Increasing Productivity
Increasing Productivity
Nowadays, everyone is being asked to work smarter and harder than ever. There are only 24 hours a day, so you’ll never find extra time to accomplish more. However, increasing productivity can be done with some simple tactics.
Wake up early.
You can use the morning to get something important done. Without the interruptions of phones, co-workers, or family, you will be able to concentrate on the task at hand and get it done.
Start with something important.
Complete the most important task during your freshest and most focused state.
No interruptions.
They are inevitable; people don’t mean to squash your productivity when you are on a role, but that is exactly what happens. Could you try to minimize them? Closing the door will help you focus on whatever is in front of you.
Avoid meetings.
They are a total time sucker. You can’t get out of every meeting, but be choosy. If you have to attend, could you find out where you must be there on the agenda? Maybe you can pop in for only part of the meeting.
Turn off the internet.
You’ll survive. It is such a distraction. Could you schedule time without it but also schedule internet time? That way, you won’t feel penalized.
The Time Timer
Give the Gift of (Visual) Time
Whether your children are learning at home, in the classroom, or both, the Time Timer products can help ensure they have the tools to succeed. Discover how you can reduce resistance to routines and increase time management skills.
Unlike traditional timers that fail to make the abstract concept of time concrete, the award-winning Time Timer’s visual depiction of “time remaining” provides stress-free time management at work, school, and home to make every moment count.
Special needs individuals: There’s a world of difference between looking at a clock and saying it’s 3 o’clock and understanding “how long” 5 minutes is. For those who learn differently, this type of abstract thinking is even more complex and often creates a high level of anxiety.
Education: Teachers worldwide have discovered the power of the award-winning Time Timer to transform stressful transition periods, reduce resistance to routines, and increase their ability to manage their classrooms.
Home: You know what a difference the Time Timer makes in the classroom, but what about at home? Discover the power of the award-winning Time Timer to transform never-ending meals, stressful transition periods, and resistance to routines.
Work: Whether at your desk, in the boardroom, or on the wall of the conference hall, the Timer increases productivity by creating a sense of urgency and keeping everyone on track.
The Time Timer comes in several price points.
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Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
These are all great sugeestions, Janet. I love the Time Timer. I recommend it to my clients when they have trouble realizing the passge of time. And, as you say, it’s great for teachers to use in classrooms.
I pull out my Time Timer when I have a lot to do and need to focus.
Even for me, who is pretty productive, that internet shutdown is a must. I’ve found that turning on a youtube playlist in the background helps keep me on track. I’m sure there is science behind this, but I think it just keeps that part of my brain that wants to “run away” busy. I stick to instrumental… low-fi hip hop girl is my go to.
Seana, I also use YouTube music sometimes. Lately, I’ve used my free Spotify app. Then when the commercials come on I know it’s time to take a break.
These are excellent ideas to increase productivity and eliminate distractions. I’m a huge fan of the Time Timer and use it regularly. I also use regular timers (on my phone) to do deep work for a specified period. When the timer dings, I assess where I am. I’ll take a break, continue working, or shift gears for the next appointment or project.
I also am most productive in the earlier part of the day. So, working on projects in the morning is always helpful but not always possible. It’s client schedule-dependent.
I am also more productive in the morning.
I use the alarms on my phone as prompts for myself. Every morning I set alarms for everything I need and want to do that day – what time I have to sign into Zoom or leave for an appointment, also alarms to work on a certain project or do something like stop and make phone calls.
While I’ll never be a morning person, I’m wondering if I can count my STAYING up until the early morning hours as equivalent to getting up early. I get more done between midnight and 4 a.m. than ever could between 6a and even Noon. 😉 I’m just more productive at night when the world is quiet and there’s zero chance I’ll be distracted by the phone or even traffic noise. Still, I’m with you on all of these others.
Hitting the big, important thing first gives you such a sense of empowerment for the rest of the day, and stifling those interruptions ensures focus more than almost any other factor. Those meetings that could have been emails or quick phone calls have to go, and while I can’t say I could get my work done without the internet, per se (because so much of my work involves researching solutions for clients), eschewing social media is definitely the way to go.
And I’m with you on Time Timer. It’s a fave for helping clients really understand how time looks and feels! I use my phone timer or a pomodoro for my own work, but when I’m with clients, particularly those with ADHD and/or time blindness, Time Timer is magical.
Great tips!
Everyone loves the Time Timer!
It’s most important to know your most productive time of day, then when it is.