Work Smarter, Not Harder: Boost Your Productivity with These 8 Highnote Tips
In today’s modern world, we’re hounded by more distractions than ever. Online activities like email, group chats, and social media all compete with “real life” responsibilities such as work, supermarket trips, school runs, house repairs, and a myriad of other daily tasks.
Staying on track and being productive is challenging when you feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions. The good news is that it’s not hopeless! There are ways you can stay on task and productive even with countless things happening simultaneously
If you’re looking for a way to boost productivity, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got eight tried-and-tested tips that will help you become more productive and, more importantly, stay productive.
1. Plan your day ahead of time
When you wake up, the first thing you should do is envision and plan out your day. Whether it starts with a workout or bringing your child to school, make a mental or written schedule of how your day will look like. Visualizing how your day will pan out will give you a better idea of what you need to accomplish and when you can do specific tasks.
2. Set your crucial tasks
Crucial tasks, or crucial results, are tasks you must complete today, no questions asked. Whether work-related, like going to a listing appointment or family-related, like scheduling a babysitter for your toddler, these are tasks you must complete before the day ends. Even if you only accomplish these three crucial tasks today, you’ve already boosted your productivity.
3. Group similar tasks
Task batching is grouping similar tasks together. The idea is to do similar tasks at the same time and not jumping from one task to another. Such as creating several digital pre-listing presentations one after the other on Highnote, then moving on to answering all your emails, then connecting with colleagues on Linkedin.
Grouping similar tasks also helps you improve concentration and reduce multi-tasking, which research says actually.
4. Work in short bursts
Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique? This time management technique believes in working for stretches of 20 minutes with five-minute breaks in between. So, you work 20 minutes straight, take a five-minute break, then work again for 20 minutes. After four 20-minute stretches of work, you take a longer break for about 15 minutes.
Many people find the Pomodoro technique highly effective as a time management tool and to encourage them to work on a task without getting distracted. The method also improves concentration and helps users avoid multitasking. With Highnote, you can create an entire presentation in just one or two 20-minute stretches! Imagine how many you can finish using this technique.
5. Eliminate distractions
We all know we should eliminate distractions as much as possible, but it’s easier said than done. If you work from home, try to have a designated spot in your house with only your laptop, and maybe a notebook, and a pen. Keep the space clutter-free and remove that book you’ve been meaning to start reading. Obviously, you shouldn’t work with a tab open on YouTube, your Facebook account, or your favorite blog. Keep Highnote only, and you’ll see how productive you can actually be!
6. Limit interruptions
Again, we understand that this is easier said than done, but limiting interruptions will allow you to work longer and get more work done. Schedule meetings at a specific time, say from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, and reserve the rest of the day for sitting down and getting work done.
Impromptu meetings can be distracting, so let your team know that you have a two-hour window in the morning to discuss things, and then the rest of your day is sacred unless it’s an emergency.
7. Follow the 2-minute rule
The 2-minute rule is meant to help get rid of procrastination and help you accomplish many small tasks you might be delaying. This rule says if you can do something in two minutes or less, do it now and don’t delay. For example, answering a quick inquiry email, sending a follow-up email, or folding a basket of clothes sitting by your bed for three days.
If you can do something in less than two minutes, do it now then you can cross it off yourself and forget about it. You’ll be surprised at how productive you become.
8. Use tools and templates that save you time and effort
There are several online tools and templates that can save you time and effort and help you become more productive. One is Highnote which lets you create proposals and presentations quickly and easily via drag and drop. Highnote has hundreds of beautiful templates and assets that help you create impressive presentations in minutes. You’ll also save time and effort following up on a presentation you’ve sent out because of access to real-time analytics.
These eight tips are proven to help boost productivity, and once you start using them, including Highnote, we guarantee you’ll benefit from them too.
