James Moore, director at Bishop’s Stortford-based Genmar IT, writes for the Indie…
If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard about the benefits of productivity. But how do you actually get started?
Let’s look at some of the common ways to be more productive and how they can help improve your life.
Multitasking
Multitasking is a myth. It doesn’t exist. Multitasking has been shown to be bad for productivity, focus, creativity, memory, decision-making and your health.
If you’re multitasking in your personal life, it’s likely you’ll be doing multiple things poorly instead of one thing well (which would be better).
You can use time blocking tools such as Pomodoro to help you accomplish more by working on one task at a time and having scheduled breaks between each block of work.
The Pomodoro technique is a simple time-management method originally developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. It uses a timer to break down work into manageable intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length with five-minute breaks in between.
The idea is that frequent breaks can improve mental agility and help reduce stress.
Prioritising
Prioritising is one of the most important skills you can have. It’s also one of the hardest.
It requires a combination of discipline, mindset and lifestyle.
In fact, prioritising is so much more than just scheduling your day – it’s about recognising and accepting that there are only 24 hours in each day and using them wisely to get things done. And yet we all have so many things we want to do in a single day that prioritising seems impossible! But it’s not. You just need to learn how to prioritise.
The key is to recognise what you have control over and what you don’t. If there are things that aren’t within your control (such as other people), then don’t waste time worrying about them. Instead, focus on the things that are within your control.
Automation
Automation is a great way to free up your time and focus on the most important tasks. It can also help you do your job better, faster and more efficiently.
Automation is the process of using technology to perform tasks that would otherwise be performed by humans.
For example, you can use automation to schedule social media posts (rather than having to do it manually) or send emails automatically when someone signs up for your website/newsletter.
Don’t forget that there’s nothing more important than taking care of yourself and having a good attitude. If you’re stressed, overwhelmed or just need a break, take one! Your work will still be there when you’re ready to return.
Of course, having the correct IT setup will not only reduce distractions but also provide the ability to automate more of your processes. If you have any questions about productivity, automation or IT, please do get in contact at genmar.co.uk.
