For a truly productive week, you need to have the perfect mix of focus and time. Unfortunately, just working hard does not always lead to productivity. When you look at all you need to accomplish, you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of tasks that need to be accomplished or even feel that there is not enough time in the week to get it all done. It’s hard to know where to start, so follow these tips for a truly productive week:
- Make a plan, and then put it into action.
This sounds simple, but many hard workers get caught up in making a plan at the beginning of the week and then obsessing over the plan itself instead of getting to work. You will need to find a balance of big tasks and smaller tasks that works best for you, and then put them in order of priority. Once you’ve done that, focus on the top priority and then don’t stop until you’re done. Sometimes, multitasking can give you the illusion of progress but actually reduce your overall productivity.
- Let go of making things perfect.
This doesn’t mean that you should slack with your work, but you also don’t need to obsess over small details that you can’t control. Get the task done and accomplished, and don’t let perfectionism contribute toward procrastination.
- Communicate.
The best communication for productivity involves a couple of things. First, you need to learn when to say “no.” Do not agree to take on extra tasks for others unless you are sure it will bring about results. Without knowing when to say “no,” you run the risk of making it hard to control your schedule. You need to know what you have to accomplish and when without the burden of extra unnecessary work.
On the other hand, you need to know when to ask for help for yourself. Don’t get stuck on things and then procrastinate—instead, ask for help from your colleagues. Once you set a goal, it needs to be accomplished. If you can’t finish it, move it forward with problem solving—but don’t just let it sit there.
- Write everything down.
Use to-do lists, planners, notebooks, or some combination of all three that works for you. This will help you to prioritize and remember everything that you need to do. Once you’re done, share this plan with others on your team to receive feedback and keep everyone on the same page.
- Review your week.
Don’t just delete things from your to-do list when they’re done. Instead, list them as finished so that you can review them. At the end of each week, you should be making a note of everything you’ve accomplished and what else needs to be tackled in the next week. If something wasn’t finished, make a note of why so you know how to prepare going forward. This process will help you evaluate the effectiveness of your week and the importance of the tasks you spent time working on. This will make it easier to set goals that you feel good about. Make your to-do list for the next week on Friday night so that you can enjoy a stress-free weekend and then dive into Monday without hesitating.
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