5 Habits productive people employ at work

How do you become a more productive person? These 5 simple techniques and ideas can help even the most distracted person achieve more.

It seems we've all got more work and less time to do it in and this is often compacted by distraction and poor organisation.

In order to get the most out of your day you may need to revisit how you carry out tasks and what goals completed will return the best results. We have outlined what we consider to be the most effective time savers and practices that help you accomplish more in your working day.

1. Proritise your work and structure your day

When arriving at your desk (or kitchen table) and sitting down to start your working day select the work you need to do and note it down in a definitive list. When you know what lies ahead you are better positioned to tackle them in an order that makes sense.

Allocate time to each task and build up a view of your forthcoming day. When you've done this you'll have a great check list that you can gradually cross off as you go. Our online Project Management software can help with this.

2. Set deadlines and timescales

As part of prioritising your day set yourself (and others if you are waiting for information) clear time frames and deadlines.

Clearing the quick and easier items first will allow you to focus on larger tasks and tackle them in larger blocks. This will help you concentrate on completing projects quicker; it takes more effort to keep dipping in and out.

3. Reduce your visibility and take yourself offline

This can be the largest stumbling block for users who get easily distracted.

Set your online profiles, phone and instant messaging statuses to Do Not Disturb or Away and turn off notifications. Unless it's critical and you have to make a decision, getting sucked into non-urgent items will eat away at your time. You might want to set a certain alert or configure email rules that let you know if something is truly critical.

If working in an office and you have the option, close your door, and steer clear of social media.

4. Take regular breaks

Working in long blocks does not help your productivity. Get up from your desk and make your colleagues a drink. Go for a short walk around the office or simply just stretch your legs and rest your eyes from staring at a monitor.

It's proven to help you with concentration and reduces the risk of eye strain, back ache and mental blocks.

5. Be flexible and know when to move on

Tasks and jobs can get added and come in throughout the day, you'll need to apply the first tip and see if your day needs restructuring. Don't simply jump on to them unless you've already been interupted and it can be completed quickly, or if it's part of your job like a support technician responding to an emergency.

If you've hit a stumbling block and are struggling to progress a certain task try moving on to another job that allows you to go back to your original job without too much interuption. Taking a few minutes away from the problem can often allow you to come back to it with a fresh perspective.