Everyone wants to be more productive at work right? Or, at least, everyone’s boss wants them to be more productive at work. Today let’s do a deep dive into the habits that, if you set them up, will not only make you more productive at work but maybe even help you feel less stressed and more satisfied with your work.

Have a morning routine. What? The first habit to be productive at work needs to hapen before you even get to work? That’s right. You have the option to get your mind, body and soul firing on all cylinders before you even get to work by incorporating a morning routine. Things like exercise, reading, journaling, praying or meditating can help you set the tone of the day and enable you to be even more productive once you’re at work.
Work day start-up and shut down rituals. Well, since we’re talking about routines, this habit is a natural next step. Michael Hyatt has coined the term, teaching that you should start your work day the same each morning so that your brain can transition to “work mode.” You should put activities in that morning ritual “container” that will set you up for the most success. That might include reviewing your to-do list or your goals. It might also include checking your email or social media account so that it’s not constantly interrupting you throughout the day.

In the same way, you might consider setting up a workday shut down ritual so that you make it easy for yourself the next morning when you start work. It also helps you to be able to tell your brain “work mode” is over which will help you ensure you have downtime when you’re off so that you can show up energized at work the next day. Some of the things you might include in your workday shut down ritual are responding to any incoming messages, emails or other notifications you received throughout the day, reviewing your calendar for the next day and even tidying your workspace.

3. Match time & tasks. Brainstorm on which part of the day you are the most energetic and productive. For some people, that may be the morning, some is in the afternoon. Next, consider your most important or challenging tasks. Finally, stack most challenging tasks in your most energetic time of day.

“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

— Mark Twain

Another key tip under the time and task umbrella is to “Eat The Frog.” This concept comes from Mark Twain who said “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.” The concept, explained by Brian Tracy in his book, is that you should do your biggest, most important task first in the day so that you eliminate the possibility of procrastination. It also gives you the satisfaction throughout the rest of the day of knowing you got the hardest thing over with.

Finally, give yourself time limits to accomplish certain tasks. To do this, you must first know what the outcome of each task is. That is, you must know what you need to produce. It may be a report, 10 phone calls, one graphic or training item. Next, give yourself a time limit. Be realistic but not over generous here. Finally, sit down knowing the end result and the time limit you’ve allotted and get it done! You might have to have a conversation with yourself about doing B+ work but getting it DONE rather than being a perfectionist about the work which tends to lead to procrastination according to Life Coach Brooke Castillo.

Once you’ve done all these things, it’ll be easy to get into the next habit of scheduling your to do list. If you have specific to do list items or tasks, put them in your calendar or planner next to the time you’re actually going to have availability to get them done. Many times we put more things on our to do list than we have time in the day. Setting aside time to get specific tasks done will make you much more productive than hoping to find time throughout the day. It will also help you to be more realistic about what you can actually accomplish in a day.

4. Don’t multitask. Multitasking seriously drains your productivity. Interestingly, multitasking is a myth. Your brain cannot actually do two things at once. Instead, it has to switch back and forth between tasks. In fact, the proper term might be “multi-switching” according to one author. Multitasking can make you up to 40 percent less productive according to researchers because your brain has to go through the process of “goal shifting” and “rule activation” before it can actually bring the new task. Basically, your brain has to completely reset itself every time you switch tasks, which makes you lose momentum.

5. Turn off distractions. If multitasking doesn’t work and decreases productivity, then it must be true that turning off distractions will help you. Distractions include anything that requires you have to refocus on your task. This typically includes anything on your phone, office chatter or noise and maybe even music. While you may not be able to put your phone completely away, there are certain settings that can allow only important notifications to come through. You can also pick certain tasks that require the most focus to put your phone in airplane mode or lock in a drawer until you finish. Likewise, you may be able to close your office door or put on white noise headphones if necessary. Finally, if you like working with background music on, pick music that helps you focus and doesn’t distract you.

6. Build in buffer time. Scheduling your day jam-packed full of tasks, meetings and other activities will eventually wear on your productivity, energy, mood and pretty much everything else. So, build in buffer time where you can take a break and go for a quick walk or grab a cup of coffee. Buffer time also helps you in the case that one of your tasks or meetings runs over the time you allotted.

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Habits that will help you get things done at work