Life Hack 2: 5 Tips For A Productive Work Day
A More Productive & Less Stressful Work Day?!
As time goes on, work never seems to get less stressful or less busy. So how do we conquer the ever growing amount of stuff constantly happening? Here are 5 tips to help your work day be more productive and even less stressful!
Turn off email notification Pop Ups
Email notifications are nothing but a distraction. They take away focus from what you’re working on and typically for things that are not important. For the majority of the human population, we are not good at multi-tasking. Our brains are much better at focusing on a single item until completion. In a world where email continues to become more prevalent than ever, we need to make sure it is a tool that helps & doesn’t hurt.
Turn OFF the notifications and help keep your focus longer
Click Here: How to Turn Off New Message Alert Pop Offs In Outlook
Create a “VIP” list
Don’t take item number 1 as the end all. Sometimes there are things we KNOW are coming and require a timely response. Typically it is an email from a customer, boss, spouse, or responses to a specific email chain. These are things you want or NEED to be interrupted for. Set up a “VIP” list on your cell phone, or rules in outlook so only the MOST IMPORTANT emails create pop ups. This will give you peace of mind that the major items will still grab your attention.
How To Add/Remove VIP Senders on Apple iOs
Set Aside Time To Check Email - Otherwise Ignore It
Email comes all day and night. For most busy professionals you could have a full time job just checking email. Read 5, one more comes in. It never ends and you shouldn’t expect it to. So how do you handle the non-stop flow? Simple, dedicate an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon to check email. Essentially read through & respond in batches. With a limited time window you’ll force yourself to be more selective in what you read in depth and what or even how you respond to things.
I can hear many of you now, BUT MY EMAIL IS IMPORTANT AND I NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF IT. I said the same thing. Anything of major importance will still make it though and find a way to get your attention. It will either hit the “VIP” filters you set up in #2, OR if it is of super importance, I guarantee you that someone will instant message or call you to let you know.
Prioritize 1 Main Task That NEEDS To Get Done
This was a hard one for me to do. For years my career was essentially being a fire fighter for issues as they arise. It still is, but I also know that I need to get other things done. When you start your day write down the 1 most important thing NEEDS to get done and up to 3-5 other items SHOULD get done. ATTACK the NEED item first thing in your day. Consider doing, or at least starting it before you even check your email. Remember, just like in #3, email isn’t going anywhere and if its something of super importance, someone will find you.
Re-Evaluate Your Meetings
Once the pandemic hit, calendars exploded with meetings. Zoom, Skype, Slack, etc. It seemed that we needed meetings, maybe because people didn’t know what else to do. Yes, there are still a lot, and you may never be able to change that, but you can figure out how to make sure your time is being used effectively. Some things to consider:
Do you NEED to attend the meeting?
Ask your boss/lead or the meeting organizer if you’re not sure. Consider if you’re maybe not the right person to attend. Let the organizer know and, when appropriate, offer another person who might be better suited. If multiple people on your team are invited, see if you’re all required or if you can divide & conquer other work.
Ensure there is an Agenda
If you are the organizer or just someone attending, make sure that the topic of the meeting is well understood. Agendas allow people to prepare ahead of time when required, saving time in the meeting trying to do things real time. Keeps meetings focused and moving. Hit the key points & topics and keep the meeting moving
Make your meeting shorter
If you think your topic will take an hour, book a 30 minute meeting. Having an agenda and aggressively time boxing yourself will help you be more efficient. Give/take actions for anything that can’t be immediately resolved. If needed schedule a follow up and make that even shorter
Send Meeting Notes/Minutes
Use the agenda as an outline, document key points & actions that are still required. Communicate to anyone who might have missed the meeting or maybe was a desired & not required attendee.
Summary
The common theme in the tips above is focus. Context switching and wasting unnecessary time during your work day is a KILLER to productivity. Limit your time on a task by dedicating time to get something done and stick to it. Make sure you are organized in your day and prioritized in your tasks.
These tips have all helped me greatly over the past few months. Try them for yourself. Drop me a line on social and let me know what’s working for you or what other tips & tricks you use to better your work productivity!
Until Next Time!
-AJ Zampella