There are some days that we all look at our inbox, calendar, and piles of paper on our desk (do people even have those anymore?) and wonder how we are going to accomplish everything we have to that day. Well, we know you can do it, and today we’ll give you a few quick tips to help you conquer your day more efficiently. Here are 8 Simple Tips To Increase Your Efficiency at Work.
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Create a to-do list
This one is most important. Plan out your day, write down what you need to do, and cross everything off your list once it’s done. Hint: Create your to-do list for tomorrow at the end of each day, that way when you come into work in the morning, you’re ready to dive into your first task.
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Prioritize
Do your most important tasks first. Usually, the more important, more in-depth tasks are the ones that we have trouble starting. Don’t do your easy, routine tasks first. Take on the challenging/most dreaded tasks at the beginning of your day – the time when you’re full of energy and motivation. That way, when your brain needs a break, you can give it (a little) one. Plus, once you’re done, you’ll have that great feeling of accomplishment that will last all day long!
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Schedule your calendar
Schedule blocks of time to work on certain task. Make sure everything on your to-do list has a spot on your calendar. Order your calendar as prioritized above. Then, stick to that schedule, and try your best not to accept meeting invitations during those times. Also, close your email, and only check it between tasks.
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Make the most of conference calls
Love them (anyone?) or hate them, conference calls aren’t going away. Many top executives are on conference calls all day long. So how do they ever get any work done? Well that’s a great question, and the answer is – by multitasking. Of course you can’t dedicate all of your attention to a task while on a conference call, but if you’ve got daily reports to run, mindless data to enter, junk emails to go through – or any other routine, mundane tasks, these can most likely be accomplished while on a conference call.
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Come in early
If you’re one of those people that easily gets pulled into side conversations (work or non work related), coming in early can be a great way to get ahead of your day. Coming into work even just 30 minutes earlier than your coworkers can really help you accomplish a lot. This can also help you leave the office “on time” if you tend to find yourself scrambling to finish work up at the end of the day.
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Take a break
For gossip, a snack, coffee, whatever it may be. Disconnect for a few minutes between assignments so that your brain has time to regroup and refocus.
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Turn off cell phone notifications
Sure, you want to answer any important calls from family members in case of an emergency, we get it, so set it to Do not Disturb to allow those calls through. However, the text, email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter notifications all need to be silenced. You can’t be fully focused on your work if you’re glancing over at your phone every time a notification pops up.
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De-clutter your desk
Simple. Clear your desk and keep it organized. A messy desk is no way to work.
So there you have it, some tips from our own, extremely efficient Diligex employees. Now stop procrastinating and start making that t0-do list for tomorrow! 🙂