One of the main objectives of modern professionals is to improve their productivity. We go to work every day with the goal of increasing this quality. Productivity refers to your level of output after a specific period of time. It is an element that is assessed in many modern workplaces and indicates the proficiency of an employee or group of employees in their work. The success of an organization depends heavily on the productivity of its members. Your success as a person also hinges tremendously on your personal productivity. As such, it is an important consideration to make. When you have high levels of productivity, you can finish more tasks in a shorter period of time. How can you achieve this? Here is how to 10x your productivity and get more done in less time.
Create a mindset that is positive
Everything starts in the mind. It is the origin of all thought, hence all action. If you have the right skills, enough strength but the wrong mindset, you aren't going to get very far. Therefore, the first step in boosting your productivity is having the correct mindset. The best of this is a positive attitude. Appreciate your work and yourself more often. This can be done using positive self-talk. It is not always easy but it is always effective. This will boost your levels of energy and increase performance. As a result, you will post better output in the finite time that you have for working.
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Forgive yourself if you slip
On the path of progress, you are definitely going to slip up once or twice. For example, if you want to be more productive at work by avoiding social media and find yourself drifting to your social profiles after an hour of resisting, forgive yourself. You are only human and will slip up once or twice. Just make sure that you are making less and less errors as you move forward in your path to getting more done in less time.
Eat brain food
We are what we eat. This saying is common and rings true. Our body health is a direct result of the food that we consume. There are some nutrients that make our brains perform better and result in higher productivity. Magnesium is a nutrient common in fish. It improves memory and helps you to learn quicker. Fibre is found in whole grain foods. It keeps your levels of energy high and boosts alertness. Examples of some other foods that you can consume to improve the health of your brain include tomatoes, milk, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, leafy greens, dark chocolate, nuts, broccoli and sesame seeds. By consuming more of these foods regularly, you can actively increase your productivity by improving brain health and performance.
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Maintain accountability
Whenever you are making a new improvement in your life, it is best to include some accountability in it. This is where you answer to someone else about your progress. This can be a family member, a co-worker or a mentor. This method of improvement is quite effective in boosting your productivity. Inform someone trusted and close to you about your effort to be more productive. Make sure to explain the role they can play in keeping you on track. By doing this, you create accountability. It causes you to answer to someone else and motivates you to maintain your effort so as to avoid letting your mentor down.
Make small, measurable, gradual improvements
To become more productive at work, we have to adopt entirely new way of working. This means erasing the procedures that we have used for years and replacing them with brand new ones. To accomplish this, it is best to make small positive changes in your working methods. Often presented in tips or guidelines, pick and apply one at a time. Take your time before you add a new one to the process. In this way, you can make small improvements that will eventually add up to a big change overall. Eventually, you will find a strategy that works for you in boosting your ability to get more done in a shorter period of time.
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Stop multitasking
One of the myths of modern workplaces is multitasking. It is the practice of performing more than one task at a time so as to get them all done as quickly as possible. Many professionals swear by this activity. However, scientific research has proven that multitasking does not improve productivity. First of all, neuroscience Professor Earl K. Miller at Massachusetts Institute of Technology indicates that it is not possible for a human being to multitask. Whenever we seem to be doing two tasks at the same time, our brains are simply switching from one task to the other at lightning-fast speed which results in quicker mental fatigue. Hence, multitasking results in mistakes that could have been avoided. It also slows down the entire work process by making corrections necessary. As such, focus on one task at a time so as to improve your productivity. Switch off your phone or tablet as you work. Do not combine social media and your professional tasks. Also, avoid chatting as you conduct tasks. This is a sure way to train yourself to monotask and achieve more in less time.
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Utilize aromatherapy
Our brains are very sensitive and can respond to scents. There are some smells that can make it perform better. When you get a whiff of these scents, you can actually become sharper, think faster and increase your productivity. This practice is known as aromatherapy. It is defined as the use of aromatic essences that have been naturally extracted from oils and plants for the purpose of balancing, harmonizing and improving health. Aromatherapy works because smell is one of our strongest senses and is directly connected to the brain sections that process emotion and learning. Therefore, when you smell the correct scents, you will focus better, learn quicker, remember more and have a better mood. Which scents improve productivity? Citrus, herbs and lemons make you more alert and boost your senses. Rosemary eliminates physical exhaustion while cinnamon boosts your concentration and focus. To improve mental energy and think clearer, peppermint is the scent to use.
The Important Take Away
Achieving higher levels of productivity is good for your professional reputation and boosts your confidence. By becoming more productive, your quality of output improves and you can earn awards at your place of work, in your team or in life in general. The tips above can help you to accomplish this. Applying them in your life can result in champion performance every time.