3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity at Work

Have you ever walked into your workplace full of purpose and plans for the day, and left eight hours later having checked off only a fraction of items on your to-do list? Perhaps you got in your own way and sabotaged your productivity by spending too much time on your phone, socializing, or daydreaming. This can cause feelings of shame and hopelessness. “Will I ever get it together?” you ask. The answer is “yes.” All you need are some tips to increase your productivity at work.

3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity at Work

If you are tired of wasting your time at work and want to start making the most of it, give these suggestions a try:

1. Clear your desk — Life coach Marie Forleo has a lot to say about productivity, procrastination, and self-sabotage in the workplace. In a recent video, she shared a few secrets to increase your productivity at work. One is “clear your desk completely.” Forleo emphasized the importance of safeguarding yourself from distractions and said keeping your desk clear (no stacks of paper, no framed photos, etc.) would help. Hear more of what she has to say about maintaining a minimalistic workspace here.

2. Ask your boss about his or her expectations of you — Without a doubt, your managers have expectations of you. They want to see a certain level of productivity from you each day. If you don’t know what these expectations are, you won’t be able to meet them. Set up a meeting with your managers to find out exactly what they expect from you. After that, ask for help with meeting your productivity quota. For example, if you feel you are lacking in an essential skill, ask for training. If you’d like to have a mentor, ask for one. You may not get all the resources you request, but your boss will be impressed that you care enough to ask for them.

3. Avoid multitasking — Multitasking is an enemy of productivity. You may feel you are getting more done when you are multitasking, but you are actually slowing down your progress. 15 Ways to Increase Productivity at Work says,

“While we tend to think of the ability to multitask as an important skill for increasing efficiency, the opposite may in fact be true. Psychologists have found attempting to do several tasks at once can result in lost time and productivity. Instead, make a habit of committing to a single task before moving on to your next project.”

Break this bad habit and see if it makes a difference in your level of productivity.

Your boss expects a certain level of productivity from you, but you also have productivity expectations for yourself. To feel fulfilled at work, it’s vital that you meet both your and your managers’ expectations concerning productivity by:

• Keeping a clear, clean-looking, distraction-free workspace
• Asking your boss what his or her expectations of you are
• Staying away from the multitasking trap

Are you as productive as you’d like to be at work? What will you do to improve in this area?