Have you ever had one of those really excruciatingly long days at work, where you realise at the end that you really didn’t achieve anything you set out to do? Don’t worry, we won’t tell your boss. Instead, we are going to look at some of the ways you can be more efficient at work by organising your physical – and mental – space for maximum productivity.
When it comes down to it, you might consider your office space as nothing more than a collection of furniture, featuring a desk, a growing pile of disorganized paperwork, a computer screen and, if you’re lucky, some of your own stationery (if your stapler hasn’t mysteriously wandered to your neighbour’s desk, as they so often do). But think of it this way, your office space is your home for 40+ hours per week, so it’s time you did a little renovating!
- Delete distractions
If only the delete button on your keyboard actually worked for your chatty coworkers and pesky junk emails, but unfortunately we aren’t quite there in the world of tech just yet. You can, however, eliminate a number of everyday distractions around you. Consider setting up a perimeter around your desk space (imaginary, of course – this is not a subtle suggestion to hire a builder), remove all gadgets or potential distractions from that area and keep anything that could impede productivity out of arms reach. You probably don’t even notice just how often you reach for your smartphone! It’s just not healthy, let alone good for your productivity!
- Write it down and tick it off!
How can you get things done if you don’t remember you have to do them? Sure, jotting down a few points at the beginning of each day is a good start, but that’s not all there is to it. Try starting your day by creating a to-do list and focusing first on the most important tasks. What 1-3 things do you need to do, that even if you achieve nothing else, you’d still feel like you achieved something? Now make those tasks your priority and if you happen to come across a task that doesn’t need your immediate attention, take it off the list for today!
Focusing on the important tasks first will go a long way toward actually getting them done. Tick off each task as you complete it, and at the end of the day, review your day’s achievements – there is nothing more satisfying than recognizing what you can achieve in a day!
- Stand Up!
Standing desks – the trend of 2014-2015 continues. The productivity benefits of standing desks are numerous and of course, it’s harder to slouch around when you aren’t actually sitting down, right? In addition to improving posture, standing desks also assist with weight loss, sleeping patterns and general productivity. Meetings tend to feel more formal and more focused, leading to better results and the higher vantage point means increased connection to others in the office. A report by the Medical Journal of Australia is urging businesses to implement and encourage standing desks to improve people’s health.
- Meeting rooms – enter if you dare
Regardless of your business size – from startup to large company – the need for meetings is one that cannot be denied. While the coming together of folks in the workplace ensures that everyone is on task and working toward common goals, it doesn’t need to be a daily event. That’s valuable time you could be spending doing actual work, rather than sitting around, talking about it. Consider creating an action plan before your next meeting to ensure that all necessary points are raised and the meeting is conducted as effectively and efficiently as possible. And set half hour to 45mins for the meeting – not the usual hour, which you’ll fill if it’s scheduled.
- ‘There’s an app for that”
With so many technology tools and apps at your disposal, why not utilize a few to help you get the most out of your day. The ability to download an app in seconds, communicate instantaneously from any location and share data in real-time via the cloud has gone from a business want to a business must-have. There are a plethora of online websites, smartphone apps and programs at the click of a button to make your life that little bit easier – and a whole lot more productive.
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Or, you might consider going paperless for productivity! Not only will this help clear up that annoying desk clutter and rid your space of the growing pile of paper work, freeing your brain to focus on what’s really important, but you’ll also find much more efficiency in your workplace practices if all your documents are online and available at the click of a button – no matter where you’re working from.
Of course, if you’d like to increase your productivity by going paperless, we’d love to help! You can give us a call on 1300 00 1333 or you can get started on Shoeboxed now with 30 days free.
