Not feeling productive enough?
Yeah, this can happen to the best of us. Our life gets tangled into so much clutter that eventually getting out of it seems like an impossible task.
Take some hard steps today. Waiting for things to improve, especially when you know that waiting is certainly not going to help, is only going to make things slower for you. To make your life more productive, take strong decisions and do not overlook minor issues. While big problems need bigger fixes, small ones can just go unnoticed and continue to hamper your productivity.
1. Dump Someone Today
Let’s start with the big point first. Our productivity gets hurt the most from things that are either very minor or often is overlooked, or they are due to someone else’s fault. Here are a few ways to deal with each one.
- Kids in your home – While this one is a bit too deep (and surely I could come up with an entire article dedicated to this point alone) here in this article I am going to just point out one tip for all those that are working from home: Get out and go somewhere else! This might sound odd to many, but if you are serious about your productivity then it is better to just find a rented space and stay there during your work hours. Handling kids in your home office is just not possible, many have tried it and failed. Trust me on this.
- Older parents – Again, a point that will never get many votes, but this is a very important one. An example of this is Jennifer Gresham, who fired her father – and that was her best career move ever.
Let’s come back to some of the minor points that affect our productivity in more than ways we can handle. Fixing them is easy — the problem is that we start dealing with it and take it for granted.
2. Kill That Noise
Certain noise is part of our lives. It can be anything — perhaps your computer fan, or the computer table whose repair you kept postponing. Small noises can be very distracting, and in the long term they can hamper your productivity. Here’s how you can combat that:
- Shout out to your neighbors. If your neighbor’s kid is bothering you with yelling or their pet keeps barking all day long, consider some serious action against them. Don’t let other people bother you.
- Install a noise reduction mechanism. Some noise you can deal with, others you just have to live with. If the traffic outside is your concern and it can’t be helped, try fighting it off with some noise reduction methods.
- Switch off that TV in the next room. A low-sound television or music player being enjoyed in the next room can still steal some of your valuable concentration. If the program is not important enough, try switching it off. Better still, try lowering the sound further and closing the door to make sure that it does not entertain you.
- Get a peaceful computer. Don’t we all want a Mac? So get it.
3. Pet Management
Barking dogs are never my cup of tea. But if your pet is important to you, then it is time to learn some lessons on pet management. Get “offline” help from your local pet expert. There are many things that you do not know about pets, and perhaps that is the reason why your beloved pet is not really happy with you.
4. Snacks
This is an excellent choice when it comes to watching TV, films or sports — but when it comes to getting some work done, snacks are just another distraction. The simple reason is that entertainment and work are totally different things and thus a different kind of concentration is required to get the work done.
5. Overall Health
Poor health can be a big reason for your productivity drop. Have you put on some extra weight? Is your lack of exercise a reason why you might be having stomach and gastric problems? Without getting into some real health tips here — just make sure to exercise a bit, get enough green vegetables in your daily food intake, and increase your water consumption for a bit of health improvement.
- Lack of sleep. 8 hours a day of sleep is important to keep your spirits high. While that extra hour of late night work might sound like a good idea when running late on a deadline, the quality of work will surely take a beating — if not instantly, in the long haul. Do yourself a favor: don’t mess around with your sleeping routine. Fix it…while you still can.
- Is something bothering you? If that is the case, then get that fixed first. In case you can’t fix it, stop thinking about it. And that’s that. Here is a small mantra that you should follow.
Stop thinking about things beyond your control and you will be fine.
6. Your Workplace Setup
Yaro Starak has a standing setup at his workplace. That is, he does all his computer related work standing. The point is — feel free to do that which improves your productivity.
7. Quit Your Addictions
While tea and coffee can sometimes help in increasing your productivity, I doubt very much that alcohol or smoking will.
8. Time Management
Is your workload killing your productivity? Setting up a timetable properly will help you to improve your overall productivity. Start doing all the creative work at the start of the day. If the extra hour of late night work is really important, allocate email checking and other “junk” work for that time period. (Note: If this article was not written in the early hours of the day, it would have surely lacked in its flavor.)
Fixing minor issues can sometimes play a big role in enhancing your overall productivity and allow your creativity to flow like never before.
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To me, distraction is the biggest offender. I am trying to get the workplace as quite as possible – reducing the noise, the clutter and the distractions (both on and off the screen).
So getting rid of my family, yelling at my neighbors, and buying a mac will make me more productive? I think there are better ways to get things done than being a terrible person and brand worshiping. Have fun being lonely and shallow.
I agree that some of these suggestions are really harsh and maybe good career moves but awful life choices. Cutting family members out of your life should never be about a job, it should only be done when someone in your life is a destructive force that refuses help or compromise.
On the other hand, having a dedicated place to work without the distraction of family members is important. Renting a space is fantastic if you can afford it. It’s also possible to work from home but you have to come up with a clever schedule that will maximize uninterrupted work time. e.g. waking up before the rest of your family or establishing strict boundaries about when others can interrupt you (won’t work with younger kids)
Also you don’t have to yell at your neighbors but addressing your concerns with them and politely asking them to try and keep the noise levels down is perfectly acceptable. It might not work, in which case you deal with it and buy a pair of noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs
I can understand the importance of getting work done, however, I am someone who has sacrificed family in the name of a career and it was not worth it. My whole family is gone and I have lost that job since the financial crisis, and in the end, my family should have been worth my focus. People should know that family is worth more than the monetary prize at the end of a job, since nothing lasts forever, especially in this economy. Forgive me if I am intruding, but to leave behind family for a corporation or even a so called “not for profit” is a fool’s lot. Those organizations only exist to serve themselves and the people at the top, and the sooner people realize this the better things will be.
Somehow I doubt that getting a Mac will help me be a more productive .NET developer, but the other hints are all good ideas.
great and easy tips that really helps in improving the producvity
hi stark227, thanks for your comments,
Getting rid of your family? did I said that!
The basic idea with this point was to dump your family in your work hours, as Yuliya Boublikova has already explained.
During your work hours, it is preferable to have a rented space, quite and peaceful, rather than your home office with kids playing around your computer. This way, you can do your work more productively.
Also, once you are back home, after work, you can have some quality time with your kids.
Shout out to your neighbors. This was just a phrase. I mean, talk to the officials responsible, discuss with your neighbors, fix the noise!
About the part of the family that does not want to take help, or require more help than you can provide, I linked to that post, rather than going into the details.
Also, sorry to hear about your family. Yes, family is important and one needs to balance it properly, along side work.
I’ve worked from home for 8 years now and am used to focusing beyond the little noises like my pets barking and neighbors. Additionally, my 7 yr old has never known me not working from home. I have adedicatedcofficecspace with a door and she occasionally will interupt but its far less frequent than any office ive worked in. It sounds to me like suggestions for someone having trouble starting out. You need to learn to focus you concentration and set clear boundries.