If you feel like you’re constantly struggling to keep up with your to-do list, you’re not alone.
Many people have trouble with things like time management and productivity – particularly in a fast-paced environment like the IT sector. According to IBISWorld research, productivity software has a value of around $82 billion per year.
Problems with productivity often lead to more hours spent worrying about work and taking our projects home with us. Usually, the result is a poor work-life balance and the impending threat of career burnout.
The good news is that getting more done doesn’t have to mean using more of your valuable time. Instead, you can make a few simple changes to boost your performance and achieve your goals.
1. Learn How to Prioritise
The easiest way to start managing your time more efficiently is to begin planning your days. According to time management coach Elizabeth Saunders, it’s crucial to start each week with a clear view of your top two or three goals. This guides you toward completing the essential tasks first.
When you arrive at work at the beginning of the day, look at your to-do list and determine which of your jobs are the most essential to your end-of-week outcomes. Once you know which things are most important, schedule time to complete those tasks during the time of day when you’re most productive. For many people, this means “eating the frog” first thing.
Eating the frog refers to the process of tackling your biggest challenges at the beginning of the day, to make everything after that seem easier. When you start each morning with a significant accomplishment, you get a boost of motivation that pushes you through to the end of the day.
2. Embrace Technology
Today, virtually any employee can benefit from bringing more technology into their lives. However, as a member of the IT industry, a source of digital support may be particularly useful for you. There are countless applications and tools that you can add to your daily routine to improve your performance and tackle issues like procrastination.
For instance, the “Things” app will help with creating those to-do lists mentioned above and remind you of your short and long-term goals as you progress with your work. On the other hand, the Evernote app is a great way to take notes and set reminders that will keep you on task when you’re starting to feel distracted half-way through the day.
You can even download apps to support your personal career goals, like tools that teach you about software testing, coding, or emotional intelligence.
3. Use David Allen’s GTD Methodology
David Allen is a world-renowned productivity consultant, known for his “Getting Things Done” or GTD methodology. The GTD system gives people a way to organise their tasks and schedule their day more efficiently, by helping them determine exactly what they need to do each day. There are five stages to the GTD methodology:
- Capture: List all the tasks and appointments you need to remember for the day.
- Clarify: Make each thing on your list actionable. For instance, instead of writing “work on spreadsheet,” change it to “Double-check financial results” or “Measure data collection metrics.”
- Organise: Prioritise your list according to the things that you need to do first. You might be able to finish several tasks at the same time, like responding to emails while you’re on the train to work.
- Reflect: Look at your list and see whether any of your tasks need to be broken down into smaller steps or require more clarification.
- Engage: Tackle your list one step at a time and focus exclusively on one job until it has been completed. This way, you’re not wasting time and concentration trying to multi-task.
4. Stay Focused with the Pomodoro Technique
Like the GTD methodology, the Pomodoro technique is a popular productivity strategy that works with your schedule, instead of against it. The idea is to split your day into a series of 25-minute chunks punctuated by short five-minute breaks.
While taking regular breaks might seem counterproductive when you’re feeling rushed, the truth is that it helps you to maintain the right mindset. Rather than feeling frazzled and overwhelmed as you move towards the end of the day, you get a regular breather to refresh your mind.
Additionally, the Pomodoro technique prevents you from feeling like you have “all day” to get something done – an idea which can lead to procrastination.
5. Know When to Say No
Finally, being a productive member of staff doesn’t just mean that you complete the highest number of tasks in the shortest amount of time. It’s also important to make sure that your quality of work doesn’t suffer because you’re rushing from one job to the next. If you notice that your scheduling strategies are working, you might be tempted to push yourself harder and take on more work. However, this can lead to cutting corners in your work, which means that you need to go back and fix problems – using time that you could have spent elsewhere.
Packing your calendar full of as many tasks as you can manage doesn’t mean that you’ll get more accomplished in the long-run. Be realistic about what you can accomplish and give yourself a reasonable deadline for each task. If you get finished with something slightly early, you can double-check your work, and move onto the next job ahead of schedule, without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
About Resource On Demand
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We assist innovative and disruptive organisations to grow their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill Cloud roles that span across Digital Marketing, Marketing Automation, Human Capital Management and the growing Salesforce.com suite of skills.
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