Here’s the ultimate guide on how to work effectively and efficiently.
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We’ve all experienced the frustration of having a mile-long to-do list and feeling overwhelmed trying to fit everything in those 24 hours.
But fear not! In this blog, I’m giving you 15 genius productivity tips that’ll help you breeze through your tasks like a pro and finally answer your question, ‘How to work effectively and efficiently?’
Now, I know the being productive may look different to different people but in general, being efficient looks like getting more done in less time and creating a proper balance between your work, your health and relaxation time.
Being a 25 yr old software engineer myself, I want to work efficiently so that I can get closer to my goals faster without having to sacrifice my health, hobbies or socializing time.
That’s why we’ve compiled a wide range of tips and tricks to suit different working styles.
So whether you’re a meticulous planner, a spontaneous go-getter, or somewhere in between, we’ve got something for you.
Mind you, these strategies are not based on the ideology that ‘doing work for longer would make you productive.’ Absolutely not!
Instead, these strategies will make you ponder, ‘how can you work the same amount of hours and create more results?’ This mentality is what will force you to think how to work effectively and efficiently.
So, here are 15 genius productivity tips to transform your work style once and for all. Including some game changing tips that most people don’t talk about, but have truly worked for me! 😉
Here’s the ultimate guide on how to work effectively and efficiently.
how to work effectively and efficiently
1. start weekly planning
Planning your weeks can give you so much confidence! Every Monday just sit down for an hour and plan your entire week – mentioning what tasks you want to do each day.
I know, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. But this way, you’ll know exactly what tasks you missed out on and how much extra time it’ll take.
Everything’s crisp and clear.
And it works wayy better than daily planning (at least for me). Because planning your day every morning, a) takes more effort b) makes you schedule your most important tasks for later.
2. Know when you are the most productive
Different people are productive at different times. Find out what time of the day are you the most productive. Maybe you have more energy at night, or maybe you’re able to focus more in the mornings.
I’m not going to give you the cliche productivity advice to get up at 5 am everyday. See what time works best for you and work with that.
Similarly, notice which day of the week do you get most done? Maybe you get more things done on a Friday because you want to finish everything before your Friday night dinners.
I’ve noticed that I’m able to focus more in the mornings and can get most amt of work done during the first half of the week, so that’s when I schedule my most important tasks.
On Thursdays and Fridays, I can hardly get 4 things off my to-do list.
3. schedule a POF hour
I recently started adding a ‘POF’ (putting out fires) hour in my weekly schedule and it has been life changing.
The only way time scheduling your week would work is if you keep it flexible. If you have a strict schedule where you leave no space for the unexpected, your plan is bound to fail.
And the thing is, life happens. Something unexpected is always going to come! and having a plan helps you move things around and still stay in control.
A simple way to keep things flexible is by adding at least ‘putting out fires’ hour throughout the week.
I usually schedule one 2 hr POF block on my Friday evenings. And this is the time when I get all the leftover work done, or finish the extra tasks like replying to emails, setting up calls etc.
Here’s how I schedule it on Google Calendar ↓
4. one hr of focus work
Expecting yourself to focus 24/7 or for 9 hrs straight is pure stupidity. It can never happen, and honestly, you don’t even need that.
If you ACTUALLY focusing on the task at hand, you’ll automatically take way less time to get things done.
Start with this first. Schedule at least two 1-2 hrs of focus blocks in your week. If you can do one everyday, great!
This is the time where you turn off all the distractions – put your phone in another room, ask your colleagues to stop talking to you, if you’re working from home, lock your door – and just focus on the task at hand.
You’ll be shocked to see the quality and the amount of work you get done in these 2 hrs. If you want to learn about this concept in depth, read ‘Deep Work’.
Some people might want to go one step further and schedule 5 hrs of such focus time, but honestly, it’s a little too extreme. You might be able to do it for 3-4 days, but after that you’d only be overwhelmed with this.
5. Stop indulging in drama
Your brain would get overwhelmed looking at your big fat to-do lists or a fully scheduled calendar. But you don’t need to get involved in the drama.
The best part about scheduling your weeks is that you don’t have to worry about what needs to be done tomorrow, or the day after that.
All you need to focus on is ‘what’s on your calendar right now?’. Just follow the calendar.
And if some things don’t go according to plan, you can handle it in the POF hour or probably next week.
Here’s how to stop indulging in the drama :
- Use thoughts that’ll help you calm down
I always say this inside ‘Take Your Weekends Back’ course, that productivity is less about scheduling and planning and more about your mindset.
Find some thoughts that help you stop indulging in confusion & overwhelm and at least start working.
Some of the thoughts that help me in my busy weeks are, ‘I always get the most important stuff done.’ or ‘Right now, I only need to worry about finishing one task from this to-do list.’
6. Just start for 15 mins
#1 thing that your brain does when it gets overwhelmed is to indulge in confusion. You’d be thinking that, there’s no way you can get so much done, you have no idea where to start?
The easiest way to get out of this loop is to just start working for 15 minutes.
15 mins is a nice time span because it’s easy to convince your brain to get started, and once you’re done with the 15 mins, you’ve already gained some momentum and you can easily use that to keep going.
7. not everything needs to get done
I read this quote once that said,
‘When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.’
I know you really want to get through every single task on your to-do list, but don’t tell me that everything is of equal importance.
Some tasks will help you move forward towards your goals, while others won’t even create a huge impact.
That is why identifying your priorities is pure genius. This is exactly how to work effectively and efficiently.
You’re also going to receive a lot of requests and demands from other people. Having clear priorities would help you identify what needs to be done and what can be ignored until later.
8. Automate and delegate
There’s only so much that you can do on your own. Automate and delegate extra tasks to get sh*t done faster.
Now, if you don’t have a team, this might be a tough one. But there are still ways to get some things off your plate.
Ask your friends to help you out in a creative project, if you partner can’t do the ‘work’ stuff, ask him to pick up the kids from school, or take care of breakfast so you can work in the morning.
Create systems that make your life easy. Batch similar tasks together. Join co working groups if you like that kind of accountability. Set clear cleaning routines.
And if you can’t delegate, automate. With technology these days I’m pretty sure you can automate almost everything. Create email templates so you don’t have to type every single time.
Automate your bills so you don’t have to keep a reminder open.
9. Use your meeting time
Try to keep unnecessary meetings to the minimum.
But if you’ve fallen in the traps of daily catchups and weekly retros (I feel you!), try to use this time to better use.
Work on your low effort/low attention tasks – like checking up on emails, raising requests etc, while putting your meetings on in the background.
10. Take frequent 15 min breaks
Studies show that your focus is at the highest when you start working and it keeps on decreasing as you keep working.
So, every time you take a break and step away from work, you come back feeling more refreshed and having an increased focus.
But you need to use your breaks doing things that actually help you relax. Scrolling through tiktok videos might not be the best idea.
Take a nap. Walk to your mailbox. Stretch a little. Have a face-to-face conversation with someone.
11. have a work station
If you’re working from home, this is key on how to work effectively and efficiently.
Have a designated place for work. If you work on the same couch you sit down to watch television at, you’re probably never gonna be the most productive.
When you have a designated corner that you only use to work, every time you sit down at your desk your brain knows that it’s time to work!
If you don’t have one, create a productivity corner that actually makes you feel motivated.
Bring a comfy chair, add a vision board & keep your desk clean.
Related Post : 18 Home Office Organization Hacks To Maximize Space
12. have work cut off time
Have you ever noticed that you’re the most productive the day before vacation. It’s because you have a strict deadline that you can’t work after that day.
We work well with deadlines, that why having a work cut off time helps!
Have a work cut off time, say 6 pm, after which you’re done with work for the day.
If you seriously follow this for a few days, you’ll start noticing that 4-6 pm is when you get most amount of work done.
That’s just how our brains work.
Now use these after work hours to focus on personal life. You’re not just here to chase your to-dos, right? Have an after work routine that signals your brain it’s time to relax and chill.
I usually finish my work at 6 pm and then go on a 45 minute walk. It really helps me get out of the work zone. (something)
13. ta-da list
If you feel like you’re always busy but are never getting enough done, make a ta-da list.
Basically, every day create a list of all the thing you got done today.
This will,
a) If you’re wasting time on the unnecessary stuff, it’ll help you realize that you need to reprioritize your tasks and focus on the important things first.
b) If you’re working on important things, it’ll help you realize that you’re getting more done than what you give yourself credit for!
A lot of times, it’s just our brain focusing on what’s left instead of focusing on what’s done. Creating this list will help you shift your focus and actually gain some confidence.
14. use an actual timer
If you want to set reminders for meetings, and alarms to schedule productivity blocks, use an actual timer instead of using your phones for that.
I think it’s no secret that your phones are the biggest distraction these days. Those harmless 10 minute scrolls hamper your productivity more than you think.
I know it’s a little old school, but having an actual timer on your desk will help you keep better track of time and you can easily schedule your productivity blocks in here without having to worry about distractions.
15. keep a notebook with yourself
There are a 1000 tasks that’ll pop up in your head, or that other people will assign you once you start working.
And if you keep on jumping from one task to another, you’d never be able to get anything done!
One thing that I found works for me is, keeping a notebook by your side at all times.
So that when something pops up in your head, like you need to pay the phone bill, instead of getting up and breaking your momentum, simply write it down in a notebook.
This way you won’t forget about it and can easily deal with it later.
Here’s the ultimate guide on how to work effectively and efficiently.
Related Post
1) How To Be More Productive And Motivated When You Don’t Feel Like It
2) How To Work Faster And More Efficiently
3) How To Be More Productive In A Day If You Get Distracted Too Easily