(INFOGRAPHIC) Increasing productivity: 5 easy-to-apply steps to set your business into growth

One of the most commonly used terms in personal development, entrepreneurship/business, and coaching is productivity.

This concept implies that we do our job and all other obligations efficiently and that in the shortest time, we can reach our goal. It doesn't have to be the sheer amount of work we've done. More important than quantity is quality, so productivity refers to how much work we have done and how we have done it, and what we have achieved. So productivity is not only a question of norm and quantity, but the quality of the finished work, processes in between, and satisfaction with the result.

There are plenty of tips on how to increase your productivity, and we'll look at five easy-to-apply and straightforward steps that can help us be more productive.

How to increase your productivity?

Although productivity has a lot to do with creativity and processes that are not easy to plan and challenge, everything we do to encourage it leads to increased productivity. So, what can we do then?

1.    Planning

Suppose at the beginning of each working day we know what our obligations are to perform that day. In that case, we make it easier for ourselves to organize and plan time, which is one of the productivity milestones.

·        Time for work,

·        a break,

·        making the plan itself,

will enable us to know when we are doing what and thus facilitate the complete process. The goal should be realistic and flexible - to move some activities, if it seems like a better idea during the day, so that the plan works for us, not for the procedure. Make use of your planner or calendar. Schedule the tasks you aim to accomplish, and this way, you won't risk missing any critical deadlines.

2.    Delegation

Delegation of responsibilities to other people will provide us with more time and energy to deal with what is essential and positively impact the team itself. That is why delegating has multiple positive effects. First, in the context of productivity, it gives us time and space to focus on our tasks and how we perform them.

Multitasking is the act of doing several tasks at the same time. While it may be tempting to use this technique, it can often result in lowered productivity. Instead, focus on one task at a time, and dedicate your full attention to it.

3.    Focus

One of the most common symptoms of procrastination (that is, a delay in starting or finishing something) is a loss of focus on multiple sides. This is when we have five programs open on the computer, ten tabs on the browser. Yet, at the same time, we look at the phone and wonder how it is possible that we can't finish anything.

Therefore, we should focus on what we do without unnecessary distractions to encourage productivity and reduce procrastination. Even when our phone rings or we suddenly become unbearably bored to stay in the activity we started, the focus should remain on what we are doing.

It's easy to get so caught up in our work that we don't take breaks. However, this can have a detrimental effect on your productivity. You need to recharge your batteries from time to time, and you shouldn't feel guilty about doing so. Of course, we can always take a break of a few minutes (to answer the phone, take a walk or relax), but it is essential that the break lasts a few minutes, and then we go back to productive work.

4.    Balance.

Productivity is not about sitting in front of your tasks all day and setting all other activities aside. On the contrary, to be productive, it is vital to deal with all those things that:

·        please us,

·        relax us,

·        lead to a positive mood.

That is why the daily plan should include activities that will have precisely that purpose: to constructively take us away from work, leaving the creative processes to "crunch" in our heads, and when we return to them, to feel the effect of that mental distancing and dealing with things in which we enjoy.

Additional tip: How organized is your workplace? If it's not clean, dirty, or messy, your productivity will most certainly suffer. Your desk should be clear of any papers, folders, pens, and other objects. Your workspace should also be free of clutter, so everything that you need is within easy reach.

5.    Monitoring.

Since stimulating productivity and productivity itself is a process character, it means that we will need to understand our weak points in the realization of that process and those that make it easier for us. That is why it is good to keep our records of the biggest obstacles in that process:

·        what are good things,

·        what we should have more (time, energy, plans),

·        what less (stress, procrastination, laziness).

With that in mind, each subsequent consolidation of that process will change the process itself: we will know what we need to work on more and what we have successfully mastered.

Additional tip: Eating healthy and well contributes to your productivity. If you eat unhealthily, you may be exhausted and low on energy. On the other hand, if you eat well, you will prevent yourself from feeling tired and sluggish.

Conclusion

Like any process that requires our active participation, increasing productivity will usually not give immediate results. All five described ways will need the first establishment and consolidation until they become a daily routine. It will sometimes work out more for us and sometimes less, and that is a normal, expected part of establishing the process. Only then can we expect productivity to be an integral part of our day. Like any process aimed at personal development, this one requires patience, time, and consistency.

Your productivity is under your control. By following these simple tips, you will set yourself on the path to productivity and business growth.