The alarm goes off but you have already been awake for an hour, your mind racing about how you will get everything done this week. Once you make it to your desk, you are inundated with emails, calls, texts, and requests for help. As you look over your notes from yesterday you see you need to follow up from a meeting last week, connect with your team about an upcoming event, and ensure that your slide deck is ready to go for the big meeting (and of course upload it in Teams and share!). You feel overwhelmed, anxious, and unable to focus…and it is only 7:00 AM!
If you are contemplating pulling the covers over your head and settling in for a warm winter’s nap while contemplating, ‘What happened to winter vacation???’ do not worry. I’m here to help you ensure that 2024 gets off to a calm, productive start. Below are 10 productivity tips to help you make 2024 your best year yet!
1. The To-Do List:
A checklist may not seem that exciting, but it has the power to organize your world and help you focus on the things that matter. Atul Gawande, in his bestselling book, The Checklist Manifesto, focuses on how professionals deal with the increasing complexity of their routine responsibilities. He explains that having a focused to-do list is an essential ingredient for optimal functioning. They are easy to use, may be hard-copy or digital, and can also serve to help you see your workload and prioritize your tasks. Additionally, when you check off items, you have a clear, visual record of what you have accomplished, which may result in feeling less overwhelmed.
Pro Tip: Transform your to-do list into a digital powerhouse that is ready at your fingertips. Apps like Any.do ($0 -$5 per month) or Todoist ($0 -$6 per month) help you organize tasks, set deadlines, and sync across devices for seamless management.
2. Make the main thing the main thing:
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” ~Goethe
Tool: Eisenhower Matrix (Free)
If you feel like you are spending all your time on tasks that are not moving you forward, the Urgent/ImportantMatrix (aka the Eisenhower Matrix) is for you. This tool will help you identify tasks based on their urgency and importance. When you focus on tasks in the "Important and Urgent" quadrant, your productivity will soar. The Urgent-Important Matrix is a fast and easy way to immediately see where you are spending the majority of your time and to take steps to reclaim your schedule. The matrix helps to understand where you are spending your time as well as how you are currently prioritizing your time. Check out my blog post for more information and a free download!
3. No More Down-the-Rabbit-Hole
Digital Tools: Focus@Will or StayFocusd
As many people will tell you, focus (or lack thereof) is a big issue in productivity. One way to help you keep on track is to leverage apps designed to enhance focus and limit distractions. Focus@Will ($7.49 a month/$45 a year) provides music to boost concentration, while StayFocusd (Free) is a productivity extension for Google Chrome that helps you stay focused on work by restricting the amount of time you spend on non-productive websites. While that may sound like a downer, when you are able to finish your work during the workday you will have more time for fun things…including ‘non-productive’ websites.
4. Delegate Like a Pro:
Tools: Monday.com or Asana
When faced with a big project, some people immediately see the best way to work as a team; for some of us, however, we may need a little more help. Digital project management tools may just be the thing you need to collaborate with your team. Delegate tasks, track progress, and celebrate achievements together. Monday.com (Free) helps you manage projects with multiple options to view, analyze, organize, and execute your projects. Asana ($0 -$25 per month) helps you increase efficiency across departments and tools on a single platform so you can automate workflows and get more done in less time.
Feel like you cannot handle one more digital tool? That’s OK too. Sometimes old-fashioned whiteboards, creating a team to-do list, or using Kanban boards work too!
5. Master the Art of Saying "No":
Tool: Time Blocking
Time blocking is a productivity technique that involves scheduling specific blocks of time for dedicated tasks or activities. By allocating focused periods of time to complete tasks, you enhance concentration and minimize distractions. This visual representation helps you see your commitments clearly, making it easier to say "no" when needed. Several of the digital organizer tools previously mentioned may support your efforts at time blocking. If you use a calendar -hard-copy or digital-you can block time there to signal when you need focused time too.
6. Maintaining Focus:
Tool: Pomodoro Technique
I am a huge fan of this technique. The Pomodoro Technique helps you organize your work into focused intervals (usually 25 minutes) separated by short breaks. Similar to time blocking, Pomodoro helps you stay focused on the task at hand. Additionally, it helps you identify your priorities and, over time, helps you become better at estimating how much time certain tasks will take. You can check out my blog post to learn more about the technique. Click to purchase a Pomodoro Planner or Pomodoro Timer. Please note that these are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.
7. Reflect and Adjust:
When it comes to business, reflection is an often misunderstood and forgotten part of the learning process. Reflection allows us to regularly assess accomplishments and challenges while taking time to understand what conditions allowed for success AND it boosts productivity! Research by Di Stefano, Gino, Pisano, and Staats demonstrated that employees who spent just 15 minutes at the end of the day in reflection performed 23% better after 10 days than those who did not reflect! It is something anyone can do at any time at no cost. Tools like Notion ($0 to $15 a month) or Evernote ($0 to $15 a month) can help you keep track of insights, ensuring continuous improvement. Both Notion and Evernote provide digital templates to help you reflect on your progress by providing prompts for each day, week, and month.
8. Set Realistic Goals:
Tool: SMART Criteria
Many people understand they need to set goals but struggle to know if they are setting the right goals or if they are in a reasonable timeframe. When setting deadlines, ensure they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. This approach fosters realistic goal-setting. There are many templates, like this one from Venngage, that you can use to help with this process. HERE is a quick 5-step process for setting goals I created, and HERE is a SMART Goal Template you can use.
9. The Power of Breaks:
It is easy to fall down the rabbit hole when working on your computer. To keep both your mind and body healthy, however, it is important to take well-deserved breaks. WorkRave (Free) for Windows allows you to randomize break reminders or configure them any way you see fit. Stretchly (Free) is a cross-platform, open-source app that reminds you to take breaks when working on your computer. Both apps remind you to step away, stretch, or relax, enhancing both your physical and mental well-being.
10. Celebrate Small Wins:
While it is important to set goals it is equally important to celebrate the wins -both big and small- throughout your journey. Habitbull (Free) helps you keep track of your day-to-day habits and routines and celebrate wins big and small. Strides (Free - iOS only) helps you track all your goals and habits in one place. Both habit-tracking apps are free and help you stay motivated by acknowledging progress, no matter how small. Strides also offers a free online goal-setting course.
By combining these simple tips with effective tools, you're not just managing time; you are mastering it! Here's to a year filled with achievement, joy, and the seamless organization of all you set out to conquer! Cheers to 2024!
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