2 simple strategies to be more productive at any time of the year

Welcome to the IT Training Surgery  blog, I know something about you already. No,  I’m not a stalker. I know you are reading this because you want to be more productive. The real question for some people is why do you want to be more productive?

As we’re talking simple here I’ll say that productivity is related to how much you earn. And earning money is a good reason to be more efficient. If you own a business where you provide any type of service, taking steps to increase your ability to deliver the service in less time will allow you to take on more clients and earn more money. If you’re employed becoming more productive makes you a more valuable employee, and it improves your career opportunities. So becoming more productive is a good thing.

When you find ways to do the same thing in less time, you’re being more efficient. Efficiency and productivity go hand in hand. But you don’t know what you don’t know…

Use these two strategies to increase your efficiency so you can be more productive:

1. Create a prioritised schedule for your work. Whether using a post-it note or a Microsoft Word file, almost everyone has some type of system for creating and editing the classic “to-do” list. These lists are sometimes a hodgepodge of ideas and tasks that need to be completed in the future and not-so-distant future.

• There’s no shame in having a  to-do list, as it can make the difference between getting stuff done and going stir- crazy trying to keep everything organised in your head. However, the typical to-do list leaves much to be desired.

so let’s scrap the conventional to-do list and  have a prioritised schedule takes things a step further, allowing you to increase efficiency and productivity. Your prioritised schedule is something you’ll need to discuss with your boss because everyone has different deadlines. What’s important to you may not be important to the rest of the team and can affect their productivity.

• A prioritised schedule helps you put things into perspective. This enables you to work  out what truly needs to get done this very moment and then focus on that.

2. Seek out and accept specialised help. Whether you run your own business or are a working mom or dad, it will save you lots of time and energy  if you’re open to collaborating with others.

Successful people do not do everything themselves. They do the things they enjoy and outsource the rest. No one cuts their own hair; it’s outsourced. Few people represent themselves in court; they outsource and if they don’t outsource they upskill.

That works well when you’re your own boss, but when you’re employed it can seem impossible to outsource, it just takes a little creative thought.

• Ask for help from a colleague. A more productive colleague may share their systems, and you can adopt them to get more done.
• Work out what it is about the task you dislike and ask yourself why you dislike it. Sometimes the fear of the task is bigger than what actually needs to be done.
• Talk to your boss, if you find you are lacking in a skill to complete a task efficiently then training and upskilling may be an option.

Prioritised schedules and seeking help will help you become the most productive you can possibly be.

Try them and let me know how you get on.

Till next time!

For all your IT Training Needs remember to give us a call on 020 8203 1774 – we can help you become more productive by teaching you how to use your software more effectively and save you time.