How Productive Are You

An interesting study showed that procrastinators actually some of the most productive people, because they’ve learned the art and science of getting things done in a short period of time.  For better or worse, I fall into that category because I’m a habitual procrastinator that will wait to the last minute to do everything.  The trouble with procrastinators is that people around them don’t always get it, and as such, team morale can suffer.

Here are some ways to be more productive without becoming a procrastinator, and tips that will help your colleagues and team appreciate your productivity more.

Collaborate

One of the best ways to improve productivity, or rather, improve the perception of your innate productivity, is to communicate and collaborate.  In the workplace, there is no such thing as too little communication, especially when it comes to your peers and team.

There are many ways that you can communicate and collaborate – email, in person, on the phone, even text.  The bottom line is that you should always let people know what you’re working on and what your plans are.

If you have a deadline or commitment, follow through on it and be on time.  This will build trust and improve collaboration, which in turn will improve people’s perception of your productivity.

Take Breaks

Productivity can only last as long as you’re mentally focused on the project at hand.  The best way to maintain focus and improve productivity is to take regular breaks from the task at hand.  An easy way to do this is to set alarms after 1-2 hours to break your focus so that you can get up and stretch.  Just walking around, maybe getting some water, and letting your eyes break away, can be enough.

There are even online programs that can help you with this – both improving productivity and focus, but also reminding you to take breaks.  A good example is Break Reminder, but there are many others.

Also, taking a coffee break can be a great thing, even in the afternoon. Caffeine is said to improve focus and concentration, which can really help you get through the afternoon if that is not your prime time.
Investing in an office coffee machines can help to not only keep minds sharp but to avoid trips to an expensive coffee shop.

Schedule and Plan Accordingly

Finally, you should make sure that you are planning and scheduling your workload accordingly.  This comes in two forms – first, plan and schedule appropriate days to work on tasks, and then also plan the right times for you during the day.

For me, I prefer to work and focus the most in the afternoon and evening.  I can’t stand the mornings when it comes to work.  I don’t even really get going until around 10 or 11am.  As such, I keep less important tasks to the morning – catching up on email, responding to routine requests, etc.  I save the real meat and potatoes of my work for the afternoon and evening – like writing.  For example, I’m writing this right now at 6pm at night.

How productive are you?  What productivity tips do you have?