a diary of your highs and lows, and review it for particularly productive points in your calendar. If you’re most active on Wednesday afternoons, that’s when you should schedule in time for bigger projects

Accept your low points
Equally, assessing when you feel most demotivated means you can plan to undertake the less stimulating, but still necessary, tasks you need to accomplish in your working week, such as filing, organising emails or catching up on work-related reading, at the best time

Question yourself
Keep asking “Am I making the most of my time right now?” or “Is this the most productive use of my day?”

Turn off your computer
Sometimes, you need to get away from your screen to have truly productive time. Emails and the internet can be a major distraction, so it doesn’t hurt to go back to pen and paper for creative tasks like drafting ideas or planning projects

Go slow
Don’t rush yourself with tough tasks. Take on one job at a time and keep moving forward. If you’re having a really bad day, you might want to take a break and return to that task tomorrow

Learn and improve
You should always be looking for opportunities to learn and improve, both in and outside of work. If your company pays for education or training courses, make the most of it. Learning new skills can help your work and your sense of purpose

You can’t finish everything
At the end of the week, there will invariably be tasks left on your to do list that you haven’t completed. Are they essential, or even necessary? If so, resolve to tackle them head on next week. If not, decide to take them off the list entirely