Want to be more productive in the workplace—and to make better use of the time you have? It’s as simple as cultivating the right personal habits. Build a routine that lends itself to effective time management, and watch how much more you accomplish in the span of a given workday.
Here are just a few of the habits you might consider forming.
6 Habits of Highly Productive People
Take some time to tidy your area. Don’t leave your desk messy and unkempt when you head home each day. Instead, take five or ten minutes to get things in order and make your office ready for the following workday. A messy desk is not, as some believe, the sign of a creative or productive mind. Rather, it’s a temptation to procrastination, and a major source of stress.
Set some time apart. This may seem obvious, but do you actually set aside a chunk of time to get things done—closing your door, turning off your phone, declining all meetings, and just buckling down for a burst of true productivity? Experts say that by scheduling 90 minutes each day—and fiercely protecting that time—you can get a great deal accomplished.
Do your scheduling the night before. Here’s a real game changer: At the end of each work day, as you tidy your desk area, also take time to write out a schedule of the following day, mapping out your priorities and appointments and making sure to schedule those 90 minutes of uninterrupted productivity. Your plans may not all pan out, and you’re got to be flexible—but by creating a road map, you can sit down at work each morning and get going right away on your important tasks.
Leave the office. It’s important to take some mental health breaks and to recharge your batteries with a change of scenery. Ideally, you’ll take half an hour or more out of your work day to walk or run, but even just leaving the office for lunch can work wonders. This may seem like a waste of time, but on the contrary: It actually helps you make much better use of the time you’ve got.
Set aside some email time. Pick two times each day when you check your email and respond to the messages that need responding to—and outside of those two times, don’t have your email open; don’t have your phone notifications on; don’t think about email at all. Don’t let email control your day.
Sleep. Get your eight hours each night, even if it means going to bed a little earlier than you’ve become used to. There’s simply no other way to maintain optimal productivity and focus throughout your workday.
By forming these habits, you can ensure that the time you spend at work is focused on getting things done—as efficiently and creatively as possible.