How to be Productive at Work in 5 Simple Steps
There is nothing worse than knowing you have a full plate at work and getting derailed early in the day. You lose the wind from your sails and productivity vanishes. Before you know it, you call the whole day a wash and tell yourself you’ll start fresh tomorrow. Don’t do that to yourself! Let’s get on track and learn how to be productive at work in 5 simple steps.
No time for small talk today. Let’s dive right in!
How to be productive at work in 5 simple steps
Step One: Set the Vibes
You may think step one is unnecessary, but I promise it will help you get and stay in the zone. Turn on some music, make sure you have optimal lighting, roll on some essential oils, and grab your coffee.
For even better results, create a routine around your vibe-setting to condition your body to expect super-focused work mode.
Step Two: Voicemails and Emails
Listen to voicemails and go through emails. Block out 5-10 minutes to get this task out of the way first thing. But, very important here, DO NOT REPLY. Do not reply to voicemails or emails right now. Listen to voicemails and decide which ones are a priority. Go through emails, scan through the important ones, and delete anything unnecessary to immediately free up your inbox space. Prioritize those left as well.
Now you know if anything urgent needs your attention that you can address immediately.
Step Three: Priority task
Start your biggest task of the day. Whatever priority #1 is for the day, get started on it now. Your vibe is set and your voicemail and email distractions are momentarily silenced. Now is the time to dive into full-focused work.
Do your best to eliminate distractions and get side-tracked with other projects. Commit to this one task as your priority.
Step Four: Take a break
Really, know when to take a break. You can break with a natural stop like once you finish a report or a project task. Or you can break with a set time, like 45 minutes. Take a break with a stretch, get a drink refill, or walk around the office. Do not take a break with another work task!
If you wait to take a break until your eyes are blurry or you’re making avoidable mistakes in your work, you waited too long and need to plan for a break earlier next time.
Step Five: Finish the main task and celebrate
After your mini-break, jump back into your priority task. Chug away, taking breaks with natural stops or planned time stops.
Once you’re done – celebrate! Grab a snack, chat with coworkers, or hop on social media for a few minutes (set an alarm so you don’t mindlessly scroll the day away).
Make sure the next task you choose to complete is something lighter in nature than your first priority task, like responding to calls and emails.
Repeat these steps throughout your workday to complete all your tasks and be super productive at work!
Stay-at-home working mom
Bonus! If you’re a stay-at-home working parent, check out my ebook: The Stay-at-Home Working Mom’s Survival Guide. Find the balance you crave and the secret to getting more work done with kids.
Right now, it’s only available on Amazon, but in the new year, it will be available through my blog. Drop your email below to get updates!
