5 Ways to Increase Productivity and Creativity

Do you ever wonder: what sets apart the people who are ultra-achievers and those who just make a living? Do they work harder? Put in longer hours? Are they just born with something that everyone else doesn’t have? As it turns out, there are a few tricks for kick-starting your creativity and being more productive at work. Try these techniques for a more successful career — and life.Old Way New Way Habits BB bright watermark

Plan Free Time

Ironically, the most productive creatives aren’t just workaholics. Yes, they put in their fair share of time at the office, but these people also give their minds and bodies free time. Time not spent trying to force productivity is the time when your mind is allowed to wander. During these times is when most creative people come up with their best ideas. Schedule some “you” time. Enjoy a long walk, or bike ride, or just sit somewhere you enjoy the view and let your mind meander where it wishes. You’ll definitely see the results back at work.

Create Environmental Triggers

A large factor that derails creative thought is the difficulty people often have switching tasks. Most workers go through the day half-engaged mentally in whatever they are doing, because they haven’t learned to establish clear boundaries between their tasks. For instance, have you ever arrived at work still thinking about a situation at home? Do you go home with work on your mind? Are you distracted during meetings with what’s sitting on your desk?

Learn to create environmental triggers to signal to your mind that it’s time to focus on a specific task. For example, only allow yourself to indulge in that morning bagel after you’re engaged in morning emails, or schedule snack time right before heading to the afternoon meeting.

Control Distractions

In an effort to be available and approachable, many workers don’t set “off limits” time for phone calls, answering emails, or allowing visitors into the office. The most productive and creative workers learn to schedule times for these interruptions, and also set “off limits” times when no one is allowed to distract them. This keeps you from losing those wonderful ideas that you always have right before a coworker comes in to ask about the daily reports — the ideas you are never able to recapture and implement.

Spend Time Reading and Watching Quality Programming

Another factor separating the highly productive, creative people and everyone else is the way they spend their free time. After a mentally exhausting day, it’s tempting to turn on a low-key sitcom and just relax. However, highly creative people make time for reading books and watching quality programming, such as documentaries. When it’s time to solve a problem or come up with a great idea, the people who have invested time in learning have more information stored with which to develop a smart solution.

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

Most people read magazines about topics they enjoy, talk only to people with which they share common interests, and thereby expose themselves to a limited amount of knowledge. People who are creatively productive take time to develop knowledge on a wide variety of topics. Pick up a book or magazine about a sport or hobby you know nothing about. Talk to someone who comes from an entirely different background than you. Expose yourself to as many subjects and viewpoints as possible, and you’ll see your productivity and creativity soar as a result.

Would you like to learn more about becoming a highly productive and brilliantly creative worker? Want to see more success in your future? Contact us to motivate and empower you and your staff.

Sources:

http://www.learnvest.com/2012/12/how-to-improve-your-creativity-and-productivity/

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/awake-the-wheel/201005/7-ways-enhance-focus-creativity-productivity-and-performance

Four Ways to Increase Your Productivity

Increase your productivity at the office with these easy tips for getting things done at work.

The Labor Department announced that U.S.productivity fell 1.7 percent for the first quarter of 2014,  making it a current hot topic in business. While company-wide productivity takes time to see results, here are few things that you can start doing today to improve your own:


Make Lists

Too many ideas and and tasks that need to be completed consumes your thoughts and therefore reduces productivity. Keeping a tool close at hand to write down ideas or to-do list items helps your brain associate that the item has been acknowledged and provides focus. Mobile note-taking or list apps, Google reminders, a personal notebook or even a tried and true paper To-Do list will suffice. Find the method that works for you and watch as your productivity increases.


Prioritize  First-Things-First-Quadrant-Steven-Covey-Time-Management

When confronted with a long to-do list or tackling a project, prioritize the tasks by putting them in order of importance. Remember the old saying that things that are urgent are not always important. Productivity is not just about getting lots of things done quickly. The tasks that are completed need to be important enough to move the task, project, or company ahead on a regular basis.

Delegate 

Identify employees’ strengths and use those to your advantage. Assign tasks that others can accomplish more efficiently, as well as tasks that prevent you from focusing on more important things at hand. Delegating ensures that projects are being worked on and moved ahead on schedule, and allows employees to feel a sense of ownership over the success of the company.

Hamster co-worker on redbullFocus  

Resist the urge to multi-task. Set a timer for a certain amount of time to work before checking email or making a phone call. These potential time suckers will steal your attention and reduce productivity while working. Hop off the hamster wheel and laser in on the task at hand.

 

What’s YOUR go to method for tackling the to-do list? Please share in the comments!

Contact us to determine how you can become more productive in the workplace and make every step count.