When it comes to getting more done in a day, most people struggle. They feel like they never have enough time and always end up feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
But this doesn’t have to be the case! There are a few things that you can do to boost your productivity and get more done in less time.
1. Focus on one task at a time
If you’re struggling to get more done in a day, it might be time to start focusing on one task at a time. When you focus on a single task, you’ll be able to accomplish more in less time, which will help you feel more productive and successful.
Many people have the tendency to multitask, which isn’t a good idea at all. When you’re trying to work on two or more tasks at once, your brain is forced to switch between them, which can lead to wasted time, poor quality of work and increased stress.
A study from the University of California-Davis found that people were more effective at completing a task when they were only focused on it for a certain amount of time. In addition, working on just one task at a time has been shown to improve concentration and reduce distractions.
To get started, try using a timer to see how long you can last without getting distracted. Once you know how much time you can focus on a certain task, you can use this information to create boundaries and stop yourself from becoming distracted.
Another way to avoid multitasking is to set aside specific times throughout the day when you can do your best work. This will help you make sure that you’re only working on important projects, and not something that might take up valuable time later.
Finally, you should also make sure that your workspace is conducive to focusing on your work. You should have a comfortable chair with good back support, and your desk should be well-organized so that you don’t have too much stuff to think about.
2. Break down large tasks into smaller ones
When it comes to getting more done in a day, it’s always best to break large tasks into smaller ones. This way, you can focus on what needs to be completed first and deal with the rest later. Moreover, breaking up large projects helps you avoid procrastination and stay on track.
The best way to break down your project into smaller tasks is by identifying them according to their importance and assessing the amount of time they take to complete. This way, you’ll know which ones are essential and which can be delegated to other team members.
Whether you’re working on school assignments, have a deadline at work or are trying to finish your own personal project, it’s important to identify your project components and set them up in an orderly way.
This will help you stay focused and make sure that all of your tasks are completed on time. You’ll also be able to track your progress as you go, which will be very helpful if you’re working on a big project.
You can do this by creating a list of the tasks that you need to complete. Alternatively, you can use a task management tool to keep track of your projects and assign them to team members.
Another way to break down your projects into smaller tasks is to use milestones. This is similar to how you plan a road trip and breaks your journey into logical steps that will take you where you need to be the next day, three days from now or a week from now.
This will also help you to focus on your work and make sure that you’re taking breaks regularly to rejuvenate. This way, you’ll be able to get more done in a day and have more energy to get things done at work.
3. Prioritize your tasks
One of the most effective ways to get more done in a day is by prioritizing your tasks. This process involves identifying which tasks are most important, and then scheduling them into your calendar. By doing this, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and ensure that you’re working on the most crucial tasks first.
You can prioritize your tasks based on a variety of factors, such as deadlines and dependencies. You can also use relative priority, which works by weighing each task against others and ranking them according to their importance.
In addition to determining whether a task is critical, you can also rank it based on the amount of time it takes to complete it. If a task is taking too long, you can try breaking it down into smaller pieces and delegating some of them to others.
Another way to prioritize your tasks is by using the Pareto Principle, which states that 20% of your efforts tend to produce 80% of your results. By focusing on tasks that truly drive value, you’ll be more productive and achieve greater success.
Moreover, by prioritizing your tasks, you’ll have more free time to do other things later in the day. This is especially true if you choose to prioritize tasks that are time-sensitive.
For example, if you’re working on a project that requires several meetings and deadlines, it’s best to prioritize these tasks as soon as possible. This will give you more time to complete them, and also alleviate some of the stress associated with missing deadlines.
By completing the most important tasks, you’ll also feel more accomplished at the end of the day. This will help you make more informed decisions and avoid feeling overwhelmed in the future.
4. Don’t multitask
When you are trying to get more done in a day, it is important to not multitask. This can be difficult for some people to do, but it is necessary to accomplish the tasks that need to be completed.
There are many reasons why it is not a good idea to multitask, including the fact that it can actually reduce your productivity. This is because it takes a lot of mental effort to switch between different cognitive tasks. This can lead to delays and confusion, which can affect your ability to complete the tasks that you are working on.
Furthermore, it can cause you to miss key information and inadvertently make mistakes. This is especially true for long-term projects that require a lot of research or analysis.
According to research from Stanford University, it can take a while for your brain to focus on one task when you are doing multiple ones at once. You will likely experience brief mental blocks when you switch between tasks, which can cost as much as 40% of your productive time.
It can also lower your IQ and result in poor work quality. This is because multitasking lowers your brain’s ability to process new information and remember details. This can lead to a decrease in your ability to come up with creative ideas and solutions.
Moreover, it can affect your relationships with coworkers. It is common for people who multitask to lose their social awareness, which can lead to a decrease in their ability to interact with others in a positive way.
Overall, it is best to avoid multitasking at all costs. It can increase your stress level, make you less effective at work, and even hurt your health.
5. Schedule your tasks
If you want to get more done in a day, you should schedule your tasks. This will help you keep track of your progress and prevent you from procrastinating or missing important tasks.
Schedules can be short-term or long-term. They may also include a calendar that shows when events are expected to occur. They are often used in organizations and businesses where employees need to know when certain tasks must be completed.
The Most Important Task method (MIT) is a scheduling strategy that assigns the most important tasks to be completed first in a workday, which can help you achieve more productivity in less time. It also helps you avoid distractions by focusing on the most important tasks early in the day, before email or phone calls interrupt your focus.
Some schedules also use the Eisenhower Matrix, which divides tasks into three quadrants: urgent, important, and not urgent. Tasks in the first quadrant should be scheduled, as they have a solid deadline and are important to complete before leaving work for the day.
In the second quadrant are tasks that can be delegated to other team members. These tasks can be prioritized based on their value to the business and their ability to help you meet your goals.
For example, if you’re a marketing manager, your priority could be to publish an article on a authority site that raises brand awareness and generates traffic. Having a list of priorities also lets you determine which tasks can be delegated to someone else, thereby freeing up your time for more important projects.
You should also add contingency time in your schedule to handle emergencies and other unexpected events. If you don’t, you may fall behind schedule and lose valuable time. This is especially true if you have a high-pressure job or a lot of travel.