7 Tips on How to be a Highly Productive Individual

Whether you are a business owner, remote freelance worker, office employee, or even a college student, productivity is crucial. It helps improve the quality of output while reducing time spent on unnecessary tasks. It makes you more efficient and effective. 

Productivity is not about doing more. Instead, it is all about doing what matters most. It includes prioritizing your activities, focusing on those that yield more favorable outcomes, and letting go of those that won’t do you any good.

Want to be highly productive? Here are some tips

So, how exactly can you become more productive? Read on and learn from some of the tips we’ll share. 

1. Use a Productivity Tool 

In this technologically advanced era, being highly productive is possible by using the right tools. There are plenty of options, but one of the most effective is Kanban. It helps increase team productivity by visualizing work, determining bottlenecks, and optimizing processes. 

Kanban is a Japanese word, which means visual card. It was created by Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer who worked at Toyota. It is based on a variety of core practices, such as visualizing and managing workflows, limiting work in progress, clearly defining policies, implementing feedback loops, and improving collaboration. 

Whether it is at the personal or team level, Kanban can be an effective tool to boost productivity. Among others, the latter is possible because Kanban improves visibility. You will have a visual cue of how tasks are going through, including the backlogs. It provides an accurate picture of how processes are forming. 

Kanban is also a great way to increase efficiency, especially when working as a team. It can cut work in half. Your team will instantly know your progress simply by looking at the board, eliminating the need to inform everyone about the status of a certain task. 

Additionally, Kanban is an opportunity to break your work into stages. You can create sub-tasks. Plus, it is easy to assign it to other people. This will minimize clutter in your workflow while also enhancing collaboration. 

2. Delegate and Outsource 

One of the most common mistakes people make is assuming that they can do everything on their own. There’s nothing wrong with being confident in your knowledge and skills, but you must also be realistic. Especially if you are busy with other things, you need to know your priorities. Delegate and outsource other tasks to those who can do them better so that you can dedicate your full attention to what is most important. 

For instance, let’s say you are interested in trading stocks like Amazon. If you are a new trader, the work involved can be overwhelming, especially if you do not have expert knowledge. To become profitable, you need to conduct thorough research and understand how the market works. 

If you want to be highly productive, you might want to delegate and outsource. A good way to do this is to work with a stock picking service and pair it up with a Kanban board. It aggregates recommendations so you won’t have to do much of the work. Hence, you can make well-informed decisions and minimize risks. 

Another situation where you should delegate and outsource is when you are a small business owner. Administrative tasks, such as bookkeeping are better outsourced. More so, if you are not knowledgeable in stuff like social media marketing and search engine optimization, you can also outsource such services. 

3. Practice Effective Time Management 

Becoming highly productive requires effective time management. This is especially important from a personal level. Planning is essential. Otherwise, it is difficult to accomplish things and yield results. You will end up procrastinating and compromising the quality of work if you are always in a hurry, so plan your time accordingly. 

One of the best time management hacks is to avoid multitasking. Some people might think that doing everything at once will yield better results. Truth is, it can make you lose focus. It is better if you know what to prioritize. By giving your full attention to one activity, you are increasing the chances of doing it right. 

More so, it helps to create a schedule and stick to it. Start your day with a solid plan. Write down what you want to accomplish. Eating your frog is a great principle to apply in scheduling and accomplishing tasks. Simply put, it means that you should start with the most difficult tasks. Once done, you will feel empowered and happy, making it easier to complete the simpler tasks.  

4. Get Rid of Distractions 

Supercharge your productivity by eliminating distractions. Whether you are working from home or in an office, you must find ways to get rid of the things that make you lose your focus. Forming such habits can be difficult at first, but as you see its benefits over time, it will be easier to practice. 

Technology is one of the major sources of distractions. If you want to focus on your work, turn off your mobile phone. Do not answer calls or texts that are not work-related. Avoid social media unless it is necessary for your work. Do not check your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter often when working. If possible, check them only once you are done with work. 

Choosing your leisure activities wisely will also help. Especially when you are working at home, it is tempting to turn on the TV, but this is one of the most common ways by which people lose their focus. 

Being surrounded by people can be a good thing, especially if you easily get bored. Nonetheless, it can also be harmful to your productivity. It is best to have quiet or alone time when your work requires your full attention.

5. Learn to Say No 

No might be a simple word, but it can do a lot to make you highly productive. If you want to genuinely help others, make sure you are not doing so at your expense. This can result in being overloaded, making it more difficult to focus. Worse, it can end up compromising the quality of your work. 

Saying no is a luxury that a lot of people cannot afford. For instance, if you are an employee, you might be compelled to say yes to all the work your boss wants you to accomplish. However, you need to set boundaries and draw the line. Know the scope of your job, and when you are asked to do something outside of your role, decline politely. 

Do not feel guilty when you say no. If you can justify doing so, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be doing it. 

6. Give Yourself a Time Off 

Working continuously might seem like helping you accomplish your job. However, at what expense? For some, it could be in exchange for their mental health. Meanwhile, for others, it could mean sacrificing their time with family and friends. If you want to be more productive, then you should also have some me-time. 

Meditation is one of the best things to do. It can help clear your mind and improve your focus. You should also find time to be with your loved ones. Having social connections is vital for your work-life balance. Treat yourself occasionally. Get a massage. Go shopping. Eat out. Have a drink or two. 

The trick here is to find the perfect balance. Spoil yourself a little but stay disciplined by knowing your priorities.

7. Set Up Your Workspace Properly

More and more people are working from home these days. Many may find it hard to perform at their peak outside of the office, so it helps to have the right set-up. You do not need a large space to do so. You just need to be creative in making the most of what is available. It does not have to be expensive either. 

The right lighting is one of the most crucial. Utilize natural light. It is best if you can work next to a window. Sunlight can improve your mood and make you highly productive. Not to mention, you can save electricity! 

The proper set-up also means that your desk should be clean. Get rid of the clutter to help you stay more focused. Invest in organizers and keep those you are not using in drawers. Even dangling wires can be a distraction, so make sure to fix them. 

Ergonomics is also vital. Invest in a comfortable chair and ensure proper posture while working. A flexible standing desk set-up can also help. 

Adding natural elements is also a good idea. Beyond natural light, you can have house plants to add color to your workspace. Choose those that are also known for purifying the air. 

Conclusion 

Being highly productive has plenty of benefits, such as doing more things within a short time, getting rid of stress, and accomplishing tasks efficiently. As noted above, this is possible by utilizing productivity tools, delegating and outsourcing, practicing effective time management, eradicating distractions, saying no, giving yourself a break, and setting up a proper workspace. Doing these things can help unleash your full potential.