Today is the day you increase productivity. You wake up early. You have your to-do list. You’re going to power through so much work today it’s going to be impressive. You’re even going to power through so much work you can take tomorrow off!

You get to the end of your day and….your list is longer! Wait, how did that happen??

We’ve all been there. Managing time and productivity is incredibly difficult. That’s why we created this list!

Top 5 ways to increase productivity

1. Stop Multitasking

You are in the middle of a project and you have a sudden inspiration for another project. It’s tempting to set aside your current project to work on this sudden idea. But DON’T DO IT! Finish one task at a time. As good at multitasking as you think you are, you aren’t. Pulling your mind into different directions slows it down. It takes time for you to pick back up where you left off. Make a note of your idea, finish the current project then move on to the next.

2. Set Small Goals

We know setting goals is important. Sometimes our goals are just too lofty though. Set small manageable goals. Completing these goals will give you a sense of accomplishment that will give you a boost to complete your next goal.

3. Take care of the biggest tasks when you are the most alert

We all work differently. Some of us are most alert at the beginning of the day. Some of us are the most alert in the middle or the end. It doesn’t matter when it is for you. What does matter is that you save your biggest tasks for that time period. Trying to accomplish a big task when you are tired or burned out from the rest of the day causes you to not devote enough effort into the task, or more than likely it means you push it off to tomorrow.

4. Implement the “two-minute rule”

According to Steve Olenski. Finding and completing tasks that take under 2 minutes to complete saves you time! If you get an email that will only take a couple of seconds to respond to then go ahead and answer it. This accomplishes the task and stops it from distracting you from the bigger project you are working on.

5. Take a Break!

We aren’t machines. It is not possible for us to work continuously for several hours non-stop. Our minds need a reset once in a while. Take the dog for a walk. Grab another cup of coffee. Or better yet….sign your team up for one of Teamraderie’s many experiences!

No day is going to be perfect. There will always be days where we don’t accomplish as much as we wished. But try implementing these suggestions and you may start seeing more checkmarks on that daunting to-do list.