Mastering Productivity and Time Management

Those emails need replying too, the phones ringing AGAIN, the boss needs me to have a meeting with a client by Friday, that report needs writing, where do I start?
Do you sometimes feel a little overwhelmed by the amount you need to get done? Do you find yourself flitting between multiple tasks or avoiding it all together? This post is for you!

What is productivity? 

Productivity is your sustained progress towards a goal over time. It is your ability to keep ploughing through something at a good rate. Being productive is obviously important when you have a set deadline, you need to get xyz done by a certain date/time. Productivity can become difficult when we don't have these things, however, being productive can be crucial for our mental health.  I found that during lockdown, my productivity dropped and so did my mood. Being able to build in routines and daily activities helped to boost my productivity and made me feel more accomplished. 

Unfortunately there are a lot of factors that can decrease your productivity. For example, distractions due to technology or trying to multi task. Today we are going to focus on techniques that can help improve your productivity in terms of time management and planning. The health bits and pieces are all down to you! 

What is Time Management? 

Time management is our ability to prioritise tasks and get jobs done. Time management skills help us to manage our time well.

Skills to develop:

• Organisation - Plan your day/ week in advance. I like to sit down on a Sunday and mark on my weekly calendar all the things that are coming up for the week. This helps me to have a visual representation of the tasks.  Make sure you know when your meetings are and when deadlines are due in so you can then schedule your free time around these things. 
  
• Prioritising - Sit down in the morning and work out which task you need to do first and focus on that. Nobody can be super productive and work on more than one thing at a time. If they say they can they are lying. Find the one thing that is top on your priority list and focus on that first. 
• Goal Setting - Setting goals can help us not only see the bigger picture but also all the small steps to get there. Sit down with a cuppa and review where you are and where you want to be. Work out a time frame to achieve these goals and get started! 
• Communication - Make sure to keep conversations up with colleagues. They can help to be an inspiration for some much needed motivation or can lighten the load if you are overwhelmed. 
• Planning - Keep lists and always write things down. I like to make a list each day which includes all of my tasks. I then add these things into a daily timetable which helps me to keep on track. 
• Limit distractions - Make sure you put your phone away or in another room. Resist the temptation to have social media open in the background and close those emails.
• Have free time - Your brain gets tired of working and your productivity will begin to drop. This is usually at around the 45 min to 1hr mark. Schedule breaks in between tasks. Go outside and get some sun on your face, sit with your friend for lunch, read a book. Whatever you do just do something different. Get off that desk chair and get moving! This down time is crucial for your mind to reset. 
• Stress Management - Make sure to take care of yourself. If you are feeling stressed you are likely to see a drop in your motivation and productivity. If you are struggling with stress or would like to know more please read my blog post 'Breaking the Stress Cycle'. 

I'd love to hear if you are going to implement any of these strategies to help manage your time more effectively! Work smarter not harder and all that! 

Take care, 

Lozzy 

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